Pioneering GrowUp Farms appoints Will Howard as new UK MD and CCO

Howard, former MD at baby-food brand Ella's Kitchen, who joined GrowUp Farms in February, was brought in to help GrowUp Farms unlock their purpose of providing "Better Food For All" and support the team building the business to grow and sell more than one million bags of salad per week.

GrowUp Farms CEO Marcus Whately said: "We are thrilled to have Will on board. He has nearly 20 years' experience with major food and drink brands - and two of them with B Corps - so he absolutely shares our passion for marrying sustainability in food production with creating compelling brands. He is committed to business as a force for good and will be a great addition to our team.

"We have always been a pioneering organisation, but we can't rest on our laurels and Will gives us the injection of experience and energy which will ensure we continue to grow great tasting products that will help us grow the category."

A certified B Corp, GrowUp Farms is the first vertical farm to supply major UK supermarkets with bagged salad brands with the launch of Fresh Leaf Co. into Iceland and SPAR and the Unbeleafable range into Tesco - both already award-winning brands.

Talking about his appointment to the newly created role of UK MD and CCO, Howard said: "I am extremely excited to be joining the team at GrowUp Farms, a vertical farm which is doing things differently, even compared to other vertical farms, and leading the way in how companies provide the best, most sustainable food for all, without compromising on taste. With a clear purpose to grow "better food for all", a brilliant team and values to help guide how we get there, it won't be long before we are growing nearly 1.4 million bags of salad per week.

"My two daughters, aged nine and 12, are thrilled about my new role at GrowUp Farms. They love snacking on the salad leaves straight from the bag and are probably on their way to becoming our top consumers!"

Prior to his roles at Ella's Kitchen, Howard worked at Innocent Drinks, Red Bull and PepsiCo.

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