Attention: You are using an outdated browser, device or you do not have the latest version of JavaScript downloaded and so this website may not work as expected. Please download the latest software or switch device to avoid further issues.
| 13 Oct 2025 | |
| Alumni Spotlight |
Joint Managing Director of itsu [grocery]
2001
I took some time off to travel for a year and then went to University already horribly in debt – it turns out that fruit picking isn’t the high payer you think it would be. I then went to Uni to study Business to give me a degree in something broad enough to fit into most industries as I had no idea what I wanted to do.
I visited an employers fayre at the end of Uni to look at the options available to me. I decided I wanted to work at a company I had heard of, that was big enough for me to work my way up and also that I would be proud to work for. I took up a role with Cadbury at entry level and then worked there for 9 years. I then went to another big company called Premier Foods in St Albans which had lots of recognisable brands but I realised after a year or two I wanted to work at a smaller more entrepreneurial company where I felt like I could make a marked difference rather than being a small cog in a big wheel. That’s when I moved to itsu [grocery] , a small business at the time with 15 employees working out of a flat above a restaurant, that had the idea of bringing restaurant quality food to the supermarkets. Fortunately, things have gone well since then and we now help to set food trends in the UK with interesting products to liven up mealtimes. We currently have 105 employees and big international expansion on the cards.
I think my work ethic comes partially from school which felt quite rigid at the time, but it’s set me up in a positive position to go into the workplace and do well. I also think that it also helps harness a winning culture from the competitive nature of the school.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do when you finish your education. Everyone’s journey is different and whilst it’s amazing if you have that career already in mind, if you have two or three things you enjoy, find a job that encompasses some of them. Give it a try and if you like it great, if not change. Don’t fall into something for your career that you might regret and don’t let money sway you – do something you enjoy.
My first German lesson and the teacher (Mr Newman) showed us his best Jurgen Klinsmann celebration and split his chin open on the floor. That, or the time the D&T teacher chopped his finger off on a saw.
