Fudge Kitchen MD joins the Produced In Kent Board

Fudge Kitchen MD, Siân Holt, joins the Produced In Kent Board of Directors …

Fudge Kitchen’s roots are as Kentish as a cobnut … with a flagship shop in Canterbury, an expanding production facility in Aylesham and an HQ in oast house buildings in Lyminge. They are also a central part of Kent’s uniquely thriving and innovative speciality producer community; with whom they regularly partner to source exceptional local ingredients and products to transform into award-winning confectionery. Produced in Kent (PinK) is a trade organisation, dedicated to supporting and promoting Kent’s exciting mass of food, drink, products and services; and for ten years, Fudge Kitchen’s membership has provided indispensable networking opportunities, a feed of vital information, advice and promotional opportunities, a programme of industry events and the rubber-stamping of quality and provenance associated with the Produced in Kent logo. In the PinK … It is with great pleasure, then, that Fudge Kitchen’s MD of 35 years, Siân Holt (pictured above), joined their Board of Directors from July 2018. “Produced in Kent has been such a positive support in our growth journey over the years, so being asked to join the board was a particular privilege,” said Holt. “Kent’s food and drink community is a uniquely rich and trailblazing one, and I hope that Fudge Kitchen’s experiences of growing, innovating, developing new markets and exporting, will be useful to the PinK membership. I look forward to continuing their work supporting those who supply and deliver the very best of food and drink from and within the region.” The Produced in Kent Board currently comprises eight members from a range of businesses, reflecting and offering pan-relevance to PinK’s broad membership profiles. Each provides guidance and advice from the wealth of experience from their respective sectors, which range from production and manufacturing to horticulture and hospitality. Siân will add her expertise to a line-up including Chairman Stephen Clarke, Purchasing and Marketing Director of Kent Frozen Foods, Paul Hannan, Principal of Hadlow College, Julian Barnes, MD of Biddenden Vineyard, William Opie, Chairman of Bennet Opie Ltd, restaurateur Richard Phillips, Sean Holden of Kent County Council and Keith Morrison, Director of Solley’s Ice Cream. Such is her commitment to the region that Siân has already represented Kent in a variety of influential networking and business panels, including joining the Bank of England regional discussion panel, sitting as a non-executive director of Business Support Kent CIC (Business Link Kent) and currently acting as one of the IoD Kent’s ambassadors; in which capacity she was invited to meet Natacha Bouchart, the Mayor of Calais, at a DTI event to promote Kent export in 2017. “I am delighted to welcome Siân to the Board of Produced in Kent”, said Stephanie Durling, Manager of Produced in Kent, “and have no doubt she will make a valuable contribution to the strategic direction of the company going forward. Siân’s business expertise and pragmatic approach, the respect she has earned together with her boundless energy and vision will bring an added dimension to the Board from which we can all benefit, both Produced in Kent and its membership alike. I look forward to working more closely with Siân in the future.” fudgekitchen.co.uk