A WELL-RESPECTED agricultural writer, who started his career on the Hexham Courant, has joined the ranks of Prince Charles and Lord Curry of Kirkharle after winning a highly prestigious award.

Rochester resident, Robert Forster, is the first ever journalist to win the Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Trophy which rewards the success of an individual or organisation who has made a real input into the meat and livestock industry for the benefit of the whole of the United Kingdom.

The independent selection panel considers nominations from across all sectors of the industry, from research through producers and processors to retailers. Both His Royal Highness and Lord Curry have been previous recipients in 2012 and 2000 respectively.

Robert said: “The training at the Courant was pivotal to my career. Journalists don’t get recognition and when I look at the previous winners of this award, it really pleases me because I think our profession is too easily criticised.”

Brought up in Slaley, he joined the Courant in 1980 but within two years was headhunted by the Farmer’s Guardian to be their Northern Counties regional correspondent. However, he continued to write for the Courant until 1998 under the pen name, Matt Ridley. As a freelance livestock correspondent, he also worked for the BBC’s farming programmes, Farming Today and On Your Farm out of the BBC’s studio in Fenham, Newcastle.

In 1997 Robert received the Outstanding Communicator award from the Royal Agricultural Society of England for his coverage of the BSE crisis and was also made a fellow of the RAS. The following year he became the founding chief executive of the National Beef Association.

Robert finally retired aged 70 earlier this year from the editorship of Beef Industry News and is now writing a book about the time he spent in Papua New Guinea during his 20s.