Three directors of Red Lion Foods have stepped down, it has emerged.

Commercial director David Coles and marketing director David Wilkinson officially resigned on 7 December, although they haven’t had active roles for some months, while sales director John Hunter resigned on 28 November ahead of his retirement.

The company - which has committed to donating all its post-tax profits to armed forces charities - will announce it has fallen £350,000 short of its target of raising £1m for charity in its first year when it files its first accounts with Companies House next week.

Founder and MD Andrew Gidden said he was proud to have raised £650,000 for good causes, but added the company was now looking to learn the lessons from its first year and make the changes needed to boost its profitability and donations in the future.

The company would be looking to reduce its wage bill, which stood at about £400,000 in its first year, to about £280,000, Gidden said. “I’m aware we could be accused of having too many chiefs and not enough Indians and the changes we’ve been making have been motivated in part by that.”

To replace Wilkinson, Red Lion Foods has recruited Major General David Shaw, of the Scottish Command, who will join in a marketing role in February, but there will be no direct, director-level replacements for Coles and Hunter. Instead, Red Lion Foods has recruited a graduate to work on its sales, with Gidden himself also taking on more work.

Gidden said recruiting Major General Shaw was a coup and would boost Red Lion Foods’ profile with the armed forces and the public. “We had for some time come to the conclusion that we really needed someone who would combine a background in marketing with a background in the military, and we are very excited Major General Shaw has decided to join us,” he said.

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