The Queen's birthday honours for the grocery industry were sparse this year, with the retail side drawing a blank. A highlight for the meat sector was a knighthood for former Meat and Livestock Commission chairman Don Curry. He was honoured for his services to meat and livestock industries after more than seven years as chairman. He said: "The news was very unexpected. I am pleased that the meat and livestock industry has been given recognition. It has been through a very difficult period in my term of office ­ with BSE, swine fever and the foot and mouth disease ­ and this is some sort of acknowledgement of its importance." IGD chief executive Joanne Denney was made an OBE for her services to food and the grocery trade. She said: "I regard this honour as recognition of the IGD's hard work. The team at the IGD has put itself at the heart of the food industry, supporting it through crises such as the fuel shortage and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease this year. We are now focusing on extending our reach and developing a European focus." Also made an OBE was Meena Pathak, the creative force behind Patak's Spices authentic Indian food brand, for her services to the food industry in bringing Indian foods to a mass market. The award comes four years after her husband Kirit was also made an OBE for his contribution to the food industry and to export through Patak's. Other honours include OBEs for Iqbal Ahmed, chairman and md of frozen seafoods company Seafood Marketing International, for his services to export and international trade, and John Harris, senior executive, McCain Foods, for his services to the potato processing industry. Robert Watson, chief executive of the Foyle Food Group of Companies, was made an OBE for his services to the meat industry and James Irwin received an MBE for services to Allied Distilleries Company and to the community at Dumbarton. {{NEWS }}