Seven young women from leading UK and Ireland meat organisations have been shortlisted for this year’s ‘One to Watch’ award, the annual prize for emerging female talent in the meat industry.

They were chosen from more than 50 applicants through a judging process assessing their professional impact, creativity, innovation, industry knowledge and vision for the meat industry.

In keeping with Meat Business Women’s mission to inspire the next generation of female talent, candidates were also evaluated on their interpersonal skills, commitment to mentoring and ability to inspire others.

All seven finalists will now undergo further assessment during an interview by a panel of experts, with the winner to be announced at the Meat Business Women conference on May 26, 2021.

The independent judges for this year’s awards are: Margaret Boanas, chair of the International Meat Trade Association; Lucianne Allen, director at Aubrey Allen; Alan McKeown, company director at Food for Thought; Julia Glotz, writer, consultant and former managing editor of The Grocer; and Meat Business Women global chair Laura Ryan.

Laura Ryan said: “We had a record number of applications this year and were blown away by the high calibre of the candidates.

“Supporting women in their professional and personal development is at the heart of what we do at Meat Business Women. That’s why each entrant on the long list will also be given personalised feedback on their application by us,” Ryan added.

The winner will receive a personal development prize of their choice worth £4,000 sponsored by the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers.

Launched in 2018, ‘One to Watch’ is an annual prize organised by Meat Business Women and awarded to a female aged 35 or under, working in the meat industry in the UK and Ireland.

2021 will mark the third time the prize has been awarded.

The theme of the 2021 Meat Business Women conference is ‘transformation’, with speakers from KFC, 2 Sisters, Co-op and others set to share insight on their approach to business, personal and industry transformation.