To Cotswold Taste, Nick Waloff, its hugely missed Executive Chair was a man who set about the task of changing the way the food and drink industry of the Cotswolds worked. With his vision of collaboration, co-operation and fairplay. he sought to change the lives of all those whom he touched. He was the driving force behind Cotswold Taste, those of us who are left will now have to work hard to fulfil his legacy. On a personal level, I was lucky enough to know Nick for the last half a dozen years and in that time he became a very dear friend. A man of not only huge intellect, but also kindness and humanity. A rare concoction in the world of business where we are encouraged to be cut-throat and dispassionate. I will miss his early morning briefings, so often full of optimism and positive thinking; nearly always accompanied by an amusing anecdote or two, he had a way of making the world a brighter place. There can be no doubt that he enriched my life and introduced me to another world of business and adventure. He had an uncanny knack of connecting sometime disparate people that made life exciting, richer and often a lot more interesting! There can never be a good time to try and sum up a friend’s life and influence, and I am sure there are many who have known him longer and will have far more to say in celebration of his life and achievements. There can be no doubt, however, that I have had to write this short appreciation too early. One thing that Nick and I did share (apart from our love of beer and politics) was the notion that business and management is about enjoying yourself and enjoying the company of others. Nick was a natural bon viveur, and if there are more business people out there enjoying better, cheerful and more resilient business futures because of his infectious, unbounded enthusiasm, charm and intellect, then that is a legacy that would have delighted him.