GrowUp Farms hires ex-Ella’s Kitchen boss as UK MD and CCO

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Daniel Face

Will Howard, UK MD and CCO of GrowUp Farms

GrowUp Farms has appointed Will Howard as its new UK MD and CCO.

Previously MD of baby food brand Ella’s Kitchen, Will arrived at the business in February. He’s also held roles at Innocent Drinks, Red Bull and PepsiCo.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining the team at GrowUp Farms”, he said.

“It’s 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.

“It won’t be long before we’re growing nearly 1.4 million bags of salad per week.

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

A certified B Corp, GrowUp Farms became the first vertical farm to supply major UK supermarkets with bagged salad brands via the launch of Fresh Leaf Co. in Iceland and SPAR, as well as the Unbeleafable range in Tesco.

It’s currently putting upwards of £100 million towards a fourth farm in Sandwich, Kent – an investment led by US-based sustainable investors Generate Capital.

Marcus Whately, CEO of GrowUp Farms, added: “We’re 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’s committed to business as a force for good and will be a great addition to our team.

“We’ve 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.”

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.