Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2011/January 2012 | Page 120

FOOD Stephen's recipe for success at Medina John Peck, Caroline & Stephen Ross Stephen Ross is Isle of Wight born and bred, and very proud of it. Stephen is the son of Colin Ross, and now the managing director of Medina Foodservice, the Island’s friendly, family-run catering wholesaler. Stephen, born in July 1972, had two older brothers, David and Andrew, and while at Ryde School helped out at his father’s butchery shop in Ryde whenever he could. In 1983 the family business moved to bigger premises in Newport and his father joined forces with another well known Island butcher, David Bishop, to concentrate on the catering side of the business, whilst still running the retail side from Ryde. Stephen said: “In 1988 when I joined Medina Meats I was taught the basics of butchery by my father. It’s something that you never forget and even now on a typical busy day, I will still be in the butchery department, helping out. I then started delivery driving and visiting customers to try and grow the business. Even nowadays with four full time sales reps, I still go out seeing customers, and it is still the side that I most enjoy. “When I was 19 and ambitious, an opportunity arose for me to go to Hilsea Meat Market to bring back products for several other butchers on the Island. I did this for two or three years until I returned full Medina Foods State of the art butchery room 120 www.visitislandlife.com TEL: 01983 529840 www.medinafoodservice.co.uk