‘Brave, competitive and always well mounted’: farewell to hunt chairman and respected restaurateur
Obituary
This leading restaurateur and former chairman of the Kimblewick Hunt died on Boxing Day, aged 79.
Alan Marchant Jackson, born in Chesham, Bucks, became a huge supporter of the former Vale of Aylesbury Hunt (now Kimblewick) and the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase, hunting with both packs for many years before becoming Kimblewick chairman.
Meets at his farm near Tring, Herts, were legendary for the free-flowing hospitality and plentiful jumps. Alan was a brave man on the hunting field, and competitive when team-chasing, he loved jumping and was always mounted on fabulous horses.
Alan superseded Lord Gardiner of Kimble as chairman of the Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Bucks Hunt following the amalgamation, latterly overseeing the transformation into the Kimblewick. Alan was chairman of the successful Easter Saturday Kimble point-to-point for some time, and chairman of the hunt trustees until his death.
Beyond hunting, Alan was supportive of eventing, team chasing and point-to-pointing, generously sponsoring events across many decades.
Alan was named one of the three most influential restaurateurs in the UK during his very successful career. He created and developed Beefeater, Travel Inn and TGI Fridays brands for Whitbread, becoming managing director of their restaurant division, then started Inn Business, which he grew to nearly 700 pubs. Alan chaired the Oriental Restaurant group and was a director of De Vere plc and Regent Inns. He was also chairman of Charles Wells brewers and Luminar nightclubs. He turned round the fortunes of The Restaurant Group, and was deputy chairman of housing developer Redrow. His last appointment was as the chairman of a large international gaming software supplier to businesses selling online gaming, Playtech.
Alan was very proud of his family and enjoyed spending time at home on the farm. He often accompanied his wife Lesley to county shows to support her while she showed her prize-winning Hereford cattle.
Alan is survived by Lesley, their two sons Jeremy and Edward and four grandchildren.
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Polly joined the Horse & Hound team in summer 2013. A former senior master of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase, her hunting knowledge and contacts are second to none. She left Horse & Hound at the end of 2016 to join The Hunting Office.