Midlands Conference 2026

Suzie Adkin

Group Buying Director (Chilled), Aldi UK

Suzie Adkin is Group Buying Director at Aldi GB, where she leads the sourcing and category management of all Chilled Food, Dairy, Meat, Fish, Poultry and Eggs across the UK business. With extensive responsibility for some of the most commercially and operationally complex areas of retail, Suzie plays a key role in shaping supply strategy, supplier partnerships, and category performance at scale.

Suzie studied Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford before joining Aldi in 2011 as an Area Manager. She progressed through the business into the Buying function as a Buying Director in 2015, and was appointed Group Buying Director in 2019.

---

Fran Wyatt

Managing Director, Porky Whites Ltd

Francesca (Fran) Wyatt is the dynamic and visionary Managing Director of Porky Whites, a leading name in the UK pork and meat manufacturing sector. With a deep-rooted passion for quality, innovation, and sustainability, Francesca has spearheaded Porky Whites' journey towards excellence and growth.

Having trained as a butcher and having many years of experience on the factory floor, Fran has been involved in every aspect including diversifying the Porky Whites product range to enter new markets, supplying major supermarkets nationwide and staying true to our roots by selling to the wholesale market as well.

About Porky Whites

Porky Whites is a renowned name in the British pork and meat production industry, known for its commitment to exceptional taste, quality, and heritage. Based in the heart of Surrey, Porky Whites prides itself on producing premium pork and meat products that reflect traditional craftsmanship while embracing modern standards of sustainability and customer satisfaction. 

Fran’s Expertise

Fran’s extensive experience and expertise in the pork and meat manufacturing sector have been instrumental in shaping Porky Whites' success. With a keen eye for innovation and an unwavering dedication to product excellence, Fran’s leadership has positioned Porky Whites as a leader in the industry. 

---

Nick Freear

Customer Director, Greencore

Nick Freear is Customer Director at Greencore, the UK's leading convenience food business. With more than 20 years' experience in the food manufacturing industry, Nick has held a range of senior commercial and leadership roles across customer management, business development, innovation and transformation. Prior to Greencore's acquisition, he spent almost two decades at Bakkavor, leading strategic partnerships with major UK retailers and brands. Nick recently completed an MBA, further developing his understanding of leadership and strengthening his perspective on building high-performing teams and effective organisations. He is passionate about creating high-performing teams and fostering open, inclusive workplace cultures where colleagues can thrive. He brings a practical leadership perspective to discussions around workplace flexibility, balancing business performance with the evolving needs of today's workforce.

---

Sarah Bradbury

CEO, IGD

Sarah brings over 25 years of unparalleled experience in the retail and food sectors.  Currently, she leads IGD, an influential organisation that has been helping to inspire and unite the food industry for more than 120 years. IGD is a strategic insights and foresight business, reinvesting all profits into impactful initiatives that benefit both the industry and society at large.

 

Throughout her career, Sarah has held senior commercial and marketing positions, her previous role was Group Quality Director at Tesco. There, she was responsible for overseeing the delivery of high-quality safe products, sustainability, agriculture and regulatory compliance. It was in this role that Sarah honed her passion for driving collaborative change, mobilising the food and consumer goods sectors as a force for good, and working to improve the food system for the long term.

---

Jessica Sparkes

Manager | Digital Enablement | Global Supply Chain, McDonald's UK & Ire

Jessica Sparkes is a Global Supply Chain Digitization Manager at McDonald's, leading multi-year supply chain transformation initiatives that support the company's 45,000+ restaurants worldwide. Having joined McDonald's from a supply chain career in commercial aviation, she brings a fresh cross-industry perspective to solving complex business challenges. Jessica is passionate about helping people embrace change, unlocking the value of technology at scale, and creating environments where individuals can thrive. A strong advocate for flexibility and inclusion, she previously served as Co-Chair of McDonald's Women's Network, championing initiatives that support and empower women across the business.

 

---

Andrea Burgoyne

Site Director, The Compleat Food Group

Andrea Burgoyne is a highly experienced manufacturing leader with a passion for people, performance and continuous improvement. She leads with a strong belief that successful businesses are built around engaged, empowered and high-performing teams.

With extensive experience in food manufacturing and operational leadership, Andrea combines practical industry expertise with a people-focused approach. She is qualified in Lean Six Sigma and accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management, reflecting her commitment to developing both operational excellence and leadership capability.

---

Bethan Grylls

Editor , Food Manufacture

Bethan Grylls has worked as a professional journalist for more than a decade, specialising in B2B publishing since 2016 and the food and drink industry since 2019.

As editor of Food Manufacture, she leads the brand's content strategy, oversees its flagship Business Leaders' Forum event, and hosts the Food Manufacture podcast. A regular moderator, speaker and commentator on industry issues, she has also made appearances on BBC Radio 4 and Channel 5.

More often than not, you'll find her in a hairnet touring food factories across the UK.

---

Charlotte Forkes-Rees

Analyst (RCI), AHDB

Charlotte Forkes-Rees is a Retail and Consumer Insight Analyst at AHDB, specialising in consumer behaviour, red meat purchasing trends across retail and foodservice, and turning data into real world applications. Her work focuses on understanding the factors that influence beef, lamb and pork demand and consumption, helping industry stakeholders identify opportunities to drive demand and strengthen category growth.

Charlotte leads research across shopper behaviour, eating quality, foodservice trends, marketing evaluation and demand forecasting, providing evidence-based insight to help the beef, lamb and pork sectors better meet changing consumer needs.

---

Jodi Goldman

Personal Impact Coach

Jodi Goldman is a Personal Impact Coach and experienced international speaker. She's worked with thousands of professionals and business owners to help them develop magnetic confidence, a powerful personal brand and assertive communication skills. Her corporate clients include companies like Google, RBS, Everywoman, Sony, IG and the Post Office.

: https://jodigoldman.co.uk/

---

Hannah Lloyd

Director, Pinstone

Hannah is Director at Pinstone, a specialist PR communications agency working across the food, farming and environment sectors. With a background in strategic communications and campaign development, Hannah works with brands and organisations across the food and farming supply chain to translate insight into more effective communications and engagement. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between industry ambition and on-farm reality, working with all stakeholders to ensure communications resonate with farmers in a way that is credible, practical and grounded in their world.

Hannah is junior chair of the Veterinary marketing association, long time member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalist and a committed supporter of Meat Business Women.

---

Rebecca Morgan

Associate Director, Pinstone

Rebecca Morgan is an Associate Director at Pinstone, specialising in communications across the farming, food, and environment sectors. As Pinstone's AI taskforce lead, Rebecca has spearheaded the strategic integration of AI tools within the agency, developing robust protocols that balance innovation with essential guardrails.

---