People

The Ash Manor team accounts for over 100 years' experience in the food industry;

John Hutton
Chairman, John Hutton was trained at the West of Scotland Agriculture College and joined Northern Dairies (later Northern Foods) in Hull in 1956. A native of Hull, John worked for Northern there and at Holme-on-Spalding Moor until 1963, when he was asked to establish a new creamery in the North Yorkshire market town of Settle.

Originally a joint venture between Northern & Associated Dairies, John moved to Settle as General Manager of the new creamery even before it was built. In over twenty years of direct control of Settle he managed substantial growth and development and implemented a considerable amount of successful innovation. Long before this period had ended, Settle had become part of Associated Dairies Manufacturing Division, which John headed from 1973 onwards. Thus he was directly responsible for four factories, a national distribution centre and an ever increasing range of products - butter, milk powder, cheese, UHT products, ice cream, yoghurt & fruit drinks.

In addition John held directorships with Eden Vale(North); the English Butter Marketing Company & Lakeland Creameries Ltd. When he retired from the Executive Committee of the Creamery Proprietors' Association, he did so as its longest serving member and as Chairman of the Cheese Grading Service.

John was an early and ardent supporter of the 1987 buyout of Associated Fresh Foods from its parent group and instrumental in its ultimate sale to MD Foods of Denmark, four years later, for £93 million. As Chairman of Ash Manor Cheese Company Ltd., the company takes great benefit from his strong blend of technical and commercial acumen.

Ian Hutton
Having attended Cheshire College of Agriculture, Managing Director Ian Hutton, trained with Associated Dairies Group PLC., in both dairy and meat products divisions, before moving to commodity traders International Dairy Brokers, Chester in 1981. He has gained an extensive knowledge of the dairy industry and predominantly his role has always been commercial, having held Sales & Marketing posts with 'The Mollington Group' and 'Haslington Cheese', prior to establishing Ash Manor Cheese Co.Ltd., in 1989.

Ian's enthusiasm and determination to develop Ash Manor as a leading supplier of cheese as an ingredient to UK industrial food manufacturers, has seen the business emerge from humble beginnings as a bulk cheddar supplier, into one which is predominantly involved in grating, slicing, diceing and shropping natural cheese. Indeed, the company now sources, processes and distributes over eighty different cheese types from around the world and currently employs over forty full-time staff.

Nigel Wilkin
Having successfully completed schoolboy trials with Crewe Alexandra and Manchester City Football Clubs, Sales Director Nigel Wilkin, decided to concentrate on a career within the food industry, and joined Whitewell House Foods, Nantwich, as a marketing trainee, in 1986.

In 1988, he moved within the company to Whitewell Associates, where he was responsible for National Accounts. Two years later, he was appointed Sales Manager to the group, with specific responsibility for the development of Swiss, Danish & Italian cheese products.

In 1993, he was appointed Sales Manager of Ash Manor Cheese Co. Ltd., and in 1995, he was promoted to Sales Director, where he has overall responsibility for sales, sales development and national logistics.