Metcalfe's Food Company

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Metcalfe's Food Company
Company typePrivate
Industry Retail
Founded2010
Headquarters London, England
Products Snack foods

Metcalfe's Food Company was a privately owned food business founded in 2009 by Julian Metcalfe, the founder of the sandwich chain, Pret A Manger, and Robert Jakobi. Metcalfe's Food Company sold products under two brands Metcalfes Skinny and Itsu Grocery. [1]

Contents

The company was acquired in 2024 by SpartanNash, a food solutions company. [2]

History

Julian Metcalfe founded Metcalfe's Food in 2009 as a way to sell popcorn and healthier food snacks to food service outlets. A year later Robert Jakobi joined the company as managing director. [3]

Robert Jakobi introduced chocolate covered edamame to the United Kingdom market in 2010 and sold them initially under his own ‘Pod bites’. [4] He sought a bigger platform for the product and merged ‘Pod bites’ into Metcalfe's Food Company and become the managing director in October 2010. [1]

In 2015, the company split into two brands. [5] 'Itsu grocery' became a part of the Itsu business and Metcalfes Skinny became a standalone business. [5]

Kettle Foods acquired a 26% interest in Metcalfe's Skinny in January 2016 and in October of that same year purchased the remaining 74%. [6]

In April 2024, SpartanNash announced it had acquired Metcalfe's. [7]

Recognition

In December 2013, Metcalfe's Food Company were featured as one of ten ‘Ones to Watch’ in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100. [8] The Fast Track 100 ranks the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the UK. [9]

In April 2014, Robert Jakobi along with Julian Metcalfe were named as London & South finalists for the 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. [10]

In May 2014, Metcalfe's Food Company was announced as one of the winners of The Santander Breakthrough 50 Awards. The awards celebrate the UK's top 50 most exciting fast-growth companies. [11]

In December 2014, Metcalfe's Food Company was ranked at number 4 in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100. [12]

References

  1. 1 2 "Itsu founder nurtures a new generation". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Fogarty, Bridget. "SpartanNash buying Metcalfe's Market, four generation family-owned Wisconsin grocery store". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Robert Jakobi MD of Metcalfe's Food talks to The Startup Magazine | The Startup Magazine". 1 April 2014. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Cinema-goers snap up snack beans". Evening Standard. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Metcalfe's is the fastest growing private food and drink firm". Food Manufacture. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Kettle Foods acquires 74% of Metcalfe's to take full control - Finance Monthly | Personal Finance. Money. Investing". www.finance-monthly.com/. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  7. ↑ "SpartanNash acquires Metcalfe's Market". Grocery Dive. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  8. ↑ "Fast Tracks Ones to Watch". Fast Track. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Dynamic London and South entrepreneurs create 24,000 jobs and turn over £4.6 million". Ernst & Young. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Metcalfe's Food Company Breakthrough 50 Awards". Breakthrough 50. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
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