INTERVIEW: JULIAN METCALFE OBE, FOUNDER AND GROUP CEO, ITSU
Interviewed by Mark Stretton, CEO, Fleet Street
Don’t miss this exclusive interview with industry legend Julian Metcalfe. Having made a name for himself co-founding Pret A Manger, Julian has continued to innovate with the UK’s Asian-inspired food-to-go brand itsu.
Date
- Sep 24 2025
- Expired!
Time
- 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm
Theatre
Company
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Organizer Name
Other Organizers
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itsu
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Fleet Street
Speakers
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Julian Metcalfe OBEFounder & Group CEO, ITSUJulian Metcalfe, OBE, is the founder and group CEO of itsu – the UK’s leading Asian-inspired food brand. Prior to founding itsu in 1997, Julian had already made a name for himself having founded the UK’s best-known sandwich shop, Pret a Manger, in 1986.
Julian, a leading figure in the UK’s food and drink industry, is determined that health[ier] food is a right for the many, not a privilege for the few.
itsu restaurants offer fresh & nutritious hot & cold noodles, rice, sushi and salads at similar, if not better, prices than neighbouring fast-food deep fried giants.
Many of itsu restaurant’s ingredients are supplied by Metcalfe’s highly innovative itsu [grocery] company. itsu [grocery] has over 70 products across ambient, frozen, and chilled in over 56,000 supermarkets and health food shops across Europe.
Alongside nurturing award-winning seaweed’thins, gyoza & broths Julian and his grocery team continue to innovate on their journey to becoming the number 1. Asian-inspired brand in the UK, Europe & the USA.
There are currently 100 restaurants across the UK and Europe, with plans to open hundreds more company owned and franchise sites over the coming years.
Julian lives in London with his wife with his seven children.
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Mark StrettonCEO, Fleet Street