SPAIN FOOD NATION SUMMIT UK 2024

September 09 2024

Speakers

SPEAKERS – SPAIN FOOD NATION SUMMIT 2024

Foods from Spain Advisory Council

John Giles	Divisional Director, Agri food – Promar International
Monika Linton	Founder - Brindisa and Co-founder - Brindisa Kitchens
José Souto Senior	Westminster Kingsway College
Owen Morgan	Founder and CEO, Group 44
Marcos Fernández	CEO of Ibérica Restaurants
Claire Bosi	Chef Magazine

Wines from Spain Advisory Council

Adam Kennedy	Spanish Wine Buyer, Waitrose
Sarah Jane Evans	Master of Wine and Spanish Wine Expert
Fiona Beckett	Wine Writer and Journalist
Owen Morgan	Founder and CEO, Group 44
Alex Canneti	Director, Berkmann Wine Imports

FRESH PRODUCE ROUNDTABLE

Mark Player	Managing Director UK – AM Fresh
John Shropshire	Executive Chairman – G’s Group
Matt Hancock	Board Member – Poupart Group

PROFILES

FOODS FROM SPAIN ADVISORY COUNCIL

John Giles
Divisional Director, Agri food – Promar International

John joined Promar in the 1990s and have spent 25 years supporting clients to make positive changes to their businesses. His many years of involvement with the Institute of Agricultural Management, the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s food, drink and agricultural group and the City Food Lecture has allowed him to improve his knowledge and experience of agri-food markets and broaden his network.He is a strong believer that all businesses should invest time and resources into understanding markets, supply chains and competitors and there are countless opportunities for agri-food businesses near to home and globally.

Monika Linton
Founder – Brindisa
Founder of Brindisa and Co-founder – Brindisa Kitchens

Brindisa was founded by Monika Linton in 1988 to share her enjoyment of the varied cultures, landscapes and extraordinary foods of Spain.

Brindisa celebrates the traditional foods of Spain. Brindisa Kitchens, co-founded by Monika in 2004, brings Spain to you on a plate, with the warmth of traditional Spanish hospitality, at five London tapas restaurants and a kitchen bar.

José Souto
Senior Chef Lecturer – Westminster Kingsway College

José studied at Westminster Kingsway College. After this, he worked as a Chef at the House of Commons (HOC) for over 11 years. Here he worked up to become a senior Chef de partie and acting Sous Chef in many of the HOC restaurants and helped open what was then the new Portcullis house.

Later, José took up a lecturing post at Westminster Kingsway College, one of the most highly regarded Catering Colleges in the UK. Since then, he has become one of the leading game chefs in the UK, with knowledge of not only how to cook game, but also about its harvest and preparation.

Owen Morgan
Founder and CEO – Bar 44 Tapas Group

Founder and Co-owner of the company running 3 sites in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. Principally overseeing all food, drink and product side of the business. About to launch a new modern asador restaurant in the city centre.

Sherry educator, brand ambassador, trainer, wine lover, culinary director. Promoting the finest modern Spanish food and drink with knowledge and passion.

Marcos Fernández Pardo
CEO of Ibérica Restaurants

Marcos is CEO of Ibérica Restaurants, which he founded with chef, Nacho Manzano, who holds a total of three Michelin stars. Ibérica is one of the leading, high-end Spanish food groups in the UK.

Marcos has a BSc in Economics & Management and a MA in International Business and Management. He has been successfully developing entrepreneurial projects within the creative industries for over twenty years.
Marcos is also a member of the Foods from Spain Advisory Council.

Claire Bosi
Co-owner – Chef Publishing

Having opened her own restaurant aged 24, Claire Bosi owned and operated the two Michelin starred Hibiscus Restaurant, first in Shropshire then in Mayfair, until 2013 when the business was sold.

Since then, Claire has entered the world of hospitality media and now co-owns Chef Publishing which produces the leading title Chef & Restaurant Magazine, The Pastry Section Magazine and The Craft Guild of Chefs Magazine.

WINES FROM SPAIN ADVISORY COUNCIL

Adam Kennedy

Wine buyer - Waitrose

Adam has been at Waitrose since 2008, working in a variety of roles and is the wine buyer responsible for the Americas and Iberia since 2019.

Sarah Jane Evans

Master of wine

Sarah Jane Evans MW is an award-winning wine writer. She is a Contributing Editor to Decanter magazine, and Co-Chairman of the Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest wine competition. She is Chairman of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, former Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, and former President of the Guild of Food Writers.

She is a certified educator for Sherry, Malaga, and Madeira.

Fiona Beckett
Food and wine writer

Fiona Beckett is an award-winning food and wine writer, one of the world's leading experts on food and drink matching, wine columnist for The Guardian and the author of 25 books on food, wine, beer and alcohol-free drinks.

She has been a regular contributor to many other national newspapers with weekly columns for The Times and the Daily Mail and to leading food, drink and lifestyle magazines including BBC Good Food, and Delicious. She is also a contributing editor to the wine magazine Decanter.

Owen Morgan
Founder and CEO – Bar 44 Tapas Group

Sherry educator, brand ambassador, trainer, wine lover, culinary director. Promoting the finest modern Spanish food and drink with knowledge and passion.

Alex Canneti
Director of Off-trade Sales - Berkmann

Alex ran IWS Spain and France (Francevin) from 1997 to 2002 and set up winemaking projects in Calatayud, Cariñena, Somontano, Campo de Borja and Bullas. These were sold to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Majestic.

Alex looked after Spain and Italy at PLB from 2002 to 2006. Alex was then Sales Director of Moreno Wines from 2006 to 2011.
Alex has now been Director of Off-Trade for Berkmann Wine since 2012. He looks after the Vega Sicilia wines, Finca Valpiedra, Conde de Valdemar, Soto Manrique Cebreros and Viñas del Cambrico Sierra de Salamanca, among others.

FRESH PRODUCE ROUNDTABLE

Mark Player
Managing Director UK – AM Fresh

Mark Player has worked within the Fresh Food industry for the duration of his career. Mark was soon managing the Mehadrin business in the UK after graduating and played a significant role in the merging of the UK business with that of the Munoz Group, forming MMUK.

After a 10-year break with other companies Mark returned to the AM Fresh group as Managing Director for the UK and is now Chief Commercial Officer.

John Shropshire
Executive Chairman

G’s GroupJohn Shropshire is the former CEO of multinational vegetable grower G’s Group. John is now an executive chairman for the company with his eldest son now in the CEO role. In 1976 John joined the business which was founded by his father. Over the years John has contributed to expanding G’s globally and bringing sales up past £500m.

Matt Hancock
Board Member – Poupart Group

Matt Hancock has over 30 years’ experience in the cherry industry and wider fruit business, with a passion for all things ‘cherry’. He is also author of “Celebrating the Cherry”, the definitive guide to the modern cherry industry. Matt is also founder of Ventina, Cherry Specialist at Norton Folgate, Chairman of British Stonefruit Ltd, past master of the Fruiterers Livery Company, Cherry Industry “Visionary” award winner 2022, and City Food Lecture Committee.