The Leek Growers Association has re-elected Tim Casey as chairman, with Stewart Aspinall of Farringtons newly elected as vice chair.
Aspinall, a former flight sergeant in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, has been operations director at the Lancashire-based vegetable specialist for the past 11 years.
The two appointments were confirmed at the organisation's recent AGM, where an update was also given on the 2017-18 PR campaign by Carole Pendle.
Highlights from the ‘Health & Wellbeing’ themed campaign included press articles featuring research showing leeks have high levels of inulin, a prebiotic which helps gut health. This is now recognised as central to overall health, benefiting sleep quality, stress levels and digestive issues.
A series of ‘gut health’ recipes were produced for the campaign in consultation with nutritionist Christine Bailey, while a range of educational resources were also created to work with primary schools and inner-city farms, highlighting the benefits of eating ‘The Incredible Edible Leek’.
The association also announced that it will be organising a Leek Agronomy Day in February 2019 to highlight new leek varieties in the field, alongside a series of technical presentations and a trade exhibition.
