Obituary: Robert J Tyler OBE JP FCMI HonFInstM
Meat Management is sad to report the death of Robert John Tyler, known to all as Bob, who passed away after a long illness aged 93 years on Friday 1st February.
Bob Tyler speaking only last year at a local school.
Bob was a past National Federation of Meat & Food Traders (NFMT) President and held the office twice between 1971-72 and also 1988-89. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Meat and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.
Following war service with the Royal Air Force in Egypt and Sudan, Bob returned to the Midland based family business of Frank Tyler Co Ltd., taking over control in 1950 and then owning and operating a meat products factory and retail shops.
In 1972 he founded and became Principal of Meat Industry Consultancy Associates establishing a reputation as a meat industry specialist and Law Society expert witness in litigation. He was also a Member of the Royal Society of Health.
Bob chaired the Birmingham Chamber of Trade from 1969 to 1971 and became a Justice of the Peace serving on the Birmingham bench in 1972 until 1996. He was elected twice as a Councillor on Birmingham City Council, also serving on the Birmingham City Markets & Fairs Committee in 1970-74 and between 1986-1990.
Having sat as a Councillor on West Midlands County Council between 1980-86 and standing for Member of Parliament in Parliamentary elections in 1979 and 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for public service in 1988.
He became a Freeman of the City of London and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers in 1962. A year later, in 1963, Bob joined the Council of the Institute of Meat (IoM) becoming an Examiner and then Chief Practical Examiner between 1965 and 1978.
He was consultant to the IoM leading project development between 1973-83. He became Chairman of the IoM Council in 1985-6 and chaired the Institute’s Education and Training Committee from 1987 to 1994. He was subsequently made an Honorary Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Butchers Guild of Freeman.
Taking the National Federation of Meat Traders (NFMT) diploma in 1949, a licensed Slaughterman and Master Butcher, Bob was a well-known and active member of the Birmingham and District Butchers Association, becoming President in 1964. In 1965 he joined the Executive Council of the NFMT and was its industry representative on the Food, Drink and Tobacco Industry Training Board between 1968-1983.
In 1971 Bob was elected NFMT President and was asked to step in again in 1988-89 during the Federation’s centenary, having chaired the Training and Education Committee between 1970-1980, prior to becoming chair of the Parliamentary and Legislation and Technical Committees between 1980-2004.
As many will remember him, Bob pictured back in the late 1980’s.
As NFMT’s standing delegate to all meetings with Ministers and UK Government departments, he represented members’ interests with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Department of Health, Food Standards Agency, Meat Hygiene Service, Health and Safety Executive, Intervention Board, British Safety Institute and the Joint Industrial Council for the Retail Meat Trade, which he chaired in 1985 and 1987.
Joining the International Butchers Confederation (IBC) in 1991, Bob became the NFMT’s representative alongside John Fuller and then later Graham Bidston. He was made IBC Vice President in 1994 and became IBC representative on the EU Sheepmeat & Goat Meat Committee. In 1996 he was honoured as an IBC Honorary Life President.
In 2009 Bob resigned from the Executive Council and as Life Honorary President of the National Federation of Meat and Food Traders.
Current CEO of National Craft Butchers, Roger Kelsey commented: “Bob will be remembered alongside contemporary’s such as WT Baker, ES Pascoe, RWH Covell and WFG Brabin. Many also knew him for his journalistic contributions too, as a member of the Guild of Food Writers.
“His intellect and knowledge, dedication and sense of duty, and his inspirational oratory was much admired. He was also a strategist with a political compass directing policy and contributing to the Federation’s achievements and success over more than four decades during its 130-year history.”
Former Meat Management editor, Pam Brook, said: “I shall remember Bob with huge fondness. He was never slow to share his opinions and I learnt a great deal from him in the early part of my career. He had a keen intellect, acerbic wit and above all was always true to himself. Yes he could be curmudgeonly, difficult but also gracious, generous with his time and I feel was a true champion of the meat industry, which owed him more than many will know. Another good and colourful character gone, but he left his mark. Farewell Bob.”
MM Publisher Graham Yandell added: “The term industry stalwart is much over used at times, but for Bob it fits him perfectly. I can now reveal that when we launched Meat Manufacturing magazine back in 1986 it was Bob who wrote the monthly column John English for many years. His copy was brilliant and no matter what readers thought of John English and his views, it was a section of the magazine with a huge following and a love it, hate it but don’t ignore it feedback was the result. He will be much missed and looking back over many years I always enjoyed his company.”
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