Speaker Q&A: Ian Chant, Holland & Barrett
Ian Chant is Holland & Barrett’s head of food (covering chilled, frozen, confectionery, drinks and food on the go). He’ll be talking at lunch!, with his colleague Louise Broom (category manager), about H&B’s journey into food-to-go — sharing retail insights and lessons learnt following the launch of its new, affordable vegan and veggie lunch-to-go range. Currently being trialled at six London stores, further rollout is expected (2.15pm, 19 September).
Which food-to-go operators/retailers do you particularly admire and why?
You can’t not admire Pret for the freshness and the proposition. Though I do think Leon have done a brilliant job and manage to stand out in a crowded area.
What do you think is the key for operators to successfully compete against their competitors?
Emphasise points of difference that are relevant to your customers and ensure the customer is aware of them.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Bringing products to market and satisfying a customer need.
And the most challenging?
Not having elastic shelves to allow us to bring in more NPD and increase the customer offer.
What does the next 12 months have in store for your business?
The food offer needs to evolve and step change in the amount of NPD it launches to ensure we remain relevant to our customers, especially due to the growing trend in plant-based products. We want to do more own label products and ensure we have some clear points of difference. We also need to maximise on some of the trends, eg gut health.
Can you give us an example of what your business is doing to be even more sustainable?
We have a long history of being a leading retailer in sustainability over the years, which remains relevant to this day. For example, in our food-to-go trial the sandwich skillets are plastic free.
What do you see as the key food-to-go trends to watch?
You cannot ignore the rise of plant-based, vegan, and vegetarian foods but I do think gut health is gaining great awareness.
What’s your current bestselling product?
We have quite a few key lines – we were excited with the launch of Nomo (vegan chocolate) earlier in the year, which resonated well with our customers.
Why is innovation so vital to the food-to-go sector?
It is an exciting category that thrives on NPD, it is high volume and customer have an appetite to try new things.
What innovative products are you hoping to find at lunch! show this year?
Healthy snacking products are on trend.
How important is lunch! to the food-to-go sector?
It’s a great show with a great mix of suppliers, from up and coming to established brands.
Describe the lunch! show in 3 words:
Innovative and exciting.
Can you tell us a bit about your much-anticipated session at lunch! 2019?
Given the rise in plant-based products, I was to position H&B as a potential retailer within the FTG market. [I’ll be sharing] our thoughts on it.
Who or what inspires you to be even better?
Always want to hit the numbers and deliver an offer for customers to be proud of.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Treat everyone the same way you would like to be treated.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
Make sure you enjoy it and have some fun, be customer focused.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know:
I was once on This Morning on TV doing a piece on customer service.
See Ian at lunch! 2019
Holland & Barrett: Our Journey into Food To Go: 2.15pm on Thursday 19 September in Keynote Theatre 1
The session also features Louise Broom, category manager at Holland & Barrett.
Head of Food Panel: 3.45pm on Thursday 19 September in Keynote Theatre 3
The session also features:
- Martyn Clover, Head of Food, Tortilla
- Geoffrey Hunter, Head of Food, Pure
- James Kidman, head of food at Crussh – Fit Food & Juice Bars
- Jay Morjaria, Chef / Consultant (session chair)
