One of the British Poultry Council’s prestigious annual awards was made this week to Allan Meldrum, highly regarded throughout the UK poultry industry he has served for more than 35 years.

The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mr Meldrum by James Paice, former Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at a ceremony at the House of Commons attended by more than 100 guests including MPs, Lords, poultry producers and scientists.

“Allan’s massive commitment and unfailing reputation across the UK industry are rightly rewarded,” said Mr Paice.

Mr Meldrum, who has been sales consultant for Cobb broiler breeding stock in the UK, Ireland and Africa for the last 15 years, started in the poultry industry in 1969 in Scotland with the Cobb independent hatchery of Moray Chicks.

He moved to the Anglian Food Group in 1973 and become involved in developing more effective vaccines against the major threat of Newcastle disease. Then from 1976 to 1990 he worked for Scottish broiler chick hatchery Hamish Morison before setting up his own consultancy.

Mr Meldrum also found time to contribute something back to the industry, said Mr Paice, through serving on three BPC committees.

He was joined at the ceremony by his wife Helen and by his son Euan, a product manager with Cobb who had flown back from his work based at Arkansas, USA. He lives at Earlston, in the Scottich Borders.

(Issued by BHR Communications, Lime Tree Studios, Pulham Market, Diss, IP21 4XR, UK e-mail: bhr@bhrcommunications.co.uk) For further information please contact: Clark Baird +1 479 524 3166 [Cobb-Vantress] Roger Ranson +44 1379 608151 [BHR Communications]