The background



Peter Farquhar has held a number of jobs in the food and drink industry, having worked with brands such as Coca-Cola and Powwow. However, he grew tired of working for large companies and when Nestlé bought Powwow three years ago he decided on a change.

"When Nestlé came in I saw the hand of a multinational returning," he says. "I love building brands but I was a small cog in a big wheel and so I started to look around for a brand of my own to build."

The switch



Farquhar joined Dorset Cereals in 2005, following a management buy-in backed by the private equity firm Langholm Capital. He describes the move as "serendipity". His sister lived in Dorset and she suggested he look at the company during a visit. "I discovered that a private equity firm wanted to invest so we put our heads together to make a bid," he says. "It was a pure chance experience."

The products



Dorset Cereals sells 16 lines, including eight varieties of cereals such as Berries & Cherries, Super Cranberry and Super High Fibre. Its three porridge mixes include Mixed Berries and Fruit & Nut; and it also sells three variants of its Naturally Light Flakes and two of Chunky Slices.