The Knowledge Bank expands its team to help Scotland’s food and drink sector harness opportunities
- Anne-Laure Farrar has been appointed UK Market Insights Manager to help Scottish food and drink businesses identify commercial opportunities in grocery and out-of-home.
- She previously worked at companies including People Against Dirty, Johnson & Johnson, and Diageo.
With consumer spend on the decline throughout the UK due to the rising cost of living, The Knowledge Bank has appointed a new UK Market Insights Manager to help food and drinks businesses identify new opportunities.
In this newly created role, Anne-Laure Farrar (née Manlhiot) will lead conversations with the UK Market Development team at Scotland Food & Drink on behalf of The Knowledge Bank to share insight and stimulate discussions around commercial opportunities throughout the UK, targeting the grocery and out-of-home markets.
Anne-Laure said: “The food and drinks sector is facing a significant challenge as consumers throughout the UK look to cut costs where they can. Despite this, I believe there is a huge opportunity for businesses in the sector to reach consumers in new and innovative ways. I’m excited to bring my skills in consumer and category insights to The Knowledge Bank and help grow Scottish food and drink companies throughout the UK.”
Amanda Brown, Project Director at The Knowledge Bank, added: “Anne-Laure brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and talent to the role, gained from working with FMCG businesses in a variety of category management and insight roles which involved interacting with key UK retailers. Her role is a particularly important one for the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership as we continue to prioritise actions and activities in the UK marketplace.”
Anne-Laure joins The Knowledge Bank from People Against Dirty (Ecover + method) where, as category manager for Sainsbury’s and Pureplayers, she drove the development of online shopper insights, retailer partnership and helped grow the eco cleaning category. She has also worked for organisations including Johnson & Johnson and Diageo.
The Knowledge Bank was set up in 2021 as part of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership. Anne Laure’s appointment follows the programme’s recent website expansion to provide unprecedented free access to market research and sector insights to members of the Scottish food and drink sector, and those who report on it.