Our People

Butchery
"Summer is the time for BBQs and we have some great BBQ specials this year"
John Brereton is our award winning head butcher. John works closely with the estate to select livestock when they are at their peak and has complete control over the preparation of our meat. John has 20 years of experience and spent many of these working with Sandy Boyd on the Chatsworth Estate. John prides himself on his attention to detail, the quality of the meat and skill required to prepare it. He is keen to pass on his knowledge and skills to the next generation of butchers so there are always one or two apprentices on the staff. In 2009 John won two butchery competitions and is Eblex’s best butcher in Shropshire.
Dairy
"Our dairy herd are grazing in the fields surrounding the Food Centre so our Cheese With No Name is really creamy and zesty in summer"
Dudley Martin is our head cheese maker and has spent the last two years developing a range of award winning cheeses and handmade butter. In just two years he has created 6 cheeses and has collected awards at both the British and World Cheese Awards. Dudley has been making cheese for 14 years and joined the Food Centre from Lightwood Cheese in Worcestershire. In 2009 Dudley was joined by Paul Bedford who helps him keep up with demand for Centre’s popular cheese selection. Viv de Hann studied dairying at Usk College and completes the dairy team. She shares the dairy with Dudley and Paul to make a range of seasonally inspired, indulgent ice-creams.
Bakery
"In summer we make a great Plum Cake using local plums from Herefordshire"
Anna and her mother Brenda run our in-house bakery and bake 7 days a week. To ensure we have nothing but fresh warm bread every morning they start at around 5am! Anna has worked as a baker for 12 years and has been at the Food Centre since the start. There is no better team than mother and daughter and they pride themselves on their multi-award winning Victoria Sponge cake and their sour dough which is made with a 18 year old mother dough.
Deli
"Summer is the best time to have a picnic and we have some great picnic food that is freshly made in our kitchen"
Miyoshi runs our deli that stocks a wide variety of cheese, cooked meats and handmade pies, pasties and quiches. She works closely with the dairy, butchery and the kitchen to ensure that everything on the deli is fresh and at its best. Miyoshi is originally from Tokyo and moved to England in 1999 after visiting a friend in Ludlow and falling in love with the area.
Jams & Pickles
"Summer is all about making jam with the best local summer fruits, we’re making raspberry jam right now"
Darren Marsh and Tess Slater are our dynamic duo in the jam and pickle room. A great team, they have won so many awards it’s hard to keep track. They are especially proud of their award winning marmalade, raspberry jam and sweet onion confit. The Food Centre has proved to be a far more rewarding place of work for our jam and picklers who were previously employed at Tesco. Such is their success that Tess has created a board in honour of their many awards, TV and newspaper appearances!
Kitchen
"We are making fresh, seasonal Summer Puddings using locally grown summer fruits"
Our kitchen team is headed up by Shirley Jones. Shirley has been working in catering since she was 16 and joined the Food Centre over 2 years ago. She worked for 12 years in a pub restaurant and is full of new ideas and recipes. Shirley and the team work tirelessly to produce traditional handmade food that reflects both the seasons and the range of produce available in our locale. Favourites include their Shropshire Fidget Pie, traditional pork pie and their range of homemade ready meals that are great for a lazy night in.
Retail
"We’ve got locally grown strawberries, raspberries, red currants, black currants and gooseberries, yum!"
Julie Preece and Mel Webley have years of experience in retail and manage a large team of staff that are here to help. Julie worked in food retail for many years before joining the Food Centre and was keen to take on a new challenge in more salubrious surroundings. Mel’s mother was a chef so she has always had a love of food. In her spare time Mel is a passionate cake maker and keeps all the staff happy with her homemade creations. Both Julie and Mel have been with us since we opened and know the Food Centre inside out so if there is anything you need they are always on hand to help.
Conservatory Barn Cafe
"Summer is a great time to be outside and we have plenty of outside tables so you can enjoy the good weather"
Richard Davies is our cafe manager and has a wealth of experience in the industry. Before he came to the Conservatory Barn Cafe he managed the Castle Cafe in Ludlow. He provides the highest level of service serving fresh, local, seasonally inspired food at reasonable prices. Richard is a qualified patisserie chef and loves to create new recipes in his spare time. He is also a keen amateur actor and singer in musical theatre and performs locally.