Scotsman Obituaries: David McCreath OBE, founder of McCreath Simpson & Prentice agricultural merchants

David McCreath was an important figure on Scottish agricultural scene

When David McCreath returned home to Kenya after having spent two years at Warriston Prep school from the age of 12, then five years at Loretto, his father presented him with a decision: return to Berwick and work for the family business or take a one-way flight to Australia along with £100. He chose the former and never regretted it.

He worked for the family grain merchanting business, HG McCreath & Son, based in Berwick upon Tweed, for 19 years before it was sold to Associated British Maltsters, which was part of Dalgety.

Not wanting to be part of a national business, he started out on his own, with the assistance of Simon Simpson, Chairman of Simpsons Malt Ltd, who gave David credit lines.

As a result, McCreath Simpson was formed. David operated the company on his own for two years, during which time, apart from buying malting barley for the malting company, he sourced fertilisers from Fisons Ltd and grass seed from John Prentice & Co.

In 1982, John Prentice & Co were on the market and David approached Tory Prentice, the then Chairman, and asked if he could bid for the company, which was permitted. The acquisition was secured and, at the beginning of 1983, McCreath Simpson and Prentice (MSP) was formed.

Today, it is still part of Simpsons Malt, turning over £200 million for the Group.

David Robert McCreath was born in Nairobi on 25 October 1942 to Lieutenant Colonel David and Jean McCreath. Along with his older sister Margaret, younger sister Jane and younger brother Andrew, they spent their early childhood in Kenya, where David’s father was a District Commissioner and coffee farmer.

Like many children at that time throughout the Empire, David was sent to boarding school in Scotland aged 12 and did not return to Kenya until he was 19, when his father gave him the above ultimatum.

David – or Dave as he was more commonly known – was a pillar within the Scottish, and indeed, British agricultural industry, being on the Boards of Coastal Grain, Eildon Grain, Scottish Corn Trade, where he was President in 1993, British Cereals Export and Scottish Quality Cereals.

As well as being Managing Director of MSP, David joined the Board of Simpsons Malt in 1984, and remained a director until his passing. He was awarded the OBE in the Queens New Year’s Honours list in 2006 for his services to the malting Industry.

A keen Territorial Army man, Dave was an officer in D Company, 7th battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, rising to the rank of Captain.

Outwith his business life, David was a proud family man, and had three children with his first wife, Patricia Robson: David and Tim, who both work for the family business, and Susan, who is a teacher.

He played rugby for Alnwick RFC, and cricket and hockey for Berwick in his younger days before becoming Honorary Vice President of Alnwick RFC and President of Berwick CC. He was also a member of the MCC.

David was a formidable shot and fisherman, whether that be trout or salmon, and was a member of the Elm fishing club and Berwick Salmon club. With his second wife, Theresa Gallacher, he spent many enjoyable trips with their many friends on some of Britain’s finest rivers, always with their golden Labradors in tow.

David was also well known for his charity work and was co-founder of the Northumberland branch of Wooden Spoon – the rugby charity for special needs children, as well as Trustee of the Simpson McCreath Trust, a trust set up by himself and Simon Simpson in 2010 to help organisations within the areas of where the business had its operations.

Dave was a loving husband, brother, father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle and great uncle who cared deeply about the wider family and the McCreath clan, as a whole and was a great friend to many. He will be sorely missed.

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