Samworth Brothers has appointed Ginsters MD Emma Stowers to also lead Higgidy on an interim basis, following the departure of CEO Rachel Kelley.
Kelley, who has led the brand for more than five years, will leave at the end of July to become MD of KTC Edible Oils. During her tenure, Kelley oversaw Higgidy’s integration into Samworth Brothers and drove growth through innovation, including the Slow Cooked Steak & Guinness Pie.
She also expanded the brand into new channels such as British Airways and Gousto. Under her leadership, Higgidy became the UK’s number-one premium savoury pastry brand by penetration, said Samworth Brothers, citing NIQ data [w/e 27 June 2026].
Stowers will step into the interim role, taking the helm at Higgidy while continuing her current role as MD of Ginsters.
She spent four years as marketing director at Ginsters before being promoted to MD in December 2025. Since joining the company, Stowers has led a strategic reset of the brand, including the ‘Taste the Effort’ campaign, a full portfolio redesign and recent innovations such as the Ginsters Pastry Toastie.
Stowers had “made a huge contribution to consistent volume sales growth and has been instrumental in ensuring Ginsters has maintained its market share leadership”, Samworth Brothers said.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Rachel. She has played a key role in leading growth for the Higgidy brand and her vision and passion will be missed,” said Matt Austin, group chief brand and strategy officer at Samworth Brothers.
“We are really excited about Emma’s new dual role. Emma has really driven Ginsters’ recent success and transformed consumer perceptions of the brand. Emma has really made her mark since being promoted to Ginsters MD and we can’t wait to see the results as she brings her expertise to Higgidy too.”
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