John Hyman

John Hyman

Adelie Foods, the owner of sandwich brand Urban Eat, has named John Hyman as its new group commercial director.

Hyman joins Adelie from First Drinks Brands where he was UK sales director and responsible for brands including Grant’s, Glenfiddich and Disaronno. In that role he delivered sales growth of 92% over five years.

He has also worked for Dairy Crest, HJ Heinz and Arla Foods.

“I am very excited to have joined such a dynamic business and am confident that Adelie is well placed to build on the success it has enjoyed in recent years since its acquisition by India Hospitality Corporation,” Hyman said.

He joins less than two months after Adelie revealed it was taking Urban Eat, which has a cult following among students, into the mainstream convenience market for the first time via a new distribution deal with Kerryfresh. The deal will see 54 lines made available to Kerryfresh’s 12,000-strong network of independent retail customers.

Gavin Cox, acting CEO for Adelie, added: “I am delighted we have been able to attract an individual of John’s calibre and experience to lead our commercial agenda at this exciting phase of our development.

“We have enjoyed exceptional growth over the past few years, particularly with Urban Eat, which now generates annual retail sales in excess of £100m, and I am confident that John’s experience of working with big brands will prove invaluable as we look to maximise the potential of Urban Eat across the retail sector.”