Dawnfresh is first to appoint female farm boss

ALISON Hutchins has been appointed farming director of Dawnfresh, believed to be the first woman to hold such a position in the Scottish industry.

She replaces Stewart Hawthorn, who has left the company to focus on other business interests.

Hutchins, a former manager at Marine Harvest, has been at Dawnfresh, the UK’s largest trout farmer for five years, and was previously farming operations development manager.

She met community councillors in Taynuilt, Argyll, re- Alison Hutchins

cently to try to build better links between the local village and Dawnfresh, which farms on Loch Etive and Loch Awe.

Hutchins told councillors that Loch Etive now employs 27 local people, compared to 13 five years ago, while there were another 10 jobs at Loch Awe.