At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based CEO’ operating in the Food and Beverage space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Marc Boyan
Founder & CEO of Miroma Ventures
Marc began his career in marketing with the Goldsmith family, creating and selling events such as World Wrestling Federation, Net Aid, Smash Hits & Route of Kings. His first business venture started in 2000, setting up tourist information channel, City Tour TV. The concept can now be found in various airlines, black taxis and hotels in the UK. In 2003, Marc spotted an opportunity to use barter in all areas of modern commerce and set up corporate barter company, Miroma International. He has grown the business into one of the leading corporate barter companies in Europe with Miroma International’s growth trajectory recognized in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 report on UK businesses for four years in a row between 2008 and 2011. Outside of Miroma International, Marc has also focused on building out the Miroma Ventures portfolio, focusing on media, technology and consumer investments. Marc is a dedicated supporter of the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity, sitting on its Executive Board.
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About Miroma Group, Miroma Ventures: Miroma Ventures is the investment arm of The Miroma Group, predominantly investing in growth stage consumer brands and media platforms.
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Anton Soulier
Founder & CEO of Taster
Anton Soulier is the Founder of Taster. He is a former Business Development, Business Operations Manager, Regional Manager, and Deputy General Manager France at Deliveroo. Mr. Soulier received a master’s degree in Finance at NEOMA Business School.
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About Taster: Taster is a food delivery company that operates dozens of restaurants that only exist on food delivery platforms.
Alan Jope
Chief Executive Officer of Unilever
Alan joined Unilever in the UK in 1985, subsequently working in North America for 14 years and in Asia for 13 years. Before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer, Alan served as President of Unilever’s Personal Care business from 2014 and continued as President when the name of the division changed in 2018 to Beauty and Personal Care. From 2009 Alan led Unilever’s business in China and North Asia, doubling its size and laying important foundations for future success. He was appointed to Unilever’s Leadership Executive in 2011 in his role as President of Unilever’s businesses across North Asia. His previous senior roles have also included President Russia, Africa & Middle East; global category leader for several of Unilever’s Foods businesses; and President of Unilever’s Home & Personal Care business in North America. Earlier, Alan worked in a number of sales and marketing roles in the UK, Thailand, and the US. Alan holds a Bachelor of Commerce with honours from Edinburgh University, Scotland. He also graduated from Harvard Business School’s General Management Program in 2001.
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About Unilever: Unilever produces and supplies fast-moving consumer goods in food, home, and personal care product categories worldwide.
Benjamina Bollag
Founder & CEO of HigherSteaks
Benjamina is the CEO of London-based food tech start-up Higher Steaks, which she founded in 2017. Previously, Benjamina co-founded a London-based B2B electronics company selling to FTSE500 companies. Benjamina has also worked at Israeli 3D printing company, Stratasys, at the digital marketing division of PepsiCo’s joint venture with Strauss and was the lead developer an ed-tech startup. Benjamina holds a Master of Chemical Engineering from the Imperial College, where she completed a project focusing on the design of a peptide plant, conducting a lab-based research on synthesis and liquid exfoliation of graphitic carbon nitride
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About HigherSteaks, Zestful: HigherSteaks is about providing with that juicy, tender, and delicious meat they love but without harming their health, planet, and animals.
Jonathan Petrides
Founder and CEO of AllPlants
Jonathan Petrides is Co-Founder of Allplants.
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About AllPlants: AllPlants is a VC-backed B-Corp on a mission to become Earth’s most forward-thinking food company.
Steve Cahillane
President & Chief Executive Officer of NBTY
Steve Cahillane joined NBTY in September 2014 as President & CEO. Since that time, he has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of NBTY. Prior to joining NBTY, Steve served as President of Coca-Cola Americas, which consists of both the North American and Latin American operations. Before assuming that role, he held positions as President and CEO of Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR), an operating unit of the North American business of The Coca Cola Company, and President of Coca-Cola Enterprise’s (CCE) North American business. Mr. Steven A. Cahillane, also known as Steve, has been the Chief Executive Officer and President at Kellogg Company since October 2, 2017 and has been its Chairman since March 16, 2018. Mr. Cahillane possesses particular knowledge and experience in a variety of areas, including accounting and financial acumen, risk management, innovation and research and development, branded consumer products and consumer dynamics, regulatory and government that strengthens the Board’s
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About Kellogg’s, NBTY: NBTY is a leading global vertically integrated manufacturer, marketer and distributor.
James McMaster
CEO of Huel
James McMaster is the CEO of Huel.
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About Huel: Huel provides nutritionally-complete food products.
Pieter-Bas Jacobse
Chief Executive Officer of Rhubarb
P.B. has over 20 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry and is a respected figure in the community. After completing a Bachelor Degree of Business Administration at Maastricht Hotel Management School in the Netherlands, P.B. left for the US where he completed the Hospitality Summer Program at Cornell University. Upon graduation P.B. worked at the world-renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York for 5 years. In 2005 P.B. was appointed as the first Managing Director and board member of rhubarb. In his tenure at rhubarb P.B. has been instrumental in developing and implementing rhubarb’s business strategy, driving the portfolio development from a single channel events business to a multi-channel business incorporating events and locations, significantly increasing the group’s revenue. As CEO, P.B. has an unwavering commitment to driving the company vision.
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About Rhubarb: Rhubarb is a food company that creates and delivers culinary services.
Timo Boldt
Founder and CEO of Gousto
Timo is the co-founder and CEO of Gousto, which he started in 2012 as an easier way for families to cook and share good food together.A few years – and a LOT of recipe boxes – later, and it’s pretty clear that he was onto something… Timo’s interests include gender equality, sustainability, technology and food (of course!).
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About Gousto: Gousto is an online meal-kit manufacturer and retailer, using AI and automation to provide extensive choice and personalisation.
Kelu Liu
Founder & CEO of HungryPanda
Kelu Liu is the Founder & CEO at HungryPanda.
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About HungryPanda: HungryPanda is a Chinese food and grocery delivery company with extensive market coverage.
David Abrahamovitch
Founder & CEO of Grind
The first of the Grinds, Shoreditch Grind was born when David turned a stand-alone perfectly circular building perched on the edge of Old Street Roundabout, into an Espresso Bar. A UCL Economics graduate, David has extensive business experience in previous roles.
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About Grind: Founded in Shoreditch in 2011, Grind & Co. has since opened espresso bars, cocktail bars, restaurants and recording studios across London.
Jonathan Relph
Founder & CEO of VITL
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About VITL: On a mission to make healthy living more achievable, providing beautifully designed, expertly researched nutritional products and content.
Mohammad Khodadadi
Founder / CEO of SATIS.AI
Mohammad Khodadadi is a Director/Chief of data, Technologist, Entrepreneur. Mo is an accomplished technologist and entrepreneur with over 15 years of industry experience that includes building and managing large teams, designing complex AI oriented data architectures, and leading high-growth intelligence-driven businesses. His interests include applying artificial intelligence and machine learning concepts to health and biotech and developing cognitive ecosystems capable of contextual deduction from data for actionable suggestions. Prior to joining Babylon, he founded and ran um.ai, a food advisor that tracks/suggest what you eat. He was also CTO at Klappo, a semantic platform for food ingredients, enabling the development of applications that help people to make educated choices about what they consume. He completed his PhD in Computer Science, speciality in formal methods, and his MSC in Bioinformatic at The University of Manchester. He is also one of the first of 100 tech exceptional talent visa holders in the UK and the winner of sirius enterprenurship competition by UK Trade and Investment ministry.
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About SATIS.AI: Food that makes sense | Delicious, Nutritious and affordable, while green and fair
Ben Patten
Founder & CEO of Good Club
Founded a number of businesses. Main skills are articulating a vision, finding the necessary resources and creating the foundations for growth. Recently studied the product management process to understand how to improve the success rate of creating a digital product. Worked closely with a number of different funding sources. Creating a business that brings sustainability to a mainstream audience. Loves swimming outdoors
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About Good Club: Good Club is a Zero Waste supermarket that offers different brands and sells groceries in reusable packaging.
Annika Monari
Founder & CEO of Coral
MSci Physics, Imperial College London. Thesis in particle detection using artificial intelligence at CMS, CERN and the High Energy Physics Group, Imperial.
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About Coral: Coral is an unique wholesale tool that allows shops to carry the newest and most delicious items without taking any risks.
Alessandro Savelli
Founder, MD and CEO of Pasta Evangelists
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About Pasta Evangelists: Pasta Evangelists is freshly made by Italian hands every day.
Tim Lee
CEO of Mindful Chef
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About Mindful Chef: Mindful Chef delivers all the fresh ingredients you need to create delicious, heathy meals.
Jevan Nagarajah
CEO of Better Dairy
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About Better Dairy: Building the future of food, starting with dairy.
Simon Beckerman
Founder and CEO of Delli
Simon Beckerman is the founder of Depop, a peer-to-peer social shopping app based in London.
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About Delli, Depop: Delli offers a variety of food and beverages.
Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi
Founder & CEO of Collectiv Food
Founder and CEO at Collectiv Food .
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About Collectiv Food: Collectiv Food is an automated and sustainable food supply chain that provides businesses with transparency and lower costs of ingredients
Everest Troost-Ekong
Co-Founder & CEO of Food Drop
Everest Troost-Ekong is the Co-Founder and CEO at Food Drop.
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About Food Drop: A tech platform to connect stores with unsold food to local charities
James Davidson
Co-Founder and CEO of Tails.com
James Davidson is Co-Founder & CEO at Tails.com.
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About Tails.com: Tails.com is an online pet nutrition service that provides tailor-made food designed to deliver perfectly optimised nutrition for dogs.
Digby Vollrath
CEO & Co-Founder of Feast It
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About Feast It, Lick, Sellar, Smithsonian Institution: Feast It is an online marketplace that allows its customers to book independent caterers for their work or social events.
Kizito Okelue
CEO & Founder of KODGAV
Kizito is the Founder of KODGAV. Before structuring KODGAV as limited liability company in October 2019, he worked as a sole proprietor developing business strategies. Beyond being an Entrepreneur he’s a fitness avid and creative.
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About KODGAV, KODGAV UK: Agtech platform creating new data driven food systems by integrating African smallholder farmers into a global supply chain.
Mohammad Munim
CEO of ChefOnline
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About : Order Takeaway Food Online or make reservation at your nearest Restaurant via ChefOnline.
Fuad Fatullaev
CEO and Founder of Bringit
Key Expertise: Strategy, Business Development, Logistics&Operations, Team Building
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About Bringit: The very latest and most advanced on-demand food and groceries delivery service in London, UK
Graeme Hossie
Founder & Co-CEO of Mr Lee’s Pure Foods Co
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About Mr Lee’s Pure Foods Co: Mr Lee’s Pure Foods Co is a real game changer for premium food-on-the-go.
Joe Zender
Founder & CEO of Nez
Joe Zender is the Head of Growth at Zilch.
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About Nez, Zilch: Nez is a local marketing channel for the eating and drinking out of home sector
Darcey Croft
CEO & Co-Founder of Barenaturals
Co-Founder & CEO of Barenaturals on a mission to impact the world through conscious consumerism & replace lost habitats by planting trees. Lots of trees. Digital Evangelist and social marketing expert.
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About Barenaturals, SocialMushroom: Barenaturals is a world friendly and candle company. They make natural candles & organic skincare balms with nature’s greatest ingredients.
Julian Melchiorri
Founder and CEO of Arborea
Julian Melchiorri is an inventor, engineer, and entrepreneur recognized by Forbes as a leading EU social entrepreneur under 30 years of age. Julian is the Founder and CEO of Arborea, a food-tech start-up that applies break-through proprietary biological and chemical engineering technology platforms to produce healthy food ingredients at low-cost and massive scale to help food producers build a food system where everyone eats well. Earlier in his career, Melchiorri designed and engineered both products and manufacturing processes for major Italian lighting production company and for the London high-tech collective ‘’Random International’’, making technology-driven interactive experiments and large scale installations, utilizing a multitude of technologies such as robotic, sensing and hydraulic technologies.
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About Arborea: Arborea is industrialising photosynthesis to expand the world’s food supply
Kishan Vasani
Co-Founder & CEO of Spoonshot
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About Spoonshot: Spoonshot is a developer of a personal discovery platform used to replicate human cognition in the food domain.
Emilie Vanpoperinghe
Co-founder and CEO of Oddbox
Emilie Vanpoperinghe is the Co-Founder & CEO at Oddbox.
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About Oddbox: Oddbox is a provider of fruit and veg box delivery service intended to reduce food waste.
Nigel Quine
CEO of Cuts Ice
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About Cuts Ice: Cuts Ice is the UK manufacturer and distributor of e-liquid for the independent vaping sector.
Abul Rob
Founder & CEO of HalalEat
Abul Rob is the Founder and CEO of halaleat.com, a marketplace platform listing local halal verified restaurants and takeaways. He has worked for both of the UK’s leading takeaway food platforms and his career has always been at a Sales and Management level. Being a Muslim himself and having witnessed the lack of verified Halal choice for the growing Muslim population in the UK, he is now aiming to be the first Muslim entrepreneur to ignite the Halal revolution and pioneer the development of the Halal Eco-System beyond food that will touch and benefit the lives of every Muslim. His startup, HalalEat is now a finalist of MassChallenge (UK), the most startup-friendly accelerator on the planet.Through MassChallenge resource pool, Abul and his team are mapping out the blueprint to conquer the Halal Economy.
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About HalalEat: HalalEat is an on demand marketplace platform allowing consumers to order Halal verified takeaway food from local restaurant and takeaways.
Gem Misa
CEO & Co-Founder of Fullgreen
Gem Misa joined FULLGREEN as CEO & Co-Founder in 2013.Gem Misa is an incredible entrepreneur – she quit her high profile job, because the sparkle had gone and she decided to set up her own business. She was a total foodie and so decided that she wanted her business to be about food. At first she came up with an idea that didn’t work out and then instead of giving up she came up with another idea: to create natural, organic salad dressings! In her second year of trading she managed to get her salad dressings stocked in supermarkets nationwide. She started her business from home and around the same time she started it she also had a baby! What she has achieved is amazing and so I chatted with her to find out how she’s managed to do it. Gem is going to be joining us at The Sisterhood event on the 20th September 2012 and sharing more insights with us – including telling us all exactly how she got supermarkets to stock her product and how she managed to get crowdfunding. It’s going to be an amazing event and I would love you to join us. To find out more and to book on go here. Enjoy the video, Gem really is amazing and her story goes to show what’s possible.
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About Fullgreen, Righteous: Plant-based eating made easy w Fullgreen’s Veggie Rice, Risottos & Breakfasts. Shelf-Stable & Non-GMO.
Joseph Welstead
Co Founder & CEO of Motion Nutrition
Former international swimmer, Joe is a performance expert and cofounder of Motion Nutrition. ‘Smart drugs’ are what Joe and his team of neuroscientists develop helping to improve decision making, memory recall and mental performance under stress.
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About Motion Nutrition: Motion Nutrition help people stress less, sleep deeper and do better with our organic supplements.
Desiree Parker
CEO and Co-Founder of The Foraging Fox
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About The Foraging Fox: The Foraging Fox is producers of multi-award winning range of all natural Beetroot Ketchups.
CEO & Co-Founder of Garçon Wines
Entrepreneur & co-founder in drinks & travel: Garçon Wines – inventors of flat wine bottles Nightly.travel – hotel bookings with switch & save option
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About Garçon Wines: Inventors and granted IP holders of multi award-winning, flat wine bottles in 100% recycled PET
Andrew Reeve
CEO and Co-founder of HonestBrew
On an entrepreneurial adventure creating a craft beer platform and brewery – Honest Brew.
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About HonestBrew: HonestBrew is an online craft beer retailer, sourcing and stocking the best craft beers from independent breweries.
Neel Patel
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of ZiO Health
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About ZiO Health: ZiO Health has developed proprietary pocket-sized technology, bringing lab testing to the point of use.
Joe McGirr
Founder and CEO of Boatyard Distillery
Joe McGirr is the founder and CEO at The Boatyard Distillery.
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About Boatyard Distillery: Boatyard Distillery is a farm-to-bottle distillery that produces farm to bottle organic spirits.
Natalie Campbell
Co-Chief Executive Officer of Belu
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About Belu, The Guardian US: Belu is a beverage company that prioritizes people and the environment.
Pedro Nuñez Porras
Founder and CEO of Eskesso
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About Eskesso: Eskesso is smart sous vide cooking appliance and cloud platform.
Mark Lilley
CEO of Abokado
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About Abokado: Abokado owns and operates a chain of food bars and restaurants in the United Kingdom.
Duncan Scott
Founder & CEO of Supper
Before starting Supper, Duncan worked in Wealth Management in Mayfair, London. Over the previous 6 years Duncan had worked his way up from starting in financial sales, to Heading up sales and marketing and later being in charge of corporate strategy and business performance. Duncan has a degree in Economics and a Masters in Finance and Wealth Management as well as qualifications in tax and accounting.
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About Supper: Supper is an online marketplace for home-cooked food, bringing cookery enthusiasts and hungry Londoners together in a takeaway service
Phil Davison
Founder and CEO of Mother
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About Mother: Digitalised vending machines helping the busy eat better, and bringing top quality food and drinks to the working world and beyond.
Amanda Cook
Founder & CEO of iLOVE SNACKS
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About iLOVE SNACKS: iLOVE SNACKS, is a snack brand selling deliciously tasty snacks made wit great quality ingredients. Snacks made with love and done well!
Lanre Akinlagun
Founder and CEO of Drinks.ng
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About Drinks.ng: Drinks.ng is a technology based company transforming the way beverages are shopped, sold and shipped online in Nigeria
Paddy Griffith
CEO of Huski Mountain Delivery
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About Huski Mountain Delivery: Huski is an online food and drink delivery service in the French Alps, bringing ready to heat meals to people on ski holidays.
Safia Qureshi
Founder & CEO of CupClub
Safia Qureshi is an award-winning architect, social designer, entrepreneur and one half of Studio [D] Tale.
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About CupClub: CupClub is a returnable packaging service provider for drinks
Andrew Jennings
Founder & CEO of Berry White
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About Berry White: Berrywhite is a brand of natural organic fruit juice drinks.
Antimo Farid Mir
CEO and Founder of AREEA
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About AREEA: Pioneering urban health
Mark Derry
CEO of Brasserie Bar Co
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About Brasserie Bar Co: Brasserie Bar Co operates within the premium casual drinking and dining market in the U.K.
Mark Derry
CEO of Brasserie Bar Co
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About Brasserie Bar Co: Brasserie Bar Co operates within the premium casual drinking and dining market in the U.K.
Jon Hulme
Co-Founder and CEO of Craft Clubs
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About Craft Clubs: Craft Clubs offers quality food and drink brands a powerful new way to reach consumers, both in their homes and online.
David Ventura
CEO of Freed Foods
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About Freed Foods: Free’d is the UK’s most exciting gluten free brand. With over 50 stockists throughout East and North London.
Dave Thompson
Founder & CEO of Magictab
Dave Thompson is Founder & CEO at Magictab.
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About Magictab: MagicTab is a visual, interactive tabletop menu that makes food look beautiful.
Zahars Zelenskis
Founder and CEO of Waiz.ai
Entrepreneur, sport-minded, and judo addicted. Exited about sustainability.
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About Waiz.ai: Waiz.ai offers smart food waste management for consumers.
Carlos Butler Almécija
Co-founder & CEO of ORDR
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About ORDR: Online in-restaurant food ordering, queueing and reservation, and takeaway ordering software.
Nancy Johnston
CEO & Founder of Tengri
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About Tengri: Tengri is a London-based lifestyle brand and technology specialist.
Will Yates
Founder and CEO of Billy Franks
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About Billy Franks: Billy Franks is a multi-award winning artisan jerky brand.
Veronica Fengting Xu
Founder & CEO of RAWK Ltd
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About RAWK Ltd: Tailor made macro nutrition food, delivered daily.
