Metcalfe's

Metcalfe's Food Company was a British food business established in 2009 by Julian Metcalfe, the entrepreneur associated with Pret A Manger, and later developed with Robert Jakobi. The business began with a focus on popcorn and comparatively healthier snack products for food-service outlets. Its best-known consumer-facing identity became Metcalfe's Skinny, including the Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn popcorn range. The company was created at a time when snack consumers were showing greater interest in lighter formats, portion control, and products positioned as alternatives to traditional indulgent snacks. Popcorn provided a natural platform for that positioning because it could be presented as a lighter, more convenient snack while supporting multiple flavors and packaging formats. Metcalfe's differentiated itself through modern branding, an emphasis on reduced-calorie or lighter snacking, and distribution beyond specialist health-food channels. Robert Jakobi joined the business in 2010 and became managing director in October of that year. Before joining the company, he had developed chocolate-covered edamame under the Pod bites name. That product was brought into Metcalfe's Food Company, giving the company a broader innovation platform beyond popcorn and helping establish its reputation for unusual snack concepts. The company subsequently operated two principal brand territories: Metcalfes Skinny and Itsu Grocery. Itsu Grocery was associated with the wider Itsu business, while Metcalfes Skinny developed as the dedicated popcorn and snack brand. In 2015, the business was reorganized so that Itsu Grocery became part of the Itsu business and Metcalfes Skinny became a standalone operation. This separation clarified the roles of the two brand portfolios and allowed Metcalfes Skinny to concentrate on popcorn and related snack products. Kettle Foods acquired a 26% interest in Metcalfe's Skinny in January 2016 and purchased the remaining 74% in October of the same year. The transactions moved the company from independent private ownership into Kettle Foods' ownership structure. The business received recognition during its growth period. It was named among the companies to watch in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in December 2013, and it appeared at number four in the ranking in December 2014. Julian Metcalfe and Robert Jakobi were also named London and South finalists for the 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In May 2014, the company was listed among the winners of the Santander Breakthrough 50 Awards, which recognized fast-growing British companies. The brand's central proposition is accessible, contemporary popcorn and snack food for consumers seeking a lighter alternative to conventional confectionery or savory snacks. Available source material identifies popcorn as the core product category, but does not provide a complete current product catalogue, detailed retail footprint, financial results, or a definitive current corporate structure after the Kettle Foods acquisition. Those details therefore remain unspecified here.

Metcalfe's Food Company was founded in 2009 by Julian Metcalfe as a food business intended to supply popcorn and healthier-positioned snack products to food-service outlets. Metcalfe was already known as the founder of Pret A Manger, but this venture focused on packaged food innovation rather than sandwich retailing. The company's initial proposition centered on popcorn, a product that could be marketed as a lighter and more contemporary alternative to many conventional snack foods. In 2010, Robert Jakobi joined the company and became managing director in October. Before joining, Jakobi had developed chocolate-covered edamame under the name Pod bites. He brought that product into Metcalfe's Food Company, broadening the company's offer and adding an unconventional snack line to its popcorn activities. The move also gave the business an operating structure and management team beyond its original founder. The company operated under two main brand groupings: Metcalfes Skinny and Itsu Grocery. Metcalfes Skinny became associated with popcorn and lighter snacking, while Itsu Grocery connected with the broader Itsu food business. In 2015, the two activities were separated. Itsu Grocery became part of Itsu, and Metcalfes Skinny was established as a standalone business focused on its own brand and product portfolio. Metcalfe's Food Company gained attention during its expansion period through several British growth-company and entrepreneurial awards. It was named one of the companies to watch in the December 2013 Sunday Times Fast Track 100. In 2014, the company was ranked fourth in that publication's list, won a place in the Santander Breakthrough 50 Awards, and saw Julian Metcalfe and Robert Jakobi named as London and South finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ownership changed substantially in 2016. Kettle Foods acquired a 26% stake in Metcalfe's Skinny in January and bought the remaining 74% in October. This made Kettle Foods the owner of the business following a staged acquisition. Available reference material does not specify subsequent leadership, detailed financial performance, the full post-acquisition brand architecture, or the exact status of every product line. The identifiable historical core of the business is its development of Metcalfes Skinny as a British popcorn and snack brand.

• 2016

  Kettle Foods acquires Metcalfe's Skinny

  [1]Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Kettle Foods acquired 26% of the business in January and the remaining 74% in October.

• 2015

  Brand portfolio separation

  [1]Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Itsu Grocery became part of the Itsu business, while Metcalfes Skinny became a standalone business.

• 2014

  Growth and entrepreneurial awards

  [1]Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company reached fourth place in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100, won a Santander Breakthrough 50 award, and its two leading figures became Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists for London and the South.

• 2013

  Named a company to watch

  [1]Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Metcalfe's Food Company was included among the companies to watch in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

• 2010

  Robert Jakobi joins the business

  [1]Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Jakobi joined the company and became managing director in October. His Pod bites chocolate-covered edamame product was incorporated into the company.

• 2009

  Metcalfe's Food Company is founded

  [1]Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Julian Metcalfe founded the business to develop popcorn and healthier-positioned snack products for food-service outlets.

Contemporary British snack brand focused on popcorn and lighter-style snacking, with product innovation extending into unconventional formats such as chocolate-covered edamame.

• Popcorn

  Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn

  The core popcorn offering associated with the Metcalfes Skinny brand. It represents the company's principal attempt to present popcorn as a modern, lighter-style packaged snack. The available reference material does not specify individual flavors, pack sizes, nutritional claims, or current distribution.

• Packaged snack

  Metcalfes Skinny popcorn

  A broader popcorn range sold under the Metcalfes Skinny identity. The brand focused on accessible snacking and contemporary packaging rather than operating solely as a specialist health-food product. Detailed product variants are not identified in the supplied sources.

• Chocolate-covered edamame snack · 2010

  Pod bites

  A chocolate-covered edamame product originally developed by Robert Jakobi under the Pod bites name. Jakobi introduced it to the United Kingdom market in 2010 and brought it into Metcalfe's Food Company after seeking a larger platform for the product.

• 2016

  Kettle Foods takes full ownershipM&A

  Background

  Metcalfes Skinny had become a standalone snack business following the 2015 separation from Itsu Grocery.

  Action taken

  Kettle Foods acquired a 26% interest in January and purchased the remaining 74% in October.

  Aftermath

  The staged transaction transferred ownership of Metcalfes Skinny to Kettle Foods.

  Source

• 2015

  Separate Metcalfes Skinny from Itsu GroceryStrategy

  Background

  The company had developed two brand activities, Metcalfes Skinny and Itsu Grocery, with the latter connected to the Itsu business.

  Action taken

  Itsu Grocery became part of the Itsu business, while Metcalfes Skinny was made a standalone business.

  Aftermath

  The reorganization gave Metcalfes Skinny a more focused identity around popcorn and snack products.

  Source

1. 1Metcalfe's Food Companyen.wikipedia.org