Tesco’s potato supplier Branston has appointed a new general manager for its fresh factory in Branston, Lincolnshire.
John Griffin joins Branston with more than 17 years’ experience in the fresh food sector, having worked his way up from the factory line – where he first prepared broccoli and cauliflower florets for Marks and Spencer’s – to operational and management roles at major food producers, including Produce World and G’s.
Over the last decade, Griffin has headed up fresh onion and steamed beetroot processing sites, working closely with growers to maximise yield through improvements in growing and storage.
Griffin said: “I was excited to join Branston as it has a reputation as a great place to work and has a high level of investment which keeps it at the forefront of the industry. I’m looking forward to applying my experience to help the smooth running of the factory and getting to know the team.
“I’m also looking forward to joining in with Branston’s annual charity cycle race next year,” he added.
As general manager, John will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of all aspects of the fresh potato factory, as well as short and long-term planning, procurement and quality programmes. Heading up the factory team of 300, he will also oversee major capital expenditure projects and strategies to reduce waste and increase productivity.
James Truscott, managing director at Branston, said: “We’re delighted to welcome John to Branston. With his extensive knowledge of the fresh produce sector at all levels, and his experience of working closely with growers and retail customers, we believe he’ll be a real asset to the team.
“This is a really exciting time for Branston. We’re making significant investments at our sites across the UK including new equipment at our Scotland site and an extension to our prepared foods factory in Lincolnshire. We’re continuing to grow our business and we’re recruiting more staff at all three of our sites.”
