Alastair Salvesen, who was awarded the C.B.E. in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the arts and charity in Scotland, has been a leading figure in the UK seafood industry for nearly thirty years.
He joined Dawnfresh Seafoods in Whitehaven, Cumbria thirty years ago and in 1983 led a management buyout (from Christian Salvesen), later building a SeafoodCentre of Excellence in Bothwell Park, Lanarkshire, at a cost of nearly £9m.
This was opened by The Queen in 1993, burned down, was re-built and re-opened by Princess Anne in 2001.
Over time the Dawnfresh coating business involving scampi and fish cakes has grown and the company now supplies 40% of the breaded and battered scampi sold in the UK and, following the recent acquisition of Scot Trout, is responsible for more than 80% of the farmed rainbow trout sold on the home market.
A former president of the British Frozen Food Federation, Mr. Salvesen has also served as chairman of the Shellfish Committee of the UK Association of Frozen Food Producers and is on the council of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain.
In 2001 he was appointed a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers and in the same year became President of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society (which runs the world famous Royal Highland Show).
Mr. Salvesen is a keen supporter of the Royal Highland Educational Trust which helps children throughout Scotland to learn about the countryside and where the food they eat is grown.
He was a director of Richmond Foods plc from 1996-2003 and, from 1996 to 1999, was chairman of the Luing Cattle Society. He has farmed since 1991, currently at Whitburgh.
Mr. Salvesen is a long standing member of the Royal Company of Archers (the Queen’s bodyguard in Scotland.); a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (C.A.) and the Business Graduates Association (M.B.A.); a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.), the Chartered Institute of Management (F.C.M.I.) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (F.C.I.M.).
He became a governor of The Compass School at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1994 and was chairman from 1996 to 1999, was a governor of Donaldsons College for the Deaf from 1997 to 2009 and, since 1994, has been a governor of Fettes College, where he is now deputy chairman. Mr. Salvesen is also an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy (HRSA).
As a supporter of the arts he has for 21 years sponsored an annual travelling scholarship for the best young Scottish artist, in 2001 saved from closure the Dovecot Studios, a tapestry weaving company established in 1912 and recently converted the first public baths in Edinburgh to be its permanent home, including a large public exhibition area.
In 1992 he gifted a specially designed and purpose-built organ to St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
Dawnfresh Seafoods
Alastair Salvesen
Tel: 01698 810008
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