
Adam Leyland
Adam has led The Grocer since 2006. In that time he and his team have picked up a string of awards, as the publication, now celebrating its 160th anniversary, has been transformed into a multi-channel operation, comprising a weekly magazine, a vibrant website, multiple daily and weekly newsletters and a strong social media presence, as well as awards, conferences and webinars.
A well-known figure in the food and drink industry, Adam makes frequent appearances on TV and radio and regularly hosts conferences, webinars and awards. And his knowledge is as broad as the sector itself: from health & obesity, to online and rapid delivery; from sustainability to entrepreneurship; from farm shops and challenger brands, to the giant supermarkets and multinational suppliers.
Above all, Adam is a lifelong 'foodie' and 'winophile'. His love of food and drink – and of seeing and sampling exciting new products, merchandised and prepared in clever and compelling ways – continues to this day. But he is also passionate about the social aspect of food, and has successfully lobbied the government for funding to subsidise food waste redistribution through The Grocer’s award-winning Waste Not Want Not campaign. He has also championed the merits of a balanced diet and common sense in the ongoing debate about obesity.
Adam was voted Editor of the Year at the British Society of Magazine Editors Awards in 2015 and 2009 and his support for great journalism has seen The Grocer pick up a further seven awards under his tenure: BSME writer of the year (three times); BSME web editor of the year; BSME specialist team of the year; and PPA features writer of the year (twice).
In a 35+-year career as a journalist and editor Adam has also interviewed a wide variety of politicians, celebrities and senior business leaders, including Buzz Aldrin, Richie Benaud, Stelios, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Terry Leahy, Sir James Dyson, Lord Sainsbury, Sir Philip Green, David Cameron and the press secretary to US President Bill Clinton.
Other publications he has edited include Real Business, PRWeek (launching the US edition in seven weeks), Press Gazette and PrintWeek. He has also written for the FT, The Times, Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail, The Observer, The Independent, The Guardian, The Evening Standard and several business publications including Management Today, Campaign and Marketing.
Adam is married with a son and lives in London.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 01293 610263
- Email:
- adam.leyland@thegrocer.co.uk
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: Christmas sales, GLP-1 ranges and a quiet Veganuary
In truth all the listed grocers enjoyed strong food sales this Christmas, but these were offset by issues elsewhere
Comment & OpinionAsda has come out swinging on price, but is anyone listening?
The winners this Christmas have realised that price isn’t everything
Comment & OpinionOur final issue of the year is a cracker!
The headline has to be the healthy switches consumers have made, with vape sales falling dramatically, while the biggest category volume increase was seen in smoking cessation products
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: Graze, Maltesers and value Christmas dinners
There are new warnings that fresh turkey supply may be impacted by bird flu. In some years the industry has been guilty of crying wolf (or fowl?)
Comment & OpinionEndless delays, moving goalposts: HFSS policy farce deepens
Having presided over this farcical mismanagement of the HFSS advertising restrictions, the government looks set to cause more chaos
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: The budget and retail workers’ Christmas nightmare
As everyone digests the implications of the budget, today has also seen Asda announce its latest results
Comment & OpinionA Goldilocks budget? Instead of porridge this was thin gruel
On the business rates side, instead of a trade-off between big stores and small stores, somehow both have lost out
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: top 150 suppliers, the budget and packaging taxes
This week’s issue marked the launch of the Top 150 UK Food & Drink Supplier Rankings Report for 2025, which The Grocer releases annually in association with OC&C Strategy Consultants
Comment & OpinionThe Budget is a disaster and it hasn’t even happened yet
With days to go until the hopelessly late Budget, the food and drink industry will be holding its breath
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: Dave Lewis takes Diageo and New Product & Packaging Awards
The big news was the appointment of Sir Dave Lewis as the new CEO of Diageo. Lewis has nothing to prove after an outstanding career but it’s fascinating to consider why he’s chosen, at the age of 60, to take on another CEO role
Comment & OpinionWhat a trip soft drinks brand Trip is on, tapping the mindfulness zeitgeist
Trip is reaping the reward through insight, slick marketing and supply chain execution and strong celebrity backing
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: Whoosh, AI, bacon and the doomed SOS
Tesco’s upgraded rapid grocery delivery service, the continued use of nitrites in processed meats, inside the collapse of SOS Wholesale and much more
Comment & OpinionWhere now for Mondelez as Cadbury Fruitier & Nuttier is axed?
It’s super-hard leveraging the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand if the chocolate constitutes a lot less than the ‘glass and a half’ in the CDM bar
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: a world foods special and the Waitrose social media storm
Waitrose’s PR nightmare, inside Roberts Bakery’s administration, Unilever spin-off delay and much more
Comment & OpinionNot all convenience stores are innocent victims of retail crime
A police crackdown on organised crime has alarmingly identified that more than 100 convenience stores have been buying items stolen from supermarkets and reselling them at discounted prices
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: the fourth tier frontier and Roberts Bakery’s saviour
It’s also cheering to be able to report that Roberts Bakery has been saved
Comment & OpinionCo-op faces many questions over its commercial and logistics restructure
Offering suppliers a single point of contact in which it can simultaneously close deals with 8,000 outlets across multiple routes to market is very attractive, but the plans have got off to a shaky start
NewsCo-op commercial restructure in chaos as Bell and Balmforth exit
Chief commercial officer Sinead Bell was appointed last month to lead the Co-op’s newly established independent buying group for all food and goods for resale
Comment & OpinionEditor’s picks: Joe Wicks, the TikTok table and Roberts Bakery
The Joe Wicks mockumentary on Monday caused a huge brouhaha, while the next day brought news of Roberts Bakery going into administration
Comment & Opinion‘Erratic’ buyers are on increasingly thin ice over forecasting
Failure to forecast accurately and fairly is a serious issue if taken to the extreme





