David Rose has considerable experience and expertise along the entire food supply chain.

He has been involved in a number of projects looking at farmers working together on marketing ideas and supplying schools with regional produce. His employment along the food chain has included managing and directing a regional food hub, co-ordinating the supply and delivery of local produce to schools, controlling a manufacturing unit producing hand-made meals and pies for sale through a large food service distribution company and working with the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) carrying out market research.

He has successfully obtained funding from DEFRA for marketing, EMDA for the restoration of redundant farm buildings and Nottinghamshire County Council for training and marketing.

With 25 years experience in the management and direction of farm supply chain operations, David has established good links throughout the farming industry, at the same time building up an excellent sales and marketing background in both food and farming.

Projects he has been involved in include:

1997 - The development of his internet business Farming on Line enabled David to gain a strong working knowledge of the opportunities afforded by the internet and how the farming industry could benefit from this technology

1999 - David launched a business called UK Countrylife Ltd which co-ordinated a wide range of regional produce sourced in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire from some 40 different producers. A range of fresh meat, vegetables, bakery, dairy and other produce was boxed up and delivered to customers’ homes. In the 18 months after it was first established, “Farmshop Home Delivery” had accumulated nearly 1,200 home customers and delivered local produce to 65 schools in Nottinghamshire proving that a demand for such a service existed in the local area.

2002 - After winning his Nuffield Scholarship, David was invited to talk to Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street about farmers working together on marketing ideas and supplying schools with regional produce. Tony Blair pic here if possible

2003 - Worked with Jonathan Porrit team at Sustain on their report into "Farms for the Future," a two-year investigation; the project investigated how leading UK farmers were responding to the economic and sustainability challenges they face, the study investigated how farmers and landowners can derive sustainable livelihoods from their management of the land.

2005 - UK Countrylife was taken over by Farmfresh Meals Ltd, a meal solutions business producing convenient meal solutions made from healthy, farm fresh, responsibly produced food. Farmfresh Meals was then taken over by Mike Maloney Butchers who sell quality regional meats which are sold and delivered to their own shops, food service outlets and selected retail outlets as well as to homes and 350 schools in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. David is still working with Mike Maloney to sell and promote regional meat and bakery products.

More recently David was instrumental in the setting up and management of Springfield Fine Foods, a food hub created to source local food for 13 ASDA Stores, which recently featured in Farmers Guardian. David is continuing to help Springfield develop as a regional hub.

David is also the Chairman of the Flintham & District Ploughing Match & Agricultural Show.

Although not a trained consultant, it is his passion for regional food and the benefits it can bring that have made David successful in this area. His past 25 years of experience have taught him the successful ways of marketing regional food along with the pitfalls to be avoided and this has cultivated a desire to help other business learn from his experiences.