How did you get to where you are today?
I've been working in the food industry since I left university. I started out as a sales rep in Scotland, selling biscuits for McVitie's. I spent a lot of time stacking shelves in small shops in exchange for orders.
I moved into account management, working with all the key retailers, and eventually to the role of sales director at New Covent Garden Soup Company, which was a fantastic brand to work with. My wife and I bought the soups all the time and I couldn't believe my luck when I had the chance to join the company.
I joined Leathams five years ago to head up the sales and marketing team on the Merchant Gourmet brand. I was attracted by the huge range of interesting, quality products and the challenge of working in speciality food and moving the brand forward.
Tell us a bit about Merchant Gourmet
Merchant Gourmet is Leathams' retail division brand. It was founded in 1980 and is perhaps better known for its foodservice range. Ten years ago we took the decision to sell a range of interesting products in retail format and worked with Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose to add some speciality lines to their range.
Merchant Gourmet today comprises over 50 products, including Puy Lentils, SunBlush Tomatoes, Porcini Mushrooms and Dulce de Leche Caramel Toffee.
What is your working week like?
Genuinely varied. Because we have so many suppliers time is taken up with visits and reviews as well as the day-to-day work in the office with my sales and marketing team. I like to get out and see as many stores as I can and try to visit customers. I get to spend time on new product development and there's always plenty of interesting things to taste in the kitchen.
What has been keeping you busy lately?
We've been doing a lot of work on our website - merchant-gourmet.com - which has shown huge growth in the past two years. I'm also working on some new branded and own-label lines.
What are your plans for 2007?
Apart from new Merchant Gourmet lines and some own-label projects, we're delighted to have been appointed UK distributor for a new sugar launch, Plantation Reserve, from Barbados. There has been incredible interest from customers and the first sales start this month.
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