Scotsman Obituaries: Jenny Hinsley, Consumer Brand PR expert who championed Scottish hospitality

Born in 1979 at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, Jenny was daughter to John and Rose Ingram, older sister to Emma, wife to Fraser and mother to Arlo and Alfie.

Arriving in the world nine weeks early, her eagerness to get going and make things happen is something that continued throughout her life.

Raised in Edinburgh, Jenny attended South Morningside Primary School and then James Gillespie’s High School. A lover of creativity and the arts, she enjoyed dancing, painting and drawing and the family enjoyed holidays to the French Atlantic Coast.

Going on to graduate from Napier University with BA (Hons) in Communication, she came second in her year, reinforcing her determination and dedication to succeed at every task.

Always a hard worker throughout university, Jenny supplemented her studies with jobs at a local hairdresser, Gap and Schuh, fostering an early love of the retail industry.

Jenny also had a passion for travel, and with family and friends visited Orlando, New York, Paris, Bermuda, Miami and Barbados.

After university, Jenny started her career with marketing, events and PR positions with Citigate SMARTS, Currie & Brown and Scotland’s largest architectural and interior design practice, Keppie Design.

In 2008 Jenny joined start-up PR consultancy Stripe Communications when the business was just over a year old.

As the agency grew, so did she, with Jenny eventually holding the position of Board Director.

During her time with Stripe, and through a large proportion of her efforts, the agency won more than 52 industry awards, most notably being awarded the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) UK Consultancy of the Year in both 2014 and 2016. Stripe was the first Scottish agency to win the accolade and it was a landmark moment for Jenny.

At Stripe, Jenny’s passion for consumer retail and hospitality brands saw her lead high-profile campaigns for clients such as John Lewis, Ooni, Missoni Hotels, VELUX, Yo! Sushi, Pizza Express, Principal Hotels, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Mountain Bike World Cup, Glasgow Scotland with Style and The Kitchin among many others.

In 2007 she was part of the team who established the hugely successful Taste of Edinburgh Festival, which took place in the Meadows featuring 15 of Scotland’s top restaurants and hundreds of Scotland’s finest food and drink producers.

As a passionate cook and foodie, the work Jenny undoubtedly loved the most was supporting the Scottish hospitality industry.

She worked with high-profile chefs and restaurants including Tom Kitchin, Dominic Jack, Roy Brett, Tony Singh, Stuart Muir, Jonathan MacDonald and Lady Claire Macdonald, helping ensure their restaurants and ventures thrived over the years.

In July 2021 she joined longstanding Stripe client Kitchin Group as Head of PR & Communications, overseeing all marketing for Michaela and Tom Kitchin's four venues: The Kitchin, The Scran & Scallie, KORA by Tom Kitchin, and restaurant with rooms The Bonnie Badger in East Lothian. Working closely with teams across Kitchin Group, Jenny's role was to raise the profile of the business, passionately and effectively conveying the Group’s “From Nature to Plate” philosophy and championing Scotland’s best produce and producers.

Overseeing high-profile communication, her role included handling exclusive events, cookery book launches, TV appearances, collaborations, partnerships and accolades.

Jenny was a much valued and admired member of Kitchin Group's management team, helping to build and nurture the brand’s global reputation. Highlights included her work with Genesis Scottish Open, Cash for Kids and The Sassenach Spirits collaborations.

She was meticulous in her planning, excellent in delivery and passionate about everything she did. She was loved by clients, partners and the media – always known to deliver above and beyond and always with a smile on her face.

A supporter of young talent in the industry, she acted as a mentor to many young communications professionals who have taken what she taught them to roles all over the world.

Despite an illustrious career Jenny was happiest spending time with her family and friends. She married Fraser Hinsley in 2015 at Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye, joined by close family and friends for a weekend of celebrations.

In her spare time Jenny enjoyed cooking fresh and healthy meals, eating out and relaxing on weekends in and around her Stockbridge neighbourhood. Wellbeing was important to Jenny and she was a regular at yoga and spin classes.

Family and friends will remember Jenny for a smile that could light up a room, her relentless optimism and the kindest of hearts.

She always put others before herself – her warmth, generosity and indomitable spirit touched all who knew her.

She will be greatly missed but her legacy will live on in all who knew her and, of course, in her two beautiful boys Arlo and Alfie.

Jenny’s funeral will take place on Thursday 10 October at 11am in the Main Chapel, Mortonhall Crematorium. All welcome. Family flowers only please.

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