The Isle of Man Meat Company’s boardroom has been carving up a pay package that ballooned from modest stipends into six‑figure sums routed through private firms.
Payments made to board members of Isle of Man Meats over the last three years have been set out in a written answer, revealing tens of thousands of pounds paid both through payroll and via invoices from private companies.
This includes Quantum Connection Ltd which earned more than £100,000 in combined payments from Isle of Man Meats and DEFA in 2025.
Quantum Connection Ltd is founded by the chair of Isle of Man Meats, Damien Corcoran.
Payroll payments
Isle of Man Meats changed how its board members were paid between 2023 and 2024, moving from fixed annual fees to daily rates, a shift that coincided with a sharp rise in overall costs the following year.
Published figures show that in 2023, board members were paid a total of £48,308.11 via payroll. Non-executive directors received a £7,000 annual fee, while the chair was paid £15,000 per year.
In 2024, the pay structure changed. Government-appointed non-executive directors moved to a daily rate of up to £475, with the chair paid £550 per day, replacing the previous annual fees.
Total payroll costs that year fell slightly to £42,288.81, while Association shareholder appointees continued to receive £7,000 per annum.
By 2025, with the daily-rate model in place for a full year, total payments rose sharply to £96,091.67, more than double the 2024 figure.
Payments Via Private Companies
In addition to payroll payments, Isle of Man Meats also settled invoices issued by private companies connected to board members.
Between 2023 and 2025, payments made by Isle of Man Meats to private companies totalled more than £150,000, including:
- Taylerson Ltd (£21,742 in 2023 and £6,839.15 in 2024)
- Birnie Consultancy (£29,301.88 in 2025)
- Quantum Connection Ltd (£66,000 in 2025)
The Minister noted that payments to Quantum Connection Ltd were made “under direction from DEFA”.
Payments Made by DEFA
The answer also disclosed that the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture itself made further payments to board members via invoices to private companies.
These payments totalled:
- £68,584 in 2024 (£46,500 to Quantum Connection Ltd and £22,084 to Birnie Consultancy).
- £58,854 in 2025 (£36,000 to Quantum Connection Ltd and £22,854 to Birnie Consultancy).
The Minister added that following the appointment of a revised board in 2024, additional payments were authorised under the Department’s financial delegations.
These payments continued through 2024 and into the first half of 2025 before being ceased in August 2025.
All figures provided are net of VAT, and years were categorised using invoice dates rather than payment dates.
Source: Manx News, 20 January 2026
