Greg Parsons is a prominent figure in Devon’s food and drink industry. As the Managing Director of Sharpham Cheese, a renowned cheese producer in the region, Greg has made significant contributions to the local food scene. In late 2021, he was appointed Chair of Food Drink Devon, a not-for-profit membership organisation that supports and promotes local food and drink producers, retailers, and hospitality venues. Under Greg’s leadership, the organisation has reached record membership levels, representing over 350 businesses.
Greg is also involved in the South Devon Food Hub, offering a unique opportunity for local artisan food and drink producers to develop and grow their businesses within a purpose-built commercial estate. With over 35 years of experience in the food & drink industry and a deep passion for local produce, Greg is well-positioned to lead and support Devon’s food and drink community.
I had a delightful morning chatting with Greg about what makes him tick. Enjoy getting to know him a bit better with me!
What does your Monday morning routine look like?
My Monday morning routine generally involves a strong coffee and a drive to the dairy, collecting Pete our head of production on the way! A lot of orders leave us on a Monday, so I try to stay office-bound to ensure everything is organised, orders go out smoothly, everyone is OK, nothing untoward has happened over the weekend, and we have milk to make cheese with!
If you could time travel to any era in all of history, to when would you go and why?
I would like to learn more about my ancestry because, unfortunately, I lost both my parents, and during the time they were around, I was so busy that I never used my time to find out more about their history. So, I think I’d like to go back to when my grandparents and parents were still alive and interrogate them a bit more!
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading Food for Life by Tim Spector, the co-founder of Zoe. It’s quite a scientific book about food, where it comes from, and how it behaves in your body. It takes you through the history of health and food and provides in-depth detail on every type of food. It’s a bit hard-going, so I flip between fact and fiction. When I go away for a weekend, I’ll take a fiction book with me, something like The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. I love those, and they’re going to make a movie. It’s set in a posh retirement village, so the people in the story all have histories of their own, and they’re just incredible characters.
What’s a hidden talent or skill that most people don’t know you possess?
I think a lot of people know that I think I’m quite a good cook! I do most of the cooking at home, and I’m good at that ‘what’s left in the fridge’ job. I’ve always cooked, but I wouldn’t call myself a chef, although I have done some cheffing work in the past.
Something that people might not know is that I’m a qualified forklift driver. It’s something that I’ve had to do here. Another thing is that I’ve recently become a licensee! I now have a licence to sell alcohol. We sell some lovely hampers with cocktails and wine, and to do that at our premises, I had to get a premises licence. Who knew… to get a premises licence, you need to get a personal licence. So, I recently did all the exams and qualified for a personal licence.
Beach vacation, mountain getaway, or city escape?I love the mountains, and I love the beach, but the last three or four years have been quite hard, and getting away is quite difficult. We’ve only been able to take long weekends here and there, so we’ve done city escapes, which we also love. A few years ago we managed to take seven days and do Scandinavia. We flew into Copenhagen, then took the train to Stockholm and Oslo. We loved it. And then we went to Malaga for a long weekend last year. We did the Picasso museums and stuff like that. So, yeah – I’d say we definitely like city breaks.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I love karaoke! When I left my last proper blue-chip company, my leaving party was a karaoke party. If I think back to my best ever karaoke performance, and I mean that will be relative to my ability to sing, I think the song would be Bohemian Rhapsody because I can get the crowd involved. Or something like Mr Brightside, because again, it’s just lively.
What’s your favourite way to unwind and de-stress?
Six or seven years ago, I discovered yoga. Never thought I would, but a friend of mine said I should try it on a Saturday morning, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I try to go twice a week, on a Tuesday night and on a Saturday morning. If I don’t go for a week or two, I get a little bit anxious. I find it really perfect for both body and mind. Our Saturday morning class is mainly a group of guys, about 7 or 8 of us, and they all have quite stressful jobs too – doctors and lawyers and what have you. Our brilliant teacher will push us really hard, and then we’ll go for a coffee down the road in Topsham and have a chat about the week.
Cats or dogs, or do you prefer another type of pet – and why?
We’ve got a dog. Ronnie is a Cocker Spaniel, a working Cocker, although he’s never done a day of work in his life! He’s looking at me right now… We’re also looking after my son’s dog. He’s moved out to Hong Kong, so we volunteered to look after Mouse for a year. Ronnie is our first family dog; he’s 12. I always had dogs as a kid, so I think dogs over cats, but I don’t dislike cats. I quite like the arrogance that they have.
Share a quote or motto that inspires you or by which you live your life.
In a work context: ‘The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.’ I’m very collaborative in everything I do. There’s another one that comes to mind. That whole Darwin thing that I’ll paraphrase here: ‘It’s not the fastest or the strongest that will survive, it’s those who will be prepared to change.’ I think that’s really important in today’s world.
We also have a family ‘promise’ that I’m always rambling on about to the kids, and that is ‘To be nice to people, to be good people, to commit and to care.’
What job is the favourite you’ve ever had and what made it so special?
I’ve enjoyed all my jobs, but what would be a favourite? I would say there was a turning point when I ran quite a big dairy in Somerset with a big team. Most of the 70 employees were from the nearby village, and it was nice to work collaboratively with them, grow some bonds, and break down barriers. Once I got to grips with that (it took me a little while because the team was so big), it was really rewarding. It was quite diverse, and there were a lot of different things to do. I got to launch a brand, and we ran a cheese, cider, and music festival for the staff that became an annual event that drew about 1500 people in the end because the staff would bring their families and then their wider families. It was great fun, and everyone got involved.
Sadly, I ended up closing the business for the owners because it was on a big site in an area that was primed for property development and heavily dependent on multiple retailers, which were difficult to deal with. This process was also very satisfying as I got to find jobs for the staff and milk contracts for the 30 milk suppliers, and we had to get rid of all the cheese! It was really the catalyst for me going to work for myself as a consultant and then getting involved in Sharpham.
What is your favourite cuisine OR is there a cuisine you’ve never tried but would like to?
I would say cheese, but that’s not a cuisine and a bit predictable, right? I would also say seafood, and I’d say Italian if I was pushed. We got to go on a work trip to the Amalfi once, and the seafood was phenomenal. I’d like to experience more Far Eastern food in-country. I travelled there when I was young, but I was too scared to get deeply involved and ended up going to McDonald’s… I mean, we’re talking about lots of years ago! We hope to go to Hong Kong this year to visit my son and tie it in with going to a few other countries around there.
What is your favourite food/drink product on the market right now and why?
This question is potentially life-determining for me, you know that. Could you imagine it was Cornish? This is tricky. I’m trying to remember what I’ve eaten recently that I would go back to quickly… What I love at the moment is a veg box that I get from a local organic supplier, Shillingford Organic. It makes me creative because it comes with stuff that I’ve never used before, like kohlrabi. It makes me a good cook because I’ll go and research a little bit and find a recipe to use it so that it doesn’t go to waste. I love the challenge and the goodness that comes in that little tray every week.
What would your last meal be?
I think I would start with scallops and add some really good quality charcuterie or pancetta with a drizzle of something to lift it. For the main course, I’d choose a steak. I love sirloin steak with mixed mushrooms, properly triple-cooked chips, nice vegetables, and a pepper sauce. Sirloin is my favourite because it has that perfect combination of flavour and tenderness, and I love that fatty bit. For dessert, I’d have a proper steamed syrup pudding with not just custard but some clotted cream too. That would do me nicely! And then, of course, I’d have a cheese board afterwards. Probably with Cropwell Bishop Stilton, some vintage Lincolnshire Poacher, and of course a nine-week-old Sharpham Brie so it’s nice and ripe and runny. This is like choosing your favourite child, but now I’m thinking of Ticklemore Goats cheese, the Rustic with Dulce & Sea Lettuce, or a sliver of Washbourne, which we recently made for the first time in two years.
What would you do if you weren’t in the Food, Drink & Hospitality industry?
Others might disagree, but I always think I would be quite good in a crisis, so I think something in the emergency services like a paramedic. I think I would be good at it and that I’d enjoy the adrenaline of it.
What inspires you?
Potential. That’s an incomplete answer, isn’t it? But it might be a complete answer depending on how you look at it. I can see potential all the time, particularly in the food and drink world in Devon, and that motivates me. It makes me feel like I’m not just working for myself or my own business because I’m part of something bigger, and it helps me to keep the pace, commitment, and enthusiasm up.
Greg will be at the Source trade show at Westpoint Exeter on the 4th and 5th of February and you can come and chat with him at stand D22. You can also reach him via his LinkedIn profile HERE.
