The founder of Itsu and Pret A Manger is joining the board of Knoops, the fast-growing retailer of chocolate-based drinks.
Sky News understands that Knoops, which is in the process of raising £5m to fund its expansion, will announce that Julian Metcalfe – a shareholder in the company – is to become a non-executive director.
Mr Metcalfe will join alongside Alice Avis, the former chair and chief executive of Sanctuary Spa Group.
The capital-raising is being led by Andrew Gertie, the co-founder of Lush, the cosmetics chain.
Knoops said the new funding would be used to aid its international expansion.
The chain, run by CEO William Gordon-Harris, has 20 stores across the UK, with new openings planned for cities including Belfast and York.
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“Knoops, like Itsu, is a pioneering confident brand with a sense of purpose and a passion for quality, said Mr Metcalfe.
“They don’t come around that often and I applaud their leadership and vision.”
Ms Avis added: “I truly believe Knoops has found a real ‘sweet spot’ in the food and beverage market and with that has an exciting, international future ahead of it.”
The new appointments are expected to be announced on Monday.
Content Source: news.sky.com