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 and Opinion
Five years and £50m looks ambitious to do away with seasonal labour
One wonders what a £50m investment in funding to accelerate farm automation over the next five years might achieve
- Comment and Opinion
Ultra-Processed People: Dr Chris van Tulleken’s ‘incendiary’ new book hurts
TV doctor’s dissection exposes food industry’s underbelly in painstaking, gory, unanesthetised detail
- Comment and Opinion
Government refused inflation-linked CPIs for school dinners. How is that fair?
What does the government want? To keep price inflation to a minimum through effective competition? Or to keep farmers afloat in their hour of need?
- Comment and Opinion
Soft drinks is full of Willy Wonkas right now and they’re showing up the giants
Relaxation, gut health and other functional benefits are transforming soft drinks NPD
- Comment and Opinion
Smoking ban isn’t the real worry. It’s new vaping restrictions
Youth smoking is already in huge decline. Only 1% of young smokers do so regularly
- Comment and Opinion
Jason Tarry and the impossible job at John Lewis Partnership
Tarry will bring superb business acumen, huge experience of food and GM, as well as impeccable people skills
- Comment and Opinion
Minimum wage, maximum effort: the pay conundrum for food and drink
Skills, expectations and stakes are higher than ever, but the rewards are increasingly in inverse proportion
- Comment and Opinion
Sheffield council’s ban on alcohol-free variants a conspiracy theory too far
Sheffield council decision to ban booze brands from advertising low & no variants is utterly baffling, says editor-in-chief Adam Leyland
- Comment and Opinion
Crisp packet recycling breakthrough down to innovation and resolve
The crisp packet can be recycled with paper and card using ordinary domestic kerbside recycling facilities
- Comment and Opinion
After Unilever ice cream sale, what future for food and nutrition?
First it was frozen. Then spreads and tea. Now it’s ice cream. What’s next for Unilever’s food and nutrition division?
- Comment and Opinion
It’s a miracle: how water brand Liquid Death is valued at $1.4bn
Here’s 10 reasons for the phenomenal valuation and ‘hypergrowth’ of Liquid Death, the most adult of soft drinks brands
- Comment and Opinion
Morrisons is the elephant in the room of the M&A scene
Unconfirmed reports this week that Morrisons is exploring the sale of Rathbones are potentially embarrassing to Morrisons and to CEO Rami Baitiéh if true
- Comment and Opinion
Timely food waste funding must be put to good use this time around
The funds will give the sector access to the biggest untapped source of food surplus in the sector
- Comment and Opinion
The struggle to process what ultra-processed foods means
Consumers, scientists, policymakers and food manufacturers are all struggling to process what UPF means
- Grocer 33
Asda is best supermarket in our Wimbledon mystery shop
Asda’s store was described as “wide open, tidy, modern and very inviting”
- Comment and Opinion
Wes Streeting’s steamroller is heading in the food industry’s direction
Labour is courting big business. And the attraction is mutual
- Comment and Opinion
Sainsbury’s Next Level strategy is pretty basic… but also ballsy
Four years into its Food First strategy, Sainsbury’s isn’t currently selling its full food range in the vast majority of its superstores and hypermarkets
- Comment and Opinion
Brexit border rules: the big questions still to answer on imports
The latest bombshell to emerge is the upgrade of certain fruit & veg from low risk to medium risk
- Comment and Opinion
Diageo’s marginalisation of wholesalers sets a worrying precedent
The danger is the situation snowballs, breaking a further link in the wholesale chain
- Comment and Opinion
What will Dave Lewis do for Morrisons and CD&R?
Despite the Tesco connection with CD&R’s Terry Leahy, Dave Lewis is more of a Unilever appointment