The four finalists shortlisted in the Young Manager of the Year category for this year’s Meat Industry Awards have been confirmed, with the winner set to be revealed at the black-tie dinner and awards ceremony on 3rd September.
The Young Manager of the Year Award is a much anticipated and important part of the annual Meat Management Meat Industry Awards, with many outstanding winners and finalists being recognised in previous years.
The finalists will not know who has won until the winner is announced at the exclusive awards ceremony on Thursday evening 3rd September. To be part of this prestigious industry awards and networking evening, tickets and tables can be booked online now.
The 2026 Young Manager of the Year Award finalists:
Adam Buckley - Head of Environment and Sustainability
Birtwistles Catering Butchers
Adam joined Birtwistles straight from university and since then has delivered numerous projects that have improved sustainability goals and delivered substantial cost savings. Adam already demonstrates a wealth of experience which he has shared with the site and has adapted to the meat industry very quickly. He is very committed and demonstrates true professionalism internally and externally. His passion consistently shines through.
Adam has also completed an Advanced Leadership Course. An internal course over 12-months, and this has given him the strength to harness significant relationships within the business, he has engaged with people which has definitely helped with team culture.
Erin Wright - Management Trainee
Myton Food Group
Erin, now 20 years old, joined the Myton Food Group degree apprentice scheme in 2024, and is described as a remarkable young manager. Within a month of joining the business she knew exactly what was going on across the site and could articulate all the processes and the current issues of the day.
She has covered pork boning, beef boning and is now in the cattle abattoir. Erin has run the beef boning hall for Myton covering periods of absence, and is regarded as a great people manager, while being capable of holding colleagues to account. Erin comes from a family farm in Preston Lancashire and is extremely passionate about both the agriculture and meat industry. Her proposer added: “Erin, for her age, really stands out.”
Eoghan Fox - FSQ Manager
Dunbia
Eoghan Fox was proposed in recognition of his exceptional leadership, strategic capability, and the meaningful impact he has made within the Dunbia/Dawn Meats organisation and the wider industry at such an early stage in his career. Eoghan consistently demonstrates a level of professionalism, maturity and commercial understanding well beyond his years. He combines strong operational knowledge with a clear vision for continuous improvement, ensuring that the teams he leads not only meet expectations but frequently exceed them.
His ability to analyse challenges, implement solutions, and quickly adapt to changing business needs has been instrumental in driving performance and enhancing standards. He is an inclusive, motivational leader who invests time in supporting and developing those around him.
Danielle Simons - Business Development Manager
Hilton Food Group
Danielle has demonstrated impressive professional career growth, firstly as an account manager covering one of the lines of the biggest grocery-retailers, where she consistently demonstrated exceptional hard work, dedication, strong attention to detail and outstanding customer service.
More recently, Danielle has taken the exciting step of transitioning into the role of Business Development Manager. In this position, she plays a key role in driving the business forward by attracting new clients, identifying new opportunities, and developing improved processes that strengthen the business. Danielle is a true example of someone with a strong work ethic and professional excellence, and also someone many colleagues aspire to learn from.
Graham Yandell MBE, publisher of Meat Management magazine, commented: “The judging process has now concluded, and after much deliberation the winner has been selected. It was exceptionally close this year.
“I know our judges had a very difficult job in selecting an overall winner and the general opinion was that the four candidates on the finalist list were, as a group, outstanding.
“We also had a record number of nominations this year and very many excellent candidates were proposed that did not quite get to the final stage. Thank you to all participants, I hope we will see them nominated again in 2027.”
Judges’ comments
“It is so heartwarming to see how these young people have made careers in the meat industry and encourage others to do the same. The candidates were all exceptional in their own right and picking a winner takes careful thought – however I am sure that the winner will have an outstanding career in the meat industry, as well as the runners up.”
“Each year, we interview some remarkable finalists for this award, and each year we are left feeling reassured that the industry is in good hands. But this year was something else! Every candidate was truly outstanding and genuinely inspiring, leaving the judges with the toughest of calls to decide on a winner. My sincere congratulations to all four finalists, and although cliched, ‘you are all winners’!”
“It is such an honour to be a Meat Management judge. We get to meet some of the best in our industry. This year I was so impressed by the abilities of all the young managers. Each person brought unique strengths, achievements, and passion, making the judging process exceptionally difficult. The standard was remarkably high, and selecting the final winners required extensive discussion and careful consideration. I would like to congratulate every candidate for their outstanding contributions.”
“Having had the pleasure and privilege of being one of the judges for the Young Manager Award for the past few years, I didn’t imagine it could become more difficult year-on-year. How wrong I was. The standard of the finalists this year went up a cog and there wasn’t a whisker between them, so well done and good luck to them all for the future.”
The 2026 Meat Management Meat Industry Awards ceremony and black-tie dinner will take place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Thursday evening 3rd September.
For more information including ticket booking, visit www.meatmanagement.com/awards.
With thanks to the 2026 Meat Management Meat Industry Awards partners:
