Obituary: Simon Kinder

Scots businessman was head of Magimix and a proud supporter of Jamie Oliver's charity

Born: 7 April, 1962, in Lochcarron, Wester Ross.

Died: 16 May, 2010, in Ascot, Berkshire, aged 48.

AS MANAGING director of catering equipment company Magimix UK, Simon Kinder was a leading figure in the British food industry and a major supporter of the 15 Foundation, the charity established by TV chef Jamie Oliver to give underprivileged young people a start in the world of catering.

The third son of Graham and Dorothy Kinder, he was born in Lochcarron, Wester Ross in 1962, and his early years were spent moving around the UK as the family followed his father's career as a civil engineer with the Babtie group.

They later moved to Lanarkshire during the construction of the M74 Hamilton by-pass and then to Northern Ireland for the construction of a large dock for Harland & Woolf.

Graham became chairman and chief executive of Babtie and the family settled in Newton Mearns where, with brothers Stephen and Andrew, he attended Hutchesons' Grammar School. There, Simon proved to be an adept sportsman, and with Graeme Johnston, Graham Shaw and John Robb formed a swimming team that was to remain unbeaten in the Glasgow schools championships for eight years. He was also a very keen cricketer, with his left arm spinners making him a permanent fixture in the school first XI.

On leaving school in 1979, he went up to Strathclyde University where he took a degree in business administration, specialising in marketing, and after graduation joined Black & Decker. There, he rose to become head of marketing for Europe before being head-hunted for the top post at Magimix UK in 1999.

At Magimix, his energy and enthusiasm proved ideal for an industry crossing over into the world of TV and entertainment, and he could count most leading chefs as close contacts, amongst them Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein. He was very active in the expansion of the Good Food Show as well as the 15 Foundation. Under his leadership, Magimix continued to grow as a premium brand of catering equipment and earlier this year his firm proudly unveiled the world's first see-through toaster after years of development.

Last year, Simon was instrumental in organising a reunion of his year at Hutchie, amongst them the TV presenter Carol Smillie and nightclub owner Stefan King, and it turned out to be the biggest the school has ever staged.

He was living in Ascot, Berkshire, when he died suddenly last month, and his family were joined by a wide circle of good friends from school, university and business at a service of thanksgiving at St Michaels and All Angels Parish Church, Sunninghill, last week. His marriage to Monica had ended amicably and he leaves a son Max, 15, and daughter Katya, aged 11.