Ruth McGrath joins Meridian Foods as senior brand manager

Meridian Foods has appointed Ruth McGrath as senior brand manager of its marketing team.

She joins from Burton’s Biscuits, where she oversaw brands including Wagon Wheels and Jammie Dodgers. She previously worked for spices and flavourings supplier Santa Maria, and SSP Group food services. In her latest role, McGrath will focus on Meridian’s ranges of butters and bars, including NPD. She will report to head of marketing Sue McIntosh.

McGrath was a longstanding fan of the Meridian brand, she said. “As a keen gym-goer, I’ve used Meridian to fuel my training for several years.

“The nut butter category has seen explosive growth over the past few years, and I’m looking forward to working to consolidate that growth for Meridian and look at new ways to extend the brand’s reach,” McGrath added.

Meridian has also added two national account managers to its sales team. Simon Lucas, who joins from Rowse Honey, will manage the nut butter maker’s accounts with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Asda – while John Gilroy will have a focus on driving distribution in the convenience channel, handling established accounts such as Morrisons, Ocado, Co-op, Boots, Booths, and Abel & Cole. He previously worked with brands including Cadbury.