Restrain’s new UK Business manager, Dan Hewitt,  had a few words to say about his previous roles, and ongoing plans for the future of the company”

I started in the potato industry back in 2005, working with North Norfolk Potato Growers to grow 60,000 tons of crisping potatoes for the UK crisping industry. In 2008, I became the UK Managing Director of the group, collaborating with growers across the East of England and the UK.

I left the group in late 2015 and took a year off to develop a start-up called GroPod. This venture aimed to better understand the Closed Environment Farming process and the nascent Vertical Farming scene. We quickly built a scalable ‘pod’ and successfully delivered aeroponically grown potatoes to one of the major processors and retailers that year.

In 2016, I took on the role of Head of Agriculture for Kettle Foods, the UK home of the global brand Kettle Chips. Under the guidance of the new and excellent MD, Ashley Hicks, I implemented a direct farm supply model. In 2019, I also assumed the role of Head of Sustainability for the group, helping our business understand its journey to carbon net zero.

After an exciting eight years (and five new owners), I left Kettle Foods and its current owner, Valeo Foods, in April this year. After spending some time with Benedikt Cramer at Restrain and learning about his vision for growing the Restrain global business, I joined the company in May.

It’s been a very busy three months, and I am impressed with the team’s drive and passion for developing products and scaling the company globally. It’s going to be an incredibly exciting year for Restrain with the launch of PET and further technical developments to be announced later in the year.

I continue to build the UK team to ensure we have the correct skill set and depth of knowledge to deliver on our promises to our customers in the seasons ahead.”