Bernard Trevor Matthews
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Bernard Trevor Matthews CVO, CBE (born 1930 in Brooke, Norfolk) is the founder of Bernard Matthews Limited, a company that is best-known for producing turkeys and turkey products.[1] Matthews, the son of a mechanic, worked as a trainee livestock auctioneer at Waters & Son between 1946 and 1948; he then served his two-year National service in the Royal Air Force.[2]
He started the company in 1950, having left school at the age of 16 after winning a scholarship at the City of Norwich School but choosing not to progress with his education.[3]
In 1964 he met Nikita Khrushchev to discuss the modernisation of the Russian Poultry industry. In 1980 the company launched its first TV commercial featuring Turkey Breast Roast, with Matthews himself introducing the famous 'Bootiful' catchphrase in his thick Norfolk accent, and becoming part of what has been described as the "national consciousness".[4][5]
Matthews was appointed a CVO in the New Year's Honours List December 2006, for his service with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a scheme for which he had also previously been awarded a CBE. However, in view of the H5N1 outbreak in late January 2007 at his Holton, Suffolk plant, Matthews asked for the investiture on 9 February 2007, at which he had been due to receive the CVO, to be postponed.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Bernard Matthews: company history. Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
- ^ Time to talk turkey. 'Marketing' magazine (14 February 2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- ^ Bernard Matthews: Life is still bootiful. The Independent (31 December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ Company history: The 80s. Bernard Matthews.
- ^ The ‘bootiful’ empire takes another hit. The Times (4 February 2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
- ^ "Official: H5N1 may be in human food chain", James Sturcke, Guardian Unlimited, 9 February 2007.
