THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UK BROILER INDUSTRY PAT R I C K H O O K 2 0 1 5 N U F F I E L D S C H O L A R
I was managing our Hatchery at Cote in Oxfordshire, hatching 2 million chicks a week and recently married when I applied for my Nuffield Scholarship in 2014. I knew several Nuffield Scholars and really
operations and planning, which includes 3 million
wanted to get the opportunity to gain
breeders a year and 10 million chicks a week and
experience and immerse myself in the poultry
in addition overseeing our external customers.
industry in other Countries, represent myself
My personal success has to be the growth of
outside the family business and gain and share
my family! My son Joseph was born just before
knowledge and experiences. Furthermore the
my last trip to Australia in 2016, and since then
value of meeting people, seeing their farms
Grace and I have welcomed Evie, 4, Robert, 3 and
and businesses first hand, is an invaluable
Dominic 5 months! So my solution to the future
experience. Not having enough time to do
labour problems has been partly resolved!
a Nuffield Scholarship is by far the biggest reason people state to me of why they haven’t applied. Managing the time away is challenging but extremely rewarding and being away from the day to day absolutely adds to the whole experience! Nuffield really helped develop my confidence and gave me a platform outside the family business to represent the poultry industry. In addition it gave me invaluable first-hand experience of what challenges and opportunities people, farms and industries were experiencing across the world.
several industry committees and groups and bringing first hand experiences from my Nuffield Scholarship to help steer decisions and strategies that will affect our industry in the future. In 2019 I received the British Poultry Council MidCareer Award for long and excellent service to the industry and recognition of the potential of my future in the industry. We have a successful apprenticeship and placement scheme and work with Agricultural Colleges across the UK to help
The network of people I met will stay
attract, develop and retain the next generation
with me for life and I am still in regular
within the poultry industry. In addition we
contact with the people I have met;
support the Farming Community Network who
whether socially or to get advice to see
are an invaluable life line to our business when
if they are seeing similar issues in the
we need to support members of our team who
market to us.
are in need. I always hope that, by sharing my
I have since become a Production and Sales Director for the family business. Which involves overseeing the rearing, breeder and hatchery
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I have really enjoyed being part of
experiences I will inspire others to apply; the Nuffield Scholarship is definitely a journey that I hope will continue for many years to come.
