Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

The Compleat Food Group appoints first Chief Product Officer

The Compleat Food Group appoints first Chief Product Officer

The Compleat Food Group has announced the appointment of Mark Howgego as its first Chief Product Officer as the leading food manufacturer continues to invest in delivering market-leading quality across its categories.

Mark brings a wealth of experience from the UK’s leading FMCG companies to his new role, most recently as Commercial and Sustainability Director at Bighams, where he has led the company’s branded and own label product strategies for the past seven years. He was previously the Commercial Director at Higgidy, where he was responsible for shaping the company’s commercial strategy and started his career at innocent drinks and Diageo.


In his new role, Mark will be focused on accelerating The Compleat Food’s Group impressive growth by driving further focus on maximising quality across its categories and working closely with its customers to deliver exceptional, affordable and sustainable food at every price tier.

The new role signals another major investment in quality from The Compleat Food Group as it continues its journey to become the UK’s no.1 chilled prepared company.

Formed in October 2021, The Compleat Food Group was created from the merger of Addo Food Group and Winterbotham Darby. An acquisition of Wrights Food Group followed in December 2021, and earlier this year the group also acquired SK Foods and Zorba Foods, the category leaders in private label chilled party foods and dips and deli fillings.

In recent years Compleat has grown rapidly, establishing itself as a leading chilled prepared food group in the UK, expanding capabilities and driving category growth with customers through its wide-reaching private label offering alongside number one brands including Pork Farms, Wall’s Pastry, Squeaky Bean, unearthed, Vadasz and Palace Culture.

The group also has leading capabilities in own label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based food.

Mark Howgego, Chief Product Officer at The Compleat Food Group, said: “The Compleat Food Group is home to exciting branded and own label products across such a diverse range of categories, and there is so much opportunity for further growth. With an ongoing commitment to quality and creating exceptional food, The Compleat Food Group felt like an ideal place to take the next step in my career, and I am looking forward to working with the company as it enters the next phase of its journey.”

Nick Field, CEO at The Compleat Food Group, said: “Our ethos at The Compleat Food Group has always been to create great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat. Our growth to date has been testament to this ongoing commitment, but we are always striving to go further and to continuously improve our branded and own label offering to develop the very best food for our customers and consumers alike. Mark’s wealth of experience and his passion for creating great products will be incredibly valuable as we continue in this mission, and we are delighted to welcome him to our team.”

More for you

National President Mo Razzaq 2024 serious 1 1
Fed National President Mo Razzaq

Indies: It’s criminal police and government turn blind eye to shoplifting

Independent retailers are demanding tougher police action, more bobbies on the beat and harsher punishments as shoplifting levels reach an all-time high, a new survey reveals.

A whopping ninety-one per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) called for more police patrols on streets, while a similar number - 90 per cent - said that shoplifters should be handed harsher sentences.

Seven out of 10 respondents (72 per cent) said their stores had experienced shoplifting, break ins and damage to property, while they and their staff had been physically or verbally threatened.

Just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they and their employees had been threatened or had suffered abuse and violence when asking for proof of age ahead of selling an age-restricted product.

Forty-four per cent reported that they and their staff had faced abuse or violence because they had refused to make a proxy sale – selling an age restricted product to a customer buying for a minor.

The results of the Fed’s survey came as new figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that shoplifting was at a record high, with almost half a million offences recorded last year.

According to the ONS, 469,788 offences were logged by forces in the year to June 2024 – a 29 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

The ONS added that this figure was the highest since records began – in March 2003.

“Inadequate responses from the police and a slap on the wrist for offenders means that shoplifting is soaring, and offenders are becoming more aggressive and brazen,” said Fed National President Mo Razzaq.

“From the responses we received, it is clear that real action is needed by police, by courts and by the government to stem the overwhelming tide of crime against retailers and their staff. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.

“Fed members are also sending a clear message that one of the catalysts for verbal and physical abuse in stores is asking for proof of age before selling an age restricted product. If the government presses ahead with its plans to phase out smoking and vaping through a progressive ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, independent retailers will be subject to even greater levels of violence, abuse and theft.”

Calling for action from the government and not just words, Mr Razzaq continued: “Without effective deterrent, criminals and opportunistic members of the public will continue to commit crimes.”

According to Ministry of Justice statistics, during the year to March 2024, 431 fines were handed out for retail theft under £100, while Home Office statistics for the same period show that 2,252 cautions were accepted for shoplifting.

PayPoint

PayPoint unveils new partnership with Leeds Credit Union

PayPoint has announced a new partnership with Leeds Credit Union (‘LCU’), a financial cooperative with 37,000 members, enabling them access to its CashOut service, effective immediately.

The partnership will mean that LCU customers can access their cash and savings across any of PayPoint’s UK network of 29,000 retailer partners. This represents an unprecedented growth in accessibility and the first partnership of its kind for LCU. Historically customers have needed to visit one of LCU’s four branches to withdraw money.

Keep ReadingShow less
Philip Morris to close German factories as cigarette demand declines
A Philip Morris logo is pictured on a factory in Serrieres near Neuchatel, Switzerland December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

Philip Morris Shutting Down German Factories Due to Declining Cigarette Demand

Marlboro-maker Philip Morris said Tuesday it planned to close down its two production sites in Germany, citing falling demand for cigarettes among Europeans.

"In recent years, demand for cigarettes in Europe has fallen significantly," the company said in a statement, adding that it saw the same trend for roll-your-own tobacco.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nisa retailer Prem Uthayakumaran donates thousands to support local communities

Nisa retailer Prem Uthayakumaran donates thousands to support local communities

Nisa retailer Prem Uthayakumaran has made significant donations totalling £3,500 to two local community organisations through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity.

The funds will provide essential support to groups within the communities that his stores serve, helping them continue their invaluable work.

Keep ReadingShow less
High streets pay over 'one third of UK's business rates'
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

High streets pay over 'one third of UK's business rates'

High streets in the UK are collectively pay one third of all business rates while accounting for 9 per cent of the economy, British Retail Consortium (BRC) stated on Thursday (24), strengthening its call for a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail.

BRC and UKHospitalityare united in their call for the Chancellor to implement a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail at the Budget, which will rebalance a system that unfairly punishes our high streets and town centres. This was a manifesto pledge from Labour ahead of the election.

Keep ReadingShow less