A I have never really had a mentor as such, but there are a couple of guys I go to for advice. The first is John Rudgard, who has been a non-executive director here for eight years. He would admit that he is a bit of a greybeard, very wise and stable and a very clear thinker.

The other is Humphrey Walters, who is a leadership expert. He used to work with the England rugby team and knows nothing about bakeries. It is useful to have one adviser who knows all about the business and one who knows nothing about it.

Q Which businessman or woman do you most admire?

A My cousins Brett and Ross. If you are working in a family business, you are dead in the water if you don’t get on with each other.

I also admire the workers in our business who fix the machinery in the bakeries and van drivers who get up at 4am to deliver fresh bread across the country. I could drive a van, but I couldn’t fix our machinery. I admire these men more than people I don’t really know.

Q Do you read books on management? If so, which has influenced you the most?

A I sometimes read management books, I recently read Self Renewal: The Individual & the Innovative Society by John Gardner. It was all right. I tend to get very enthusiastic when I read the first couple of chapters of management books and then I tend to lose interest.

Q Which is more important: what you know or who you know, and why?

A What you know. I remember being told early in my career that I would be better at what I was doing as I got more experience. At the time I thought that it was rubbish, but there is no substitute for experience. The trick is to be smart enough to learn from it.

Q What does leadership mean to you?

A Having a clear vision and a clarity of purpose. I think the management’s role is to bring the vision to life and then get out of the way and let everyone get on with it.

Q If you could change one thing about the business, financial and commercial environment, what would it be?

A I worry for UK plc because of short-term thinking. We constantly take a five to ten-year view in our business.

I also worry that the pendulum of interest on certain issues can swing quickly from no interest to maximum scrutiny, and businesses caught up in it have to be careful not to overreact to passing trends. We encountered this when the Atkins diet was all the rage, but we didn’t overreact.

Q Does money motivate you?

A I have four children, so I can’t say no. But I don’t think it is the be-all and end-all. Money gives you choices, but you have to enjoy the process that leads to financial reward.

Q What is the most important business event, good or bad, to occur in your working life?

A In the early 1980s, the family was given the opportunity to reacquire some equity, which was held by a private investor, thanks to a rule change by Margaret Thatcher’s Government. This gave us back total ownership of the company and meant that we were not looking over our shoulder any more. Another important event was our decision to develop the Warburtons brand. About 15 years ago we decided not to make private label produce, and we are very glad we did that.

Q What gadget/piece of technology can you not do without?

A Mobile phone. I am not a gadget person, although I do have an iPod, which was given to me by a friend from the States. He knew I wouldn’t get round to putting music on it, so he loaded it up with country and western music, some of which is quite good!

Q How do you relax?

A I relax by spending time with my family, especially standing on the sidelines watching my children play in hockey, cricket and rugby matches.