Lessons from the C-suite Personal development
After two decades we’re
still true to our principles
I started
out…
I began my
career working as a
management consultant but
quickly realised there was more to
life than spreadsheets.
So in 1995 l took a sabbatical
and travelled to India in a camper
van with my then-girlfriend (now
wife). During this trip I had the
idea of starting my own business –
making delicious food with the
same care and attention you
would have if you were making it
for yourself. The following year I
launched Charlie Bigham’s from a
small kitchen in Park Royal,
London with just me and one chef
cooking all the food.
I knew this was the right
career path for me when…
Our customers started to get in
touch. We typically get around 100
letters and emails a week now
from people telling us how much
they enjoy our food and appreciate
the quality ingredients and
flavours of our dishes.
We’ve changed people’s
perceptions of convenience food
for the better.
The biggest lesson I have
learned along the way…
Stick to what you believe in. We
don’t follow trends, we’re not
influenced by the competition,
and we never cut corners. After
more than two decades in the
industry these principles still
stand true to the brand.
My proudest achievement…
For any start-up it’s always a
brilliant moment when you make
your first sale.
I still remember the first time I
saw someone with one of our
dishes in their shopping basket.
I paused and reflected on
everything that we had been
through to get the brand off
the ground.
My biggest mistake…
There are more than 50 dishes in
the current Charlie Bigham’s
range, but over the years there’s
been a few that we possibly should
never have launched. One was a
rabbit stew – it was delicious but
not commercially viable. In fact
we only sold five!
My biggest inspiration…
Julian Metcalfe who founded Pret
a Manger and Itsu has fantastic
attention to detail.
I also really admire the way
Richard Reed, Jon Wright and
Adam Balon at Innocent did so
much to help redefine what a food
or drink business can be.
These businesses, like ours, have
an absolute belief in recruiting
amazing people and giving them a
chance to shine.
Keeping me
awake at night
right now…
I wouldn’t say it’s
keeping me awake, but
there’s no avoiding Brexit. As a
business we’re planning for the
UK’s departure from the EU and
the impact it may have on our
production and our colleagues.
The biggest challenge for
organisations over the next
five years will be…
Sustainability. Every organisation
should be reviewing its energy
consumption and waste
production. In the food sector
there’s the additional focus on
excessive and non-recyclable
packaging. We’re in the process
of working
towards B Corp status as it’s the
right thing for our business,
consumers and the environment.
I need my HR
director to…
Help me champion
our workplace commitment of
extraordinary people making
extraordinary food. People always
come first and I’m very proud of
our family culture.
It annoys me when HR…
Gets too distracted by paperwork
and compliance. It must be done,
but the secret is not to let it get in
the way of the real job: recruiting,
developing, inspiring and
retaining an amazing team.
More HRDs would become
CEO if…
They took a punt and thought
outside the box. Any good
business recognises that its people
are its most valuable asset and if
the whole team can get just 10%
better it will transform the future.
What I’m reading
right now…
Educated an incredible
autobiographical
account of a personal
journey from being
born into an off-grid
Mormon family in the
US to becoming a
Cambridge academic.
by Tara Westover –
My top leadership tip…
Inspire your team. Creating
a workplace that continuously
sparks innovation and empowers
people to fulfil their aspirations
is vital. As a business
grows it’s important
its employees do too.
HR
Charlie
Bigham,
founder and CEO,
Charlie Bigham’s
We don’t
follow trends,
we’re not
influenced
by the
competition,
and we never
cut corners
CV 1996 – Present
Founder and CEO
Charlie Bigham’s
1991 – 1994
Management consultant
Andersen Consulting
hrmagazine.co.uk February 2020 HR 55
/hrmagazine.co.uk