Wedding venue ties the knot with Jess

Jess Straker, 25, from Belford and a former pupil at Duchess’ High School, Alnwick, has joined the team at Doxford Barns, a business owned by Richard Shell and his family.

It represents a career change for Jess, who trained as a veterinary nurse at Harper Adams, Shropshire, and, after taking some time out to travel in Australia, returned home to worked at Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group in Alnwick from April 2014.

She has been involved with Young Farmers for a number of years and has organised various events, including the Farmer’s Ball in February 2015.

“It was a great opportunity and I really fancied a change,” said Jess. “I enjoy working in a team and I am really looking forward to working with this great family-run business. I went to school with Richard so I have known him for a long time and I am excited to be part of the future development of the business.”

Richard said: “The demand for weddings and events at Doxford Barns has surpassed all expectations and this appointment of Jess will ensure we continue to offer a first-class experience.

“Jess has a wealth of experience in running and organising events and her ethos and values fits well with our family business. We are in the process of recruiting more staff to build on our great little team and look forward to sharing new appointments with you in the next couple of months.”

• Doxford Barns has an open day on January 31.