Meet the Commissioners

David founded The Kerfoot Group jointly with his wife Elizabeth in 1980 in a back bedroom using £300 capital which grew to sales of over £100 million on a global basis exporting to over 50 countries. The company processed, packed and distributed vegetable oils on three sites in the Port of Goole with a subsidiary in Poland and a sales office in New York. The groups main market was food manufacturing, supplying many different manufacturers who made products as diverse as sauces to readymade meals.  The Group was sold to French agricultural giant Avril in 2016  which is the largest French agricultural coop and David sat on the board for just under two years. He was President of the National Edible Oil Distributors Association, a member of the Federation of Oils & Fats International and was a representative on the Food & Drink Association.  As chair of York, North Yorkshire and East riding LEP he promoted the regions Food & Agricultural economy and was a rural spokesman on the national LEP organisation.

David became chair because he really wanted to make a difference in Yorkshires food supply chain and saw FixOurFood as the clear opportunity to drive forward the initiatives needed to make those changes which are so badly needed.

Jan has been a community activist in the West Yorkshire village where she lives for over thirty years. She has been involved in the Voluntary Sector since first becoming a trustee of the rural community council for Yorkshire in its various iterations (now Community First Yorkshire) since 2005, of which she is currently Vice Chair.

She has been a trustee of ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) since 2009 and is currently Vice Chair, but retiring from the Board shortly.  Other previous VCS roles include Vice Chair of Involve Yorkshire & Humber (2010-16) and Chair, North East Regional Committee for Guinness Northern Counties Housing Association (2009-13).

She has been Vice Chair of the Yorkshire Food Farming & Rural Network (YFFRN) since 2016 and a member since its inception in 2012.  As part of her role within the YFFRN, she has represented rural interests on the European Structural & Investment Fund (ESIF) Committees nationally and locally in West Yorkshire and York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding, since 2014. She was an active member of DEFRA’s RDPE stakeholder group from 2018 – 2022. She currently sits on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Local Partnership groups for both West and North Yorkshire and the North Yorkshire Food Strategy group. She was a member of the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Green Skills Task Force and represents ‘rural’ on the West Yorkshire Mayoral Authority’s Private Sector engagement group.

She has been a member of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board since 2020 and is Deputy Chair of Grow Yorkshire.

She is passionate about all things rural and was awarded the MBE for Services to rural communities in Yorkshire in 2022.

Steve has over 35 years’ experience working for seven different professional services partnerships; 11 of which have been in a Big 4 environment. His degree was in engineering, and was a qualified design engineer/project manager working on major international projects. His career to date splits into thirds – engineering, Big 4 and finally 12 years in law, and is now the Sweeney Solicitors Strategy/Business Development Director. Over many years Steve has developed a detailed understanding of the economic landscape in terms of structure and change dynamics. He leverages this to provide insights and opportunities for the regional ecosystem.

He has expertise in all aspects of strategy, business development, marketing and communications; leveraging this expertise to support client growth strategies. He is currently working with several major regional businesses to help pivot business models to navigate rapidly changing economic challenges/opportunities.

 Steve is also on the board of Space Hub Yorkshire, Yorkshire Rewilding Network and The University of Leeds International School where he leverages his senior level contacts in reinforcing links between Northern academia and the private sector particular on skills and innovation alignment. He also has supported Deliciously Yorkshire over many years, and has been a regular attendee of the Taste Awards.

 He is also on the management teams of Sweeney Solicitors Food & Drink, Retail, Health and Agriculture sector team, and is passionate about aligning these sectors for enhanced regional performance.

 Steve is a keen runner, mountain biker and gardener – he grows his own fruit & veg and is passionate about soil

Nigel joined Booths in November 2015 having spent his career to date in the food retail sector with Safeway, Tetley, Asda and Greggs.

Born and bred in Blackburn, Lancashire he attended Manchester Polytechnic (Met) where he gained a B.A.(Hons) in Accounting and Finance followed by a Post Graduate Diploma and C.I.M. professional qualification in Marketing Management.

Within Booths Nigel is a member of the Board and leads the Executive team. He is also a member of DEFRA’s Food and Drink Sector Council, a Trustee of The Creative Health Trust UK and is a Marketing Lancashire Ambassador.

A northerner at heart, Nigel is a proud Lancastrian who has called North Yorkshire and Harrogate his home for over 20 years.

Nigel is a firm believer in and proponent of ‘wholesome localism’ - a state where good quality, healthy and nutritious food and drink can be produced nearer to the point of sale and consumption, supporting local communities, economies and the health of the planet.

Any spare time is spent watching his son play football, enjoying food, but most of all cycling…. reading, watching, fixing and actually cycling! In 2021 he completed the Tour de France route (21 stages) as one of a team of 18 amateur cyclists to raise over £1m for the charity, Cure Leukaemia.

Dr Kamran Mahroof is an Associate Professor in Supply Chain Analytics and leads the MSc Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics programme at the School of Management, University of Bradford. Prior to academia, Kamran held several industry roles within logistics and supply chain, which helped shape his research interests. He actively researches in the areas of technology adoption and sustainable supply chains and regularly appears on national TV.

As well as publishing in leading peer-reviewed journals, such as Journal of Business Research, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and International Journal of Production Economics, his research also features on reputable media outlets such as The World Economic Forum, BBC and The Conversation. Recent projects led by Kamran include exploring the feasibility of establishing a local farm-to-fork supply chain for the Bradford district, as well as evaluating and mapping Bradford’s food economy.  Through his research and knowledge transfer activities, which range from Halal meat procurement, regenerative farming, Agritech adoption opportunities and farm-to-fork traceability, Kamran aims to offer further diversity and research-led perspectives which can help benefit the work of the FixOurFood commission.

Hannah is a medical doctor, interested in how our lifestyle, particularly our diet, impacts our risk and burden of disease. She is also a first-generation farmer with her husband in Yorkshire. They converted their land to organic production and now produce organic milling cereals. Combining her two interests, over the last 18 months she has been researching the link between different farming practices and the nutrient density of food, and how this can impact public health. Hannah is passionate about producing and increasing access to local, nutritious food.

Embarking on a transformative journey within the education sector, Fiona has passionately driven change by prioritising community access to food through a multi-faceted approach. With a hands-on approach, she has demonstrated a commitment to creating sustainable and holistic solutions that go beyond the traditional confines of education.

At the heart of this endeavour is the establishment and leadership of a Community Kitchen, a visionary initiative that engages volunteers in crafting nutritious plant-based and vegetarian meals. This not only addresses the immediate need for healthy food but also fosters a sense of community involvement and cooperation. Additionally, Fiona has spearheaded the development of a school garden, providing an interactive platform for students to connect with the origins of their food and instilling a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

Recognizing the importance of collaboration, she has forged partnerships with Public Health to implement a Fruit and Veg voucher scheme. This innovative initiative aims to make fresh produce more accessible while promoting healthy eating habits within the community. Simultaneously,

Fiona continues to play a pivotal role in reshaping the Food Tech agenda, redirecting the focus towards surplus, seasonal, and budget-conscious methodologies.

One of Fiona’s key accomplishments lies in the creation of diverse funding streams that support multiple projects concurrently, ensuring that the impact extends far beyond the limitations of a school budget. By blending financial acumen with a passion for community welfare, she has demonstrated an ability to sustain and replicate successful models that prioritise the health and well-being of both children and parents.

Central to Fiona’s philosophy is the belief that fostering a sense of unity through growing, cooking, and eating together can have a profound impact on a community’s overall health and happiness. The tangible differences witnessed through her initiatives have not only solidified a commitment to the cause but have also prompted a profound shift in perspective. From these tiny revolutions, Fiona envisions and actively pursues larger-scale transformations, driven by a dedication to creating a future where access to healthy and sustainable food is a right for all. The journey continues, with ever increasing pace at the forefront of pioneering change in the education sector and beyond.

Jonathan is CEO of FareShare Yorkshire, the largest and longest serving food redistribution organisation in England’s largest county.  His work is focused on removing time-critical logistical barriers to food redistribution and maximising the impact of food among 400 of Yorkshire’s frontline charities and community groups.  

In 2017 he convened stakeholders from across the food industry to design a WRAP-funded trial to expand surplus interception.  Today that innovation enables 2 million additional meals to be provided by frontline organisations across Yorkshire each year.  In total over 14 million meals have been enabled in the UK across 2024 and 2025 by replicating his model.

In 2019 he fundraised the creation of the FullCrumb Kitchen where charities and individuals receive cookery skill training to tackle food insecurity on different levels.  During the haulage crisis of 2021 he was seconded to FareShare UK to support a roll out of his transport innovation work across ten other counties.  

Since 2023 he has served on the Steering Groups of West Yorkshire Food Aid Network, Leeds Food Aid Network, Rotherham Food In Crisis and Good Food Barnsley.  He also serves as a Governor of Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Email: info@fixourfoodcommission.org

Dr Vincent Walsh is a leading circular and regenerative food and agriculture expert in the UK. He is a consultant to some of the UK’s biggest food and beverage organisations, supporting them on projects and product development aligned to net zero targets.

Current clients include global food service business Compass Group (and its subsidiaries Levy UK + Ireland and Lime Venue Portfolio), and QuornPro (the food service division of the meat-free Quorn brand).

Further he is an advisor to the Plant Based Food Alliance, and works closely with organisations such as the Organic Research Centre (ORC) on issues such as carbon capture and soil health.

Vincent also acts as a mentor to young farmers as part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, and has supported cohorts of social entrepreneurs on the Zinc Venture Builder programme.

As well as being a farming and food consultant, Vincent is a dynamic entrepreneur who applies his experience to create food businesses and brands.

In the last five years he has founded RegenfarmCo a regenerative agriculture company which works with farmers and landowners to replace monoculture with more circular growing processes;  Mycoloops, a start-up which up-cycles food and other waste to create high-grade organic compost; and Herblabism, a plant-based food brand developed specifically for the food service sector

Allison has run Deliciously Yorkshire (DY), the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and the Humber since 2016. DY champion, support and promote the businesses, products, and people behind the fantastic array of food and drink produced across the region.

She has a strong commercial background having returned to the UK after 13 years running a successful Business Consulting and Partnership and Membership Marketing company in Dubai. Prior to this she held a range of operational and commercial roles at both American Express and Thomas Cook.

As part of her role at Deliciously Yorkshire she has been part of the Grow Yorkshire Steering Committee since its inception and sits on the Executive Committee of the Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network (YFFRN) supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. YFFRN’s goal is to enable farming, rural businesses, and communities to become more sustainable economically, environmentally, and socially. DY is one of the founding members of Food From England, a collaborative network of Regional Food Groups and SME food and drink stakeholders and she has regular input to activities run by the DEFRA Agri-Food Chain Directorate and is also part of the North Yorkshire Food Strategy Group.

She is passionate about the value of collaboration and how this can help businesses and drive transformational change.

Originally from North Yorkshire, Ruth’s culinary journey began in her childhood back garden, where growing her own fruits and vegetables sparked a lifelong passion for seasonality and provenance.

Moving to London at just 16 to train at Westminster Kingsway College, Ruth went on to complete a prestigious apprenticeship at The Ritz. Over her impressive career, she has accumulated a stellar list of accolades, including winning the BBC’s Million Pound Menu (2018) and making history as the first-ever female winner of the Young National Chef of the Year (2016/17).

As a Head Chef at acclaimed venues like Pomona’s and The Princess of Shoreditch (where she earned 3 AA Rosettes), Ruth honed a distinct style deeply rooted in sustainable sourcing. Today, she is back in North Yorkshire, where she and her husband have launched Hansom Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Ruth also serves as a Chef Partner for BaxterStorey, where she actively champions female talent in hospitality and fosters collaborative, memorable dining experiences across the UK.

James farms Megs Farm, a traditional Hill Farm, in the Yorkshire Dales; they have Belted Galloway cows and Swaledale & Herdwick sheep. They farm alongside nature and try to produce the highest welfare and hardy animals they can, because of this they are very passionate about creating a local supply chain for their produce. The farm supplies a local restaurant ’The Nettle in settle” and the local community with boxes of Beef & Hogget. They have also just launched a vending machine of frozen meat at the Courtyard Dairy cheese shop with a few other farmers. The farm is a huge part of the community and without that they wouldn’t be successful, creating these local networks in every area is James' aim to help bring farming and communities together giving us a great local food system. 

Ali Morpeth is Co-Founder of Planeatry Alliance and a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) working at the intersection of health and sustainability. With over 20 years of experience, she helps shape food systems that are fit for the future - supporting businesses, NGOs, and policymakers drive change that delivers for people and planet.

Ali has worked across the food system, from advising global institutions and shaping government nutrition policy, to consulting on Scope 3 emissions and sustainable food baskets for major retailers. She is passionate about connecting the dots between health and sustainability, and believes that transforming what we eat - as well as how our food is produced - is one of the most powerful ways to tackle today’s interlinked crises in public health, climate, and nature.

Ali brings a bold, collaborative spirit to her work, advocating for new ways of working to unlock progress. She is an advisor to several leading food NGOs, a Council Advisor at the AgriFood for NetZero+, FixOurFood commissioner, and a visiting researcher at Leeds University.

Based in the Yorkshire countryside, Ali balances leading Planeatry Alliance with raising three children and finding adventure in wild spaces.