The Flava People, seasoning and sauce flavour-makers for nearly 50 years, today announces three new team members have joined its senior leadership team as it gears up towards ambitious growth plans in 2024. Michelle Rowley, Scott Joynston and Byron Cooper have been appointed as Brand and Product Director, New Product Development Manager, and Finance Director respectively.
As well as having its own range of products sold into retail and the butchery trade, The Flava People today works with household brands, including YO! and Diageo, enabling them to expand their product portfolio in order to reach new consumers and explore new and emerging trends. The three new senior appointments showcase The Flava People’s commitment to continuing to strengthen the team’s expertise, especially within the licensed and retail sector which remain a priority growth area for the business.
Michelle Rowley joins The Flava People with 15+ years of experience within the food industry as Brand and Product Director. With experience both retailer-side and working with manufacturers, Michelle has held senior-level positions including Head of Delicious Food at Co-op. She has strong expertise in leading brand and product development and innovation across the food and drink sector, as well as a strong interest in creating products and changing mindsets to allow people to follow healthy and sustainable diets. Prior to Co-op, Michelle has held senior positions across some of the UK’s largest food retailers and manufacturers, starting her career in category insight at Kantar, moving to Tesco where she held food insight, brand and product development positions, then Greencore, All About Food and Iceland Manufacturing.
With an aim to help brands create an impact and innovate with care and confidence, Michelle has unique insight into how consumers and retailers think. With a passion for food, drink, and the planet, in her new role with The Flava People, Michelle sits at board level and will oversee the brand and NPD team. She is on a mission to harness her passion and expertise to bring fun and flavour back to dinner times.
Scott Joynston, New Product Development Manager, comes to The Flava People from innocent drinks, where he led on new and existing product implementation projects across Europe. With nine years of experience working within the food sector, Scott brings experience working on multiple well-known accounts at Greencore such as Aldi, Asda, Boots, Caffe Nero and Starbucks managing the development of products throughout the entire process from start to finish.
Byron Cooper joins the team as Finance Director, with a passion for food and drink, having previously held the position of Finance Director at Roberts Bakery for ten years. Byron has over 15 years’ experience of leading finance functions across a number of sectors, delivering sustainable growth, high quality products and great innovation.
Scott Dixon, Managing Director of The Flava People, says: “As The Flava People looks to the future, we want to ensure we continue to build on our decades of experience and create a client team which can offer unrivalled knowledge for both our existing and future clients to tap into. Michelle, Scott, and Byron all bring with them unique and diverse skill sets – but all have a passion for food and inspiring change.
“We thrive on working collaboratively with brands, chefs, innovators, and experts to convert trends into flavour-packed concepts which enhance dinner-time experiences. We know there is an appetite from consumers to explore cuisines and try new flavours at dinnertime, and our expanded team will only strengthen our capabilities. We can be more innovative, push boundaries further, and have a deeper understanding of creating products which will appeal to consumers, be it in the supermarket aisle or when they’re sitting down for dinner at their local pub. It’s an exciting time and there is a world of opportunities for us to continue our mission of creating inspiring food and flavours.”
With nearly 50 years of experience creating tasty marinades, seasonings, and rubs, The Flava People holds knowledge, expertise, and network of an established player within the food space. The Flava People’s mission is to enable consumers to create game-changing dinners, whether through simple elevations, easy ways to try new cuisines and flavours, or making a healthy choice.