Following Beau’s £400,000 investment round in early 2021, the ethical vegan gelato manufacturer has appointed three senior figures to help it grow the business further and help bring the brand closer to its customers.
As well as confirming former Onist Food founder Mary Lynch as Commercial Director and bringing marketing and design consultant Ben McCabe in-house to serve as Marketing Director, Beau’s has added Simon Wallwork, Whitbread’s Head of Strategy, Brand and Proposition, to its board of directors in a role overseeing sales and marketing strategy.
Bringing these roles in-house comes at a crucial time in Beau’s growth, as it builds upon its successful introduction of the UK’s first ice cream Pint Club service – which was recently named ‘Plant-Based Product of the Year’ at the 2021 Food Matters Live Awards – with summer launches into dozens of UK retailers and foodservice providers, including prominent names such as Selfridges, Planet Organic, Daylesford Organic and Eat 17.
Simon Wallwork joins Beau’s board as a non-Exec Director to provide insight and guidance on the business’ sales and marketing strategy. Having led sales and marketing teams in both large, multi-national organisations such as Subway and Virgin and more entrepreneurial challenger brands such as Booja-Booja, Simon brings a unique ability to create laser-sharp business strategies that translate into clear, execution plans to drive market share and profitability – skills and perspective that will be invaluable to Beau’s in its growth plans.
“I’m thrilled to join the Beau’s team in such an exciting time for the sector,” comments Simon. “There will be challenges but with the vision, passion and quality of the whole team – and, of course, a world-class multi-award-winning product at its heart – Beau’s is set for success”.
Mary Lynch has been appointed as Commercial Director, where she will be responsible for the execution of all commercial aspects of the company, ensuring that its business strategy is sustainable, successful and aligns with Beau’s core missions. Mary has spent more than ten years in FMCG, working for Jamie Oliver as Senior Nutritionist before founding Onist Food and taking the company from kitchen concept to supermarkets and export. Beyond this, she has consulted for a number of years for start-ups, SMEs and multinationals implementing growth strategies and responsible business practices.
“I am extremely excited to be a part of such a stellar team,” states Mary. “I am confident that this, combined with the outstanding quality of this product, is going to deliver impressive growth. More importantly, I believe we’re in a position to be able to shake up the ice cream industry for good.”
Newly appointed Marketing Director Ben McCabe brings a wealth of practical marketing skills to the table, encompassing journalism, marketing, design and brand development. He has extensive experience of the plant-based food and drink space, having previously worked with companies including Dalston’s, Kinda Co, Honestly Tasty, Plant Academy and We Are Tea.
Ben joins the team full-time having worked with Beau’s since 2018, initially having been brought in to overhaul the business’ brand identity. His new role sees him overseeing all marketing, PR and creative activities within the business.
“I’ve been involved with Beau’s in one capacity or another for the majority of their journey so far, so I was delighted when Amber and Joseph asked me to join them on a full-time basis,” explains Ben. “I really admire the sustainable and ethical foundations upon which this company has been built – it makes it easy to sing the praises of a business when it does so many things the way they should (and often aren’t) done!”
