Kerry Foodservice has announced the death of Brian Speck, a founding member of its Goldensheaf Frying Squad, after a short illness.
Brian, 82, was regarded by many as a pioneer in foodservice and helped establish Goldensheaf as a flagship brand in the fish and chip industry. During a 50 plus-year career in the sector, he visited thousands of shops offering advice and practical hands-on tips and many have gone on to become very successful shops over the intervening years.
In the trade he was lovingly referred to as the “Batter Man” by all that knew him and deemed to be “good natured, a real character that many people warmed to and would go on to call a friend”, says Kerry Foodservice.
Remembering Brian, David Lovell, retired sales director Kerry Foodservice, says: “Probably the key thing with Brian and his passion for the trade was when we introduced seminars at exhibitions and Brian volunteered to do a 30-minute presentation on how to use batter mix to get a top quality fish presentation (plus other items) and he went from mixing right through to cabinet and wrapping! It was a hit from the moment he started and was always fully packed with numerous questions afterwards both from attendees and others after the seminar. He was always generous with his advice and time to help friers achieve better outcomes. No doubt through this and his continuous and long service within the industry it marks him out as a true legend!”
National account manager Alan Pearce called Brian “someone I aspired to be” when he first started in the industry himself. He adds: “I thought that if I could achieve the level of knowledge and respect he had from the trade, that was a great goal to set myself. It turned out that Brian was a fantastic mentor for me, along with Peter Hill, another original frying squad member. I learned a lot from them both. It was always said that Brian and Peter were the dynamic duo, real characters full of fun but equally hard working.”
Tom Wishart, a retired colleague, said when he joined S H Phillips in November 1988, he was mentored by Brian. Tom comments: “He introduced me to all aspects of the fish frying industry. He showed me firsthand the hard work and commitment involved in running a shop. My first venture was Cradley Heath and then onto Dundee. Brian was always on hand to offer advice; we had many laughs at the numerous exhibitions we attended. Skegness was always fun to do, it goes without saying I was sad to hear of his passing and although conversations between us had dwindled it was still a shock.”
David Rowe, a colleague and former sales manager/director, said Brian had given over 50 years of loyal service to S. H. Phillips, Dalgety Foods and Kerry Foods. “He will always be remembered as a key player in the fish frying trade,” he said.
Peter Barnes, another longstanding retired colleague, added: “Brian was a great guy and will be sorely missed by myself and all that knew him.”
