Ella's Kitchen

Background

Ella’s Kitchen is an organic baby food retailer, supplying 100% organic baby and toddler food in supermarkets internationally. Founded in the UK in 2006, Ella’s Kitchen now has a 20% share of the UK baby food sector and a global turnover of $100m. Ella’s Kitchen only manufacture products that contain no added sugar, salt, water, additives, E numbers or GM products.

Cast UK take a real large amount of time to get to know us as a business and really get under the skin of what the role is, what we’re looking for, the culture fit of the business and make sure that they are really trying to find us the absolute best people. We can always rely on our consultants to give us some advice in terms of who’s on the market at the moment and what they are looking for from us as an employer

We’ve got a really great relationship with Cast UK and one that we hope will flourish over the years.

Clare Archibald

HR Manager at Ella's Kitchen

The Brief

Ella's Kitchen were in search of a new Interim Buyer, with the successful candidate requiring the following:

Significant procurement experience within an FMCG environment.
The role comprised procuring and setting up contracts for packaging and raw materials at the right price and sourcing these from the most efficient supply chain possible.
Supporting the procurement team in delivering projects.
Developing their current sustainability strategy.

Supporting category reviews with research and analysis to develop a long term strategy.
Providing forecasts to manage contract status.
Managing and evolving the RM database.
Demonstrating the ability to live and breathe Ella's values; We Want to Win, We’re Business Minded, We’re Childlike, We Think Differently, We’re Good to Each Other.

The Challenges

This role was fixed term contract so we needed to find a candidate who would be able to hit the ground running and not need any hand-holding.
To find a procurement professional with the ability to source and set up contracts for packaging and raw materials.

For our team to understand the values at Ella's Kitchen. This way we ensured that we only identified candidates who would fit with the client from both experience and cultural perspectives.

Our Approach

Our first port of call was to set up a meeting with Ella's Kitchen to immerse ourselves in their culture.
Being at Ella's barn and meeting with the 'Happy People' team (HR team), we really got a good feel for the type of person that would thrive at Ella's Kitchen and specifically in their 'Clockwork' team (Operations team).

We took that information away and worked through our extensive network to find suitable candidates for the role.
Our interview questioning was based around the values of Ella's Kitchen to ensure we identified candidates fitted in from both an experience and a cultural perspective.

The Result

Successfully sourced niche organic baby grade compliant ingredients within tight timescale for new product developments whilst achieving cost savings.

Categorised dried ingredients and negotiated
£21K
worth of savings by maximising purchasing power.

Produced a training manual on how the manufacturers should source product and implemented successful contingency plans.

When registering a vacancy with one of our customers I am always keen to visit their site so I can get a full understanding of the brief and the culture of the business. Culture is something that is impossible to gauge over the telephone and it can often be the deciding factor in whether or not a successful conclusion is reached and a candidate is offered.

In my 8 years with Cast UK, I can positively say that Ella’s Kitchen certainly have a unique culture within their business. I can also confirm that it is the only meeting thus far in my recruitment career that I have had in a barn – albeit a very plush barn converted into superb office space!

Everybody within Ella’s Kitchen really buys into their core values which include ‘We want to win’ ‘We’re child like’ and ‘We’re businesses minded’ and this is evident from the moment you walk through the door.

Cast UK’s screening of candidates was a vital part of the recruitment process as the culture of Ella’s Kitchen wouldn’t suit everybody. However, they are a fantastic business to work for, and it was a pleasure working alongside them to help them find the right candidate.

Gary Robinson

Sales Director

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