joins the team from plant-based meat alternative brand Meatless Farm where she served as UK sales director. Prior to that she had held commercial roles at several food and drink manufacturers, including Bernard Matthews and 2 Sisters Food Group.
Commenting on Pendergrast’s appointment, Pukka general manager Isaac Fisher said: “It’s a very exciting time to join Pukka. The business is growing rapidly so it’s essential that we have the right team around us to maximise the opportunity and continue this rapid growth.
Outlook 2021
“Our vision is to put more pies on more plates more often and we’ll be spearheading further growth in the hot pie category during 2021 with a raft of first to market NPD and best in class marketing initiatives.”
Pendergrast’s appointment followed a period of growth for the pie maker. Pukka reported retail sales of £43.6m with year-on-year growth of +19.6% in value.
The brand commanded a 19% value share of the hot pie category – worth £260.5m with growth of +6.6% since last year – and has grown three times faster than the market, according to IRI data cited by the business.
Recent food appointments
The past month has seen appointments across the food and drink industry.
In December, beer industry giant Heineken appointed a new head for its UK operations. Food Standards Scotland also appointed a new chief scientific officer last month.
Meanwhile, Devon-based seafood and plant-based product manufacturer Paramount 21 has announced two appointments to its board of directors.
Helen Cornish has been promoted to innovation and technical director, having worked at the company since 2013. Jenny Kenyon, who joined Paramount 21 in 2019, has been promoted to marketing director.
