Premier Foods has restructured its grocery division, which will now be overseen by Ian Deste in the role of commercial director.

Deste, who joined as group sales director in September last year, will retain his company-wide responsibility for sales, but will also oversee marketing, innovation, category planning and consumer insights for the grocery division.

He is taking on the grocery duties of Premier managing director Iwan Williams, who is leaving the business early in the new year and is currently supporting the transition.

The grocery arm of Premier - which recently announced it was to run its grocery and bread businesses as distinct divisions - will be run as two category business units: sweet and savoury.

The sweet category unit will incorporate Ambrosia and Mr Kipling alongside Angel Delight, Bird’s and Cadbury and Lyon’s cakes. It will be led by Claire Harrison-Church, the former Sainsbury’s brand communications director, who joined Premier this September as director of strategic marketing.

Premier’s savoury business unit is headed by Helen Warren-Piper, who joined from United Biscuits UK in October, and is responsible for growing Batchelors, Bisto, Oxo, Loyd Grossman and Sharwood’s, along with other savoury brands such as Homepride, Paxo and Saxa. The changes were expected by the end of January.

“Having established solid momentum in our grocery business, we felt it was the right time to implement a more integrated customer and consumer-focused commercial structure to drive further growth,” said COO Geoff Eaton.

Premier’s bread business, which includes the Hovis brand and own-label contracts, is run by Bob Spooner, who is MD for bread and group supply chain director.

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