Cruttenden will bring 25 years’ experience within the food industry to his new role. He will be responsible for growing the market share of the Mr Hugh’s brand across retailers, food service and the food manufacturing sectors.
Mr Hugh’s is currently available in Tesco, selected Asda stores and a range of independent retailers.
Cruttenden joins from Danish crisp and snack manufacturer Kims Søndersø, where he had been UK national manager for the last two years.
Directorial roles
Before this he held a number of directorial roles at food and drink firms including Cargill Europe, Dole Europe and Goldenfry Foods.
Larchwood Foods said Cruttenden’s sales track record and new product development experience was “perfectly matched” to support its drive to secure additional listings and to further develop relationships with wholesalers, foodservice and manufacturing operations.
“Having entered the market less than a year ago, Mr Hugh’s is already making a positive impact in the multiples,” said Graham Secker, director at Larchwood Foods. “The growing interest in cold pressed rapeseed oil’s health benefits, its versatility and our price point, which is 35–40% lower than any of our direct competitors, provides Julian with an armoury of positive messaging to support his sales efforts.”