Cambridgeshire winner for Pfizer Poultry Trainee of Year

Broiler breeder unit manager Christopher Rees is the winner of the Pfizer Poultry Trainee of the Year.

Organised by Pfizer Animal Health jointly with Poultry World, the award recognises the growing importance of workplace training.

The winner was chosen by the readers of Poultry World following publication of the finalist’s profiles The result was 39% voting for Mr Rees, 31% for Harry Perdikou who works on Steart Farms broiler unit in Somerset and 30% for Adrian Abnett, an assistant manager on one of Grampian Country Chickens breeder rearing units in Kent.

Mr Rees received a certificate and engraved glass trophy and certificate from DEFRA junior minister Lord Rooker at yesterday’s Egg and Poultry Industry Conference near Coventry.

In 2004 he joined Moy Park, becoming assistant manager for a broiler breeder unit in Lincolnshire and then last September he became manager of one of Moy Park’s most modern breeder units at Landbeach, near Cambridge. It is a husband-and-wife partnership on the farm, he met his wife Debbie while working at the layer unit and they were married three years ago.

His training was provided in conjunction with Easton College in Norfolk where he was awarded the Kidner Cup for the most outstanding poultry student of the year.

He would like to use the prize to further his computer-based training and to do a foundation degree in poultry production as a distance learning course with Harper Adams University College.