Our people

The essential ingredient in meadow’s success is our people – the most knowledgeable, expert and professional team in the industry. They are the reason why we have so many long-term relationships with the world’s leading food manufacturers.

Meadow team

A growing team

Over the last 30 years, we have grown from a small family business to a team of over 450 expert colleagues, who are the essential ingredient in our success. We’re proud of our 97% retention rate, and many of our people have been with the business for over 10 years. While we have grown in scale and offer a large and diverse range of careers, we’re still a family business at heart.

Meadow offices

careers at meadow

At Meadow, we are proud of our family and farming heritage, the company and team we have built over 30 years and the results we have delivered together.

As we look to grow further, we are always looking for talented people. Whether you’re into operations, farm liaison, an accountant or a natural born sales person, what’s key for us is that you have a passion for sustainable ingredients, are committed to delivering results and are happy to learn.

View available roles


What makes us different is the meadow way

A shared Mission and Values that drives everything we do as a business.

Our mission
To make sustainable ingredients easy for our customers

Our values
Icon for We think big

We think big

We solve our customers’ most complex challenges in bold and innovative ways

Icon for We get it done

We get it done

We take personal accountability for solving customer problems quickly and simply

Icon for We support each other

We support each other

We drive each other and the business to improve through teamwork and training

Icon for We do the right thing

We do the right thing

We never cut corners on safety or quality and put sustainability at the heart of our business

Photo of Jonathan Burley
Jonathan Burley

Export Director

Photo of Zoe Elleray
Zoe Elleray

Head of Sales - Inclusions

Photo of James Clapham
James Clapham

Head of Sales - Fresh

Photo of Spencer Hackett
Spencer Hackett

Key Account Manager

Photo of Ryan Morris
Ryan Morris

Key Account Manager

Photo of Chris Haigh
Chris Haigh

Key Account Manager

Photo of Joe Swanson
Joe Swanson

Food Service Account Manager

Photo of James Crossley
James Crossley

National Account Manager - Fresh

Photo of Rosie Kinvig
Rosie Kinvig

National Account Manager - Fresh

Photo of Hannah White
Hannah White

Business Development Manager - Inclusions

Photo of Karen Jones
Karen Jones

National Account Manager - Inclusions

Photo of Alice Fletcher
Alice Fletcher

National Account Manager - Inclusions

Photo of Charlotte Aspinall
Charlotte Aspinall

Account Executive - Fresh

Photo of James Farrell
James Farrell

Trading Manager - Butter & Butteroils

Photo of Alistair James
Alistair James

Trading Manager - Milk

Photo of Raj Tugnait
Raj Tugnait

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO, Raj is responsible for setting the direction and culture with the executive team, and delivering for colleagues, customers and shareholders. Raj joined Meadow in early 2022, bringing with him over 30 years of senior experience in the food industry with PE and listed companies, including being CEO at Sysco Speciality and MD at Brakes Group.

Photo of Jack Hancock
Jack Hancock

M&A & Strategy Director

Jack joined Meadow in 2007 and has led transformation across various parts of the group, including the new plant-based division. With his experience of the business and industry, Jack is responsible for developing the strategic direction of the business through transformational growth opportunities and M&A.

Photo of Maria Neeve
Maria Neeve

Chief Financial Officer

Maria joined Meadow in 2020 and is responsible for delivering the financial planning and reporting for our business, as well as the company’s IT function. Maria has a wealth of established experience in the food industry and, before joining Meadow, spent 15 years with Brakes in several roles including Fresh Direct Group CFO and UK CFO.

Photo of Jim Bebb
Jim Bebb

Supply Chain Director

Jim is responsible for our procurement and logistics departments. He has worked in the dairy industry for 22 years and joined Meadow in 2007. Since then, Jim has developed the producer milk pool from 150 farmers with 120 million litres of milk to more than 400 producers with 550 million litres. Jim manages our entire supply chain operation, an integral function in the business.

Photo of Jamie Barrell
Jamie Barrell

Commercial Director - Butter & Butter Oils

Jamie is responsible for procurement and sales of bulk creams across the business. He also manages the sales of anhydrous milk fat and butter produced at our Chester site. He joined Meadow in 2000 from Unigate where he was responsible for dairy trading for more than a decade.

Photo of Andy Smith
Andy Smith

Commercial Director - Speciality Ingredients

Andy is responsible for our Commercial, Innovation and Marketing departments, focusing on customer innovation and identifying new markets for business growth. He joined Meadow in early 2022 and has over 20 years’ experience working in the food industry, having previously worked for large brands such as Quorn and Mondelez.

Photo of Jon Cooper
Jon Cooper

Group Operations Director

Jon joined Meadow in 2023 from Finsbury Group and is responsible for operations across our five sites. He is a dynamic and results-driven leader with a proven track record in optimising operational efficiency and driving business growth. With over 15 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry, he possesses a deep understanding of process improvement, supply chain optimisation, and strategic planning. Jon is committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence among his teams.

Photo of Cat Costigan
Cat Costigan

Group Human Resources Director

Cat joined Meadow in October 2023 and is responsible for day-to-day HR operations across the Meadow sites as well as talent acquisition and people development. She is ACA qualified and has over 15 years' experience in senior HR roles within the food manufacturing industry.

Photo of Caroline Brown
Caroline Brown

Head of Planning & Change

Caroline joined the business in March 2022 and is responsible for driving the strategic priorities and the successful implementation of transformational change projects. She has a wealth of food industry and management consultancy experience, including roles at Sysco Speciality Group and Brakes.

Photo of Alun Lewis
Alun Lewis

Head of Sustainability

Alun joined Meadow in 2007 and has spent over 30 years working in dairy manufacturing. He has held various positions, covering Technical, Environmental, Management and Sustainability. His current role is to determine and deliver the Sustainability strategy for the business, an essential part of our growth plans.

Photo of Mark Chantler
Mark Chantler

Chairman

Mark joined the family business in 2011 and having successfully delivered significant top-line growth and improvements in profitability, was promoted to CEO of the group in 2017. He continued to lead the growth of the business until early 2022 when he handed over the role to Raj. Mark remains an active member on the Meadow Board, supporting and advising the senior leadership team on business strategy.

Photo of Raj Tugnait
Raj Tugnait

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO, Raj is responsible for setting the direction and culture with the executive team, and delivering for colleagues, customers and shareholders. Raj joined Meadow in early 2022, bringing with him over 30 years of senior experience in the food industry with PE and listed companies, including being CEO at Sysco Speciality and MD at Brakes Group.

Photo of Maria Neeve
Maria Neeve

Chief Financial Officer

Maria joined Meadow in 2020 and is responsible for delivering the financial planning and reporting for our business, as well as the company’s IT function. Maria has a wealth of established experience in the food industry and, before joining Meadow, spent 15 years with Brakes in several roles including Fresh Direct Group CFO and UK CFO.

Photo of Jack Hancock
Jack Hancock

M&A and Strategy Director

Jack joined Meadow in 2007 and has led transformation across various parts of the group, including the new plant-based division. With his experience of the business and industry, Jack is responsible for developing the strategic direction of the business through transformational growth opportunities and M&A.

Photo of Navtej Sidhu
Navtej Sidhu

Non-Executive Director

Navtej is a Director at Fairfax Financial Holdings and represents them on the Meadow Board. Prior to joining Fairfax, Navtej also held senior roles at Scotiabank Global Banking & Markets and Desjardins Securities.

Photo of Jonathan Burley
Jonathan Burley

Export Director

Photo of Zoe Elleray
Zoe Elleray

Head of Sales - Inclusions

Photo of James Clapham
James Clapham

Head of Sales - Fresh

Photo of Spencer Hackett
Spencer Hackett

Key Account Manager

Photo of Ryan Morris
Ryan Morris

Key Account Manager

Photo of Chris Haigh
Chris Haigh

Key Account Manager

Photo of Joe Swanson
Joe Swanson

Food Service Account Manager

Photo of James Crossley
James Crossley

National Account Manager - Fresh

Photo of Rosie Kinvig
Rosie Kinvig

National Account Manager - Fresh

Photo of Hannah White
Hannah White

Business Development Manager - Inclusions

Photo of Karen Jones
Karen Jones

National Account Manager - Inclusions

Photo of Alice Fletcher
Alice Fletcher

National Account Manager - Inclusions

Photo of Charlotte Aspinall
Charlotte Aspinall

Account Executive - Fresh

Photo of James Farrell
James Farrell

Trading Manager - Butter & Butteroils

Photo of Alistair James
Alistair James

Trading Manager - Milk