In 1988 the EU had massive grain mountains and the UK was importing expensive Canadian wheat for bread-making. My work involved developing test baking methods to assess the effectiveness of adding separated vital wheat gluten to home-grown flour in commercial bread-making.

My travels to Australia and the United States resulted in my contribution to the International Wheat Gluten Association publication Bake Test Methods. I met another Fellow, a thatcher – his concern was the longevity of straw for thatch. Together we worked on fire prevention and internationally recognised standards for thatching materials. I jointly wrote Thatches and Thatching, and in 2014 I became a 'Woman of the Year' in recognition of Services to Thatching.

My current projects are working with DEFRA to support the re-establishment of commercial water reed beds and to manage neglected beds for commercial production, wildlife and social wellbeing. Another exciting project is assessing the potential carbon footprint for building a new plant to manufacture completely degradable bioplastics.

The Fellowship gave me the confidence to develop new skills and follow up where new horizons and opportunities have taken me.