Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER 2021 47 EVENTS: NPI AWARDS 2021 A NEW speaker has been announced for the National Potato Industry Awards which take place on November 24th at Harrogate in the UK. Comedian Rob Woodward will now entertain those who attend the dinner and awards, which take place on the rst night of the BP2021 trade show, also in Harrogate. A previous winner of Encore Magazine’s ‘Entertainer of e Year’ award, the Welsh comedian appeared on Sky TV’s ‘ e Comedians’ and appeared as the subject of the BBC documentary ‘Am I Talking To You’ which followed Rod on his journey to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He wrote and performed his own one-man show for a 25-night run at e Pleasance during the 2001 Fringe for which he earned numerous acknowledgements. Rob performed in his own one-man show for a 25-night run at e Pleasance during the 2001 Fringe for which he earned numerous acknowledgements., as well as writing and presenting the 10-part. In his homeland, he kept his fellow countrymen laughing when he Wrote and performed in his own Radio Wales Comedy series ‘Doing It For A Laugh’ as well as writing and presenting the 10- part series ‘A Bit O e Fringe’ for BBC 2 Wales. He also wrote and performed a regular topical review of the weeks news stories on BBC Wales ‘ e Rush Hour’. Outstanding contribution trophy to be presented THE British Potato Industry Award will also be announced at the National Potato Industry Awards event. Unlike the biannual NPI awards, which are organised by Potato Review’s owner, Warners Group Publications, the BPI award is presented annually. It has recognised outstanding contribution to the potato sector since its inauguration in 1997. It was originally administered by the British Potato Council and subsequently COMEDIAN ROB WILL ENTERTAIN AWARDS-GOERS New speaker announced as we approach the countdown until the nalists are revealed. by the Potato sector of AHDB. Last year, Professor Ian Toth of Scotland’s Plant Heath Centre was presented with the 2020 award by AHDB Potatoes chair, Alison Levett, as part of the Potato Industry Conference 2020, via a virtual event on November 24th. He is pictured with his trophy. Chairman of e British Potato Industry Award, Jim Godfrey, was awarded the OBE for his own services to agricultural research in Scotland in 2002 and is a member of the NIAB Board. Having previously held the position of chair of e Potato Marketing Board, he has been involved with the award since the early days. “ e British Potato Industry Award is for outstanding contribution to the potato sector, in e ect a lifetime’s achievement,” he said. He o ered reassurance that the award would continue to be presented annually, despite the winding up of various AHDB Potatoes services. “ is award will continue as it is separate to AHDB,” he stressed. A list of nominees/ nalists in the NPI Award categories is expected to be shared on the Potato Review website shortly. For more details visit www.potatoreview.com . Ian Toth Rob Woodward