How I Can Help
Strategic support tailored to the specific needs of UK food businesses.
1:1 Mentoring & Coaching
For founders and CEOs of food-to-go, manufacturing, and wholesale businesses who need a sounding board and strategic direction. We focus on overcoming immediate hurdles and setting long-term goals.
- Leadership development
- Accountability & goal setting
- Crisis management
Non-Executive Director (NED)
Bring heavy-hitting industry experience to your boardroom. Ideal for scaling companies (£1M-£7M) needing objective oversight, governance, and strategic input without the cost of a full-time executive.
- Leadership development
- Accountability & goal setting
- Crisis management
New Product
Strategy
Specialised consulting projects focusing on specific operational areas. From developing new product lines (NPD) across frozen/ambient/fresh to optimising your manufacturing flow for better margins.
- Leadership development
- Accountability & goal setting
- Crisis management
Food Business Mentor: Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What kind of companies does the Ray work with?
A: Ray works primarily with UK-based food businesses. My clients range from ambitious startups to established companies generating a turnover between £1M and £7M. He specialises in helping businesses operating within the food-to-go, manufacturing, retail and wholesale sectors.
- Ambitious startups needing route-to-market strategies and pitch deck reviews.
- Scale-up companies (£1M - £7M turnover) struggling with shrinking margins and operational chaos
- Operations seeking to optimise efficiency and profitability.
- Wholesale, manufacturing and retail brands looking for national expansion.
Q2: Which specific food product categories does Ray have expertise in?
A: Ray has deep, category-specific knowledge across the frozen, ambient, and fresh food sectors. He utilises this expertise to help business owners understand and navigate the unique supply chain and retail challenges associated with each of these categories.
- New Product Development (NPD) lifecycle management across fresh, ambient, and frozen lines.
- Navigating category-specific supply chain and retail gatekeeper challenges.
- True-cost margin analysis to uncover the actual cost of goods sold.
- Aligning product development with marketing and manufacturing capabilities.
Q3: What is the difference between the 1:1 Coaching service and a Non-Executive Director (NED) role?
A: 1:1 Coaching provides support focused on developing the founder's leadership skills, setting goals, and solving immediate business problems. An NED role, on the other hand, is a formal board position that provides independent oversight, corporate governance, and long-term strategic direction without the cost of a full-time executive.
- Leadership development and accountability for founders and CEOs (Coaching).
- Crisis management and overcoming immediate business hurdles (Coaching).
- True-cost margin analysis to uncover the actual cost of goods sold.
- Aligning product development with marketing and manufacturing capabilities.
Q4: What programme is available for businesses that have hit a growth ceiling and need to scale?
A: Businesses generating between £1M and £7M in turnover can enroll in "The Scale-Up Growth Partnership". This 6 to 12-month program is designed to optimise manufacturing flow and build a scalable sales structure.
- Conducting full operational and margin audits to untangle chaos.
- Designing team structures and delegation plans to shift founders from operators to CEOs.
- Developing national wholesale and retail expansion strategies.
- Providing weekly strategy and accountability calls to ensure sustainable execution.
Ready to transform your food
business?
Don't let another quarter pass with stagnant growth. Let's build a profitable,
scalable food brand together.