The document is a list published by The Grocer magazine highlighting 33 talented young individuals in the grocery industry. It provides brief profiles of each person, describing their role, achievements, and why they were selected for the list. The editor of The Grocer says the large number of nominations received shows the breadth of career opportunities in the industry. The event to honor the award winners brought together the up-and-coming talent with senior industry leaders and was an opportunity to celebrate, network, and discuss experiences.

1. top new talent 2014
Top New Talent
is back with a
bang. Over the
next 10 pages,
The Grocer
reveals the 33
super-talented
individuals on
the list this year,
from ready meal
chefs to hard-nosed
buyers,
from students
to MDs,
from ops to
entrepreneurs,
aged 19 to 35.
Read on to find
out why they
made the list...
Sponsored by:
www.thegrocer.co.uk 8 November 2 26 | The Grocer | 8 November 2014 www.thegrocer.co.uk 014 | The Grocer | 27

2. top new talent 2014 Sponsored by:
I the night t’s a tough time in grocery, but this is not the time to
rehearse the reasons why. Instead, the second year of
The Grocer’s Top New Talent list offers the perfect
opportunity to celebrate.
Yes, there is doom and gloom out there, especially on the retail
side. But Top New Talent 2014 proves there is an enormous amount
of talent out there in grocery too – and this fact offers a wealth of
reassurance that the industry has a bright future ahead of it.
It’s evidenced by the sheer volume of entrants for Top New Talent
in 2014 – the total ran well into three figures – and all of them had a
very strong case for inclusion. It was a testing experience at times,
deciding on the Class of 2014, but it does make the 33 people who are
featured over the next 10 pages a very special crop indeed.
The initial inspiration for this initiative was a ticking timebomb
in food manufacturing, with suppliers struggling to recruit quality
candidates as an alarming proportion of its workforce approaches
retirement age. At the same time, I felt there was a wider
reputational issue affecting the entire food and drink industry.
Despite employing some 3.6 million people, and offering an
incredible diversity of roles, it was nevertheless frequently
characterised as a market for shelf stackers and ethnic immigrants
on slave-labour wages.
Top New Talent therefore acts, at the same time, as a fantastic
showcase for the incredible variety of roles that are available in this
industry. And this year’s list delivers in spades on that score –
arguably even more than it did last year. From inventors to
development chefs, store managers to placement students, MDs to
PRs, passionate eco-warriors to relentless rainmakers, brand
marketers to number-crunchers, hard-nosed buyers to
entrepreneurs, this year’s list truly sums up the breadth of roles
available to anyone considering a career in food and drink.
Earlier this week, the 33 people on the Top New Talent list joined a
host of senior industry VIPs at an event to celebrate, to network and
to share their experiences. It was an electric evening, and every bit
as awe-inspiring as it was the first time around. And if you are
reading this and thinking ‘Why didn’t I enter?’ then rest assured.
There is always next year...
FreshMinds was delighted
to sponsor The Grocer’s 2014
TNT awards. As an initiative it
ticks a lot of boxes as it looks
to recognise and celebrate
the brightest and best talent –
selected through peer nomination
– coming out of the retail/fmcg
industry – the fastest-growing
sector at FreshMinds Talent.
While the winners were
wide-ranging in their roles
and the types of company they
worked for, they were all of the
highest order in terms of their
achievements – and importantly
a real pleasure to meet. The
retail industry needs to look to
recruit, to promote and to develop
the best talent – and make it
a ‘sector of choice’ for the best
candidates. This TNT generation
will be the future leaders who
will help to navigate the retail
market through the challenges
of fierce competition and the
opportunities (and challenges) of
the digital revolution.
We hope that the TNT initiative
will be a rallying cry to encourage
those leaders and role models
in the retail industry to look
out for young, up-and-coming
talent (in their company and
beyond) who may benefit from
mentoring, coaching and a little
bit of inspiration. Well done to all
the winners and we look forward
to seeing what they achieve in the
coming years.
“The talent on
show offers
a wealth of
reassurance
that grocery
has a bright
future”
Adam Leyland, Editor
“We hope the
TNT initiative
will be a
rallying cry
to look out for
and look after
young talent”
James Callander
MD, FreshMinds
The event was held at Simpsons
in the Strand, owned by and next
to the Savoy Hotel
Plaques recognising their
achievements were handed out
to the 33 TNTs on the list
Julian Metcalfe, founder of
Pret, Itsu and Metcalfe’s Food
Company, gave a speech
TNTs enjoyed a drink and
networked with each other, as
well as VIPs
The relaxed and informal
evening allowed the group to
celebrate and have fun too,
before going to the pub
www.thegrocer.co.uk 8 November 2014 | The Grocer | 29

3. top new talent 2014 Sponsored by:
“I have huge admiration for
everyone on this list”
Julian Metcalfe, Metcalfe’s Food
Company, Pret a Manger, Itsu
Muhammad Asad
AGE: 30
JOB TITLE: Wholesaler
WORKS AT: Bestway
Since he arrived in the UK in 1999, Asad
has always worked at Bestway. He joined
its GTO scheme in 2005 and became
general manager of the Barking branch in
2013, shortly before winning the FDF Young
Wholesaler of the Year award. Asad says
poor availability is a “crime”, developing
his team is a priority, keeping the store
clean and tidy is key, as is remembering to
“always be pleased to see the customer.”
Dan Broughton
AGE: 34
JOB TITLE: Sales director
WORKS AT: Cawston Press
After starting out in sales with PJ
Smoothies and Green & Black’s,
Broughton switched to a national
account management role within
Cadbury when it snapped up Green &
Black’s, where he was responsible for
growing and retaining the Compass
account.
In 2012, he joined Cawston Press for
his first director-level role. “One of
the brightest young men I have come
across in my career in the grocery
trade. He is dedicated and motivated,
he just keeps going until he gets the
result, which he has proven time and
time again he can get,” read one of
several nominations for Broughton.
And it’s not just talk. He recently
achieved sales of 8,000 cases across 60
new customers in 14 weeks, delivering
overall sales growth of 38%, and
increased profitability across the
range. He also won new clients in
Canada, Norway and Holland.
Julie Benwell
AGE: 32
JOB TITLE: Capital purchasing controller
WORKS AT: Greencore
In August 2013, Benwell was handed
a brand new role with the barest of
job descriptions – to save Greencore
money across its UK and US sites. One
year on, Greencore says the savings are
“significant” but the real value has been
improved processes and controls, and
that through her committed engagement,
colleagues now want to extract maximum
value for every penny Greencore invests.
Sally Barton
AGE: 30
JOB TITLE: Senior brand manager
WORKS AT: Cadbury Dairy Milk
Barton was promoted in 2013 to lead
Mondelez’s Bitesize bags business, and
quickly helped deliver a period of fast
expansion and double-digit growth.
She also launched category-building
innovations like Cadbury Bitsa Wispa and
Cadbury Dairy Milk Pebbles, and led a £6m
multi-platform communications launch
for Cadbury Crispello, Cadbury’s first new
brand in more than 20 years.
Caoire Blakemore
AGE: 29
JOB TITLE: Commercial director
WORKS AT: AF Blakemore & Son
A fourth-generation Blakemore, Caoire
started with a Sunday job in the cash
& carry division. After graduating at
Birmingham University she has been the
driving force behind its regionally sourced
fine foods sector since its inception in 2007
as Heart Distribution, growing annual
sales to £6m. The division was re-launched
as Blakemore Fine Foods in 2014 and has
moved to larger premises to meet demand.
Amy Burgess
AGE: 32
JOB TITLE: Associate director
WORKS AT: Publicasity
Burgess handles Publicasity’s flagship
accounts, including Heineken, Britvic
and Bacardi. According to one of her
clients, she “quickly developed a detailed
knowledge of our business, and won the
trust and confidence of all who work with
her.” Practical, resilient and creative,
Burgess also plays a “pivotal role” in
adding new accounts to the Publicasity
portfolio.
Tamara Arbib
AGE: 31
JOB TITLE: Founder
WORKS AT: Rebel Kitchen
In a few months, with no previous
experience whatsoever, Arbib has
created a brand that has already
won listings throughout the UK,
a highly engaged following from
consumers and offers high potential
for international listings.
Launched in January, the Rebel
Kitchen range of ‘Mylk’ coconut
milk drinks, with separate products
for adults and children, gained a
listing in Waitrose after six months
and followed this up with listings
in Tesco last month. The products
are 100% dairy and lactose-free and
contain absolutely no additives or
preservatives. Made with a blend
of coconut milk, cacao and spring
water from Somerset, the business
has grown at a rate of 400% over six
months, filled a gap in the market, and
Arbib says it proves we can all choose
to “rebel against junk food.” A range of
snacks is coming soon, too.
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4. top new talent 2014 Sponsored by:
“Build your network of contacts and ask
questions. And enjoy the pace and buzz!”
Keith Packer, CEO, Typhoo
Susan Connolly
AGE: 31
JOB TITLE: Business development manager
WORKS AT: Connolly Spar
Connolly works “tirelessly to build
community links through new ideas and
customer engagement,” but there are some
pretty serious numbers to add weight to the
nice stuff, like a 24% year-on-year rise in
footfall and 15% rise in turnover. “A savvy
and passionate entrepreneur, Susan’s
the next generation of Spar retailer and
personifies the mantra ‘never give up’,”
says Spar MD Debbie Robinson.
Robert Jakobi
AGE: 29
JOB TITLE: Managing director
WORKS AT: Metcalfe’s Food Company
“Recognise a genius and get him in!”
was Julian Metcalfe’s initial reaction
upon meeting former investment banker
and hedge fund manager Robert Jakobi.
When he joined, Metcalfe’s was a popcorn
company selling to Pret and Itsu with
annual sales of £300,000. Today, three-and-
a-half years after Jakobi first joined,
Metcalfe’s Food Company delivers annual
sales of more than £15m.
Dave Knowles
AGE: 30
JOB TITLE: Account manager
WORKS AT: C&C Group
After successfully delivering on major
multiple accounts, Knowles now runs
the Tesco account for C&C – the group’s
largest. According to his nomination he is
a “very talented and energetic team player
and a sharp and trustworthy colleague”. In
his spare time he raises money for charity:
last year he raised £16,665 for the MNDA
after competing in 13 different challenges,
including running 13 marathons in 13 days.
Martin Knowles
AGE: 25
JOB TITLE: Account manager
WORKS AT: Arla
Knowles worked in recruitment before
joining Arla in 2013. Progress has been
rapid. He started on foodservice accounts
including McDonald’s, Starbucks, Bidvest
3663 and Brakes before being promoted to
cover Aldi, Lidl, Iceland Boots, WH Smith
and Superdrug, managing a P&L budget of
more than £750,000. He’s also been given
several side projects, and launched two
new butter and cheese lines for Arla.
Davinder Jheeta
AGE: 31
JOB TITLE: Creative director
WORKS AT: Simply Fresh
Since launching in 2009, Simply
Fresh has wowed the industry and
customers alike with its refreshing
take on the convenience store,
introducing a huge focus on fresh,
chilled and local foods food and
designing its stores in a bright,
colourful, open way to match.
“Davinder has been fundamental in
shaping the success of Simply Fresh
over the past three years,” said his
nomination.
“Originally hired as a consultant,
we jumped at the chance to appoint
him as creative director in January
2014, to ensure the continued growth
and brand strength he began. And
Davinder is continuing to innovate
at Simply Fresh. His vision for the
brand and its positioning is met with
his energy and passion. We see great
things happening at Simply Fresh
with Davinder creating really exciting
stores.”
Paddy Carmody
AGE: 35
JOB TITLE: PoS & shopper activation
manager
WORKS AT: Beiersdorf
Carmody has “transformed” Beiersdorf’s
shopper marketing function, growing the
department by 50% in 12 months. He also
played an “integral” part in securing the
number one position on the Advantage
Survey, ahead of P&G and Unilever, and
was also “instrumental” in the company
receiving Tesco’s Supplier of the Year
Award.
Andrew Laird
AGE: 29
JOB TITLE: Development chef
WORKS AT: Senoble UK
After graduating with a first-class
degree in Food and Nutrition from
Liverpool John Moores University, then
learning from the very best by working
at Michelin starred restaurants
including the Fat Duck, Laird turned
his attention to product development
and joined Senoble UK in 2011.
Ever since, he has shown “fantastic
commitment to providing innovative
and commercially viable products.” He
also gets results. More than 50 of his
creations, which have included first-to-market
and award winning concepts,
have been launched by retailers who
appreciate his “hard work, creative
personality and sense of humour.”
However, Laird hasn’t forgotten where
his journey began, and regularly
visits LJMU to work with the students,
collaborating on coursework projects,
organising visits to Senoble, and
facilitating work experience for the
students.
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5. top new talent 2014 Sponsored by:
David Lepley
AGE: 31
JOB TITLE: Senior director, supermarkets
north division
WORKS AT: Asda
Lepley joined Asda as a temporary shop
floor assistant in 2000 and swiftly came
to the attention of head office, eventually
being appointed as project manager for
CEO Andy Clarke. At 22 he became a store
manager and was promoted to regional
operations manager at 28. Now senior
director, he looks after 104 stores within
eight regions with sales of £790m.
Ben Molineux
AGE: 25
JOB TITLE: Sustainability officer
WORKS AT: HPS – Product Recovery Systems
The fmcg industry generates a vast amount
of waste – but Molineux is on a mission
to reduce it. As a “passionate believer in
reducing waste in the process industry”
he has spent three years working towards
slashing waste for customers including
Saladworks (owned by Samworth
Brothers), and others involved in the fmcg
world. His work is achieving results and
gaining Molineux recognition.
“My advice is to innovate. Bring fresh ideas to
the table. And don’t conform to convention”
Kash Khera, MD, SimplyFresh
Philip Marx
AGE: 34
JOB TITLE: Brand manager
WORKS AT: RH Amar
Marx handles nine fine food brands
across a range of retail channels including
wholesale, multiple retail and foodservice,
with specific responsibility for marketing
brands across all or some of those
channels. In total, the turnover from the
brands that Marx represents accounts for
about 20% of RH Amar’s turnover, making
Marx an integral part of the team and that
number is growing.
Emily Parker
AGE: 24
JOB TITLE: Project manager
WORKS AT: Aldi
After starting as an 18-year-old weekend
assistant while studying for her degree,
Parker was promoted to run a brand new
store aged 23. She has now been pulled out
to lead a team of more than 25 as a project
manager. Parker personifies both the rapid
growth, and the hardworking and talented
staff, that Aldi has become famous for on
its way to breaking sales and market share
records over the past few years.
Chow Mezger
AGE: 33
JOB TITLE: Managing director
WORKS AT: Jude’s Ice Cream
Jude’s supplies some of Britain’s top
chefs and is served in the Houses of
Parliament and Blenheim Palace. It has
also won 25 Great Taste Awards. For
the past two years, Mezger has led the
marketing team: redesigning the Jude’s
packaging; increasing brand recognition
and spearheading its launch into retail,
winning listings in Waitrose, Ocado,
Sainsbury’s and Whole Foods Market.
Rebecca Passmore
AGE: 32
JOB TITLE: Senior director of store model
and planning, marketing and format
development
WORKS AT: Asda
A “true inspiration” that demonstrates
a “tenacious determination to succeed”,
Passmore graduated from Harvard
Business school before joining Aldi,
becoming operations director at 25. She
joined Asda in 2010 and led the Midlands
region through its Netto conversion. Last
year she became senior director.
Solveiga Pakstaite
AGE: 22
JOB TITLE: Inventor
WORKS AT: Recently graduated
from Brunel University with a first-class
degree in industrial design &
technology
James Dyson knows a thing or two
about inventions, and he was quick
to make Pakstaite, from Stevenage in
Hertfordshire, the British winner of
the James Dyson Award for product
design. Her invention? A label
containing gelatine that changes
texture as the food inside the packet
nears its sell by date and goes bumpy,
offering a tangible way for consumers
to know whether the product is
actually still perfectly edible, even
if the best-before date suggests
otherwise –potentially saving a lot
of pointlessly wasted food. “Because
gelatine is a protein, it decays at the
same rate as protein-based foods like
pork, milk and cheese,” she says.
“The label copies what the food in
the package is doing, so the expiry
information is going to be far more
accurate than a printed date.”
Ben Mason
AGE: 33
JOB TITLE: Director
WORKS AT: Proper Beans
Brits love baked beans, but it’s a
category in decline. So, in September,
Mason launched a first for the UK –
pots of fresh chilled baked beans.
Since then, he has been given the nod
by Richard Branson, who described
Proper Beans as a “brilliant example
of taking a well-known food product
and turning it into a pioneering
business idea,” and awarded it the
Most Exciting New Brand at the Virgin
Start-up Food Fest.
Proper Beans subsequently won a
listing in Fortnum & Mason and says
two more high-profile retailers will be
live before Christmas, thanks in part
to an orgy of positive press coverage,
including “My perfect 10-minute
supper! Heinz is so over,” from The
Times. “Twice as good as Heinz – and
10 times tastier than Waitrose,” from
the Daily Mail. And “The baked bean is
getting a serious makeover,“ from the
Telegraph. All in all, not a bad start to a
new career.
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6. top new talent 2014 Sponsored by:
“Be passionate about being part of fmcg,
one of the great British industries”
Melanie Leech, director general, FDF
Nicola Tilley
AGE: 27
JOB TITLE: Retail area manager
WORKS AT: James Hall & Co
Tilley loves the business of food and
drink. She started on the 12-month
Tesco graduate scheme in 2009,
working within the burgeoning
Express format, and was made store
manager after nine months. After 18
months she joined Aldi as an area
manager, where she spent three years
“facing numerous opportunities and
challenges that such extreme growth
poses to a business.”
Having worked at James Hall & Co for
the past five months, her approach
and management style is described
as keeping it simple: focusing on
delivering fantastic availability, great
store standards and motivated and
engaged people, who also have the
drive and ability to do a great job every
day. Some of her biggest achievements
to date have been opening new stores,
managing teams of more than 150
individuals and the training and
development of young new talent.
Adam Sopher
AGE: 29
JOB TITLE: Co-founder
WORKS AT: Joe & Seph’s Popcorn
Popcorn has exploded over the past couple
of years, and when it comes to the premium
end, Joe & Seph’s is right up there. Founded
in late 2010 by Sopher and his parents,
Joseph and Jackie, Joe & Seph’s has won 15
Great Taste Gold Awards and is listed in the
UK and across the globe. Sales grew 254%
between 2012 and 2013 and are expected to
grow over 200% this financial year to over
£2m. It now employs 24 people.
Sanjeev Vadhera
AGE: 33
JOB TITLE: Director
WORKS AT: North East Convenience Stores
In 2009, Vadhera left a career in the City to
return home to the North East and support
the family business. Despite his non-traditional
background he brought a keen
commercial eye to the seven-strong chain
of convenience stores and has now driven
the growth of the business to become the
40th largest independent retailer in the UK
operating 24 stores, turning over £25m and
employing 350 staff.
Helen Walsh
AGE: 24
JOB TITLE: Supply chain analyst
WORKS AT: Morrisons
Walsh joined Morrisons as a graduate
in 2012 and now leads a team of supply
chain analysts. Morrisons describes
her as “tenacious, creative and a superb
networker who delivers results” as well
as “fearless and not afraid to challenge
anyone to get problems sorted.” According
to Simon Thompson, the MD for Morrisons.
com, “it’s only a matter of time before I end
up reporting to Helen.”
Codie Pierce
AGE: 22
JOB TITLE: Buyer
WORKS AT: Morrisons
“In my many years in fmcg I have never
met someone so young, driven and
capable,” says one Morrisons director of
Pierce. She is a “young woman with an
incredible amount of passion, energy and
enthusiasm combined with a large amount
of intelligence. And despite giving her role
her full dedication, this has not stopped
Codie being on track for a first-class
degree.”
Lizzie Reynolds
AGE: 34
JOB TITLE: Customer director
WORKS AT: One Stop Stores
Reynolds joined the One Stop convenience
store business in March 2012 and
“transformed its marketing”, leading a
“step-change” in customer insight, brand
and communication, digital marketing,
trade planning and store space and
layout. “By collaborating with board
colleagues and inspiring her team she has
achieved a huge amount in two years,” her
nomination added.
Pippa Rodgers
AGE: 21
JOB TITLE: Marketing assistant
WORKS AT: Waitrose
As part of her marketing degree at
Sheffield Hallam university – where
she is predicted to receive a first –
Rodgers spent a year at Waitrose,
working as a marketing assistant on
its direct email campaigns, which she
sent out to 2 million customers a week.
As a direct result of her work, which
included creating more than 200
variants of a single template email
based on a customer’s previous
purchase history, open rates went up
20% and sales conversions tripled.
In addition, a direct email campaign
over Easter recorded the best results
Waitrose had ever had.
As a result, she was awarded the IGD
Leading Light Award in 2014. Waitrose
describes her as a “real asset, not only
due to her remarkable contribution,
but also because her positive attitude
never fails to motivate those around
her.” She’s now in the market for a
graduate job.
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7. top new talent 2014 Sponsored by:
Kate Woolf
AGE: 32
JOB TITLE: Marketing manager
WORKS AT: Little Miracles
For a decade, Woolf worked in trade
PR, looking after some of the UK’s
biggest brands including Cadbury,
Bassett’s, Walkers and Pepsi. She
scooped up armfuls of awards for
her work, but was seduced by the
entrepreneurial spirit shown by
the founders of Little Miracles, and
joined up as international marketing
manager in September 2013, becoming
the company’s first employee.
Woolf hasn’t looked back.
Since joining, sales of its drinks –a
cross between an iced tea, an all-natural
energy drink and a smoothie,
have quadrupled. As well as bringing
her communications skills to the role,
Woolf has also branched out into
sales, bringing in new listings, like BP,
and extending existing listings with
retailers by successfully pitching NPD.
She also broke the brand in the US,
winning listings in Bloomingdales,
7-Eleven and Starbucks.
Matt Ward
AGE: 30
JOB TITLE: Buyer
WORKS AT: Tesco
A straight-A student and Cambridge
graduate, Ward started off on the Unilever
graduate scheme in personal care before
joining Tesco’s commercial function in
2010. Initially he worked in the dairy
sector before moving into fresh produce.
Tesco commercial director Richard Marris
says Ward’s “high potential and business
acumen means that he is definitely one to
watch for the future.”
Simon Webster
AGE: 34
JOB TITLE: Finance director
WORKS AT: Nisa Retail
His nomination described Webster’s
contribution to Nisa as “transformational”
during a period of significant change.
Since his arrival, Webster has taken it all in
his stride. He leads the finance team, has
overhauled existing systems, refreshed
the interface with the wider business,
improved management information
and reporting, and completed a £100m
refinancing.
Jamie Welch
AGE: 26
JOB TITLE: Store manager
WORKS AT: Tesco
Welch started working in supermarkets
at the age of 16, rounding up trolleys at
Morrisons. He joined Tesco in 2009 and
since April 2014, has managed a Tesco store
in Sheffield. He also led a £91m investment
into Tesco.com as programme manager,
based on improving online service, and
was recently voted by Tesco directors
to be part of the Tesco Future Leaders
programme.
38 | The Grocer | 8 November 2014 www.thegrocer.co.uk