A CHEESE expert has been rewarded for almost four decades of service to the food industry.
Godstone resident Win Merrells, who advises retailers on what foods to stock, was presented with the British Cheese Board's Bath & West Show Cheese Industry Award for 2014 by the Duchess of Cornwall.
The mother-of-two, who currently advises supermarket giant Sainsbury's and specialises in cheese, is only the second person from the retailing world to win the award.
Mrs Merrells, of Eastbourne Road, said: "I was working from home a couple of weeks ago and received a phone call, quite expecting it to be someone to talk about business, and it was someone saying I have been chosen for this award. I was absolutely gobsmacked when I found out that three suppliers independently had nominated me for it."
The award, now in its 16th year, recognised Mrs Merrells' 37-year career spent in the food retailing sector, at least ten of which she has dedicated to the dairy industry.
Mrs Merrells added: "I feel privileged to be working in an industry which has enabled me to put to good use my passion for food and giving consumers the best possible quality; I'm a stickler for perfection and consistency, a trait which I am sure at times has made me somewhat unpopular with some of our suppliers."
Mrs Merrells originally trained as a home economics teacher before moving into food retailing with BHS and then Marks & Spencer, where she worked as a product developer, scouting for products from around the globe to introduce into Britain – she can claim to have introduced the country's first pre-packaged BLT sandwich.
She has spent the last three years working as a food consultant for Sainsbury's, helping to overhaul the retailer's cheese selection – pre-packed and deli counter.
Nigel White, secretary of the British Cheese Board, said: "Win's contribution to the cheese industry has been considerable and this award recognises her remarkable career.
"Her extensive experience in the dairy sector with M&S and Sainsbury's have shown Win to be a commendable winner of this year's award. She has cemented strong relationships along the way and shown herself to be a great ambassador for British cheese."
Go to www.mealsolutions.co.uk to learn more about Mrs Merrells' work and for more information about the British Cheese Board, visit www.brit ishcheese.com
