Name
Lizzy Allman
Age
26
Job title
New business development and marketing manager
Company and location
Pukpip, London UK
Education
I studied media, sociology, business and economics at Loughborough College, and then media, communications and cultural studies at Newcastle University. My education definitely gave me skills and knowledge that I use everyday as part of my role at Pukpip.
Favourite food/drink
My go-to drink order is a coconut milk ice matcha, and sushi is my favourite thing to eat - other than Pukpip, of course!
What inspired you to enter F&B?
I’ve always been a huge foodie. I love cooking and going out for food - much to the detriment of my bank balance! It’s also such a wonderful community to get involved with: everyone helps each other out, and you’re always meeting new and interesting people. Plus, more and more brands in the industry are committed to acting sustainably and responsibly - having the opportunity to work for such a brand with Pukpip and play a part in reducing food waste is really exciting to me.
Tell us about your role. What does a typical day look like?
Essentially, it’s my job to get Pukpip into as many hands as possible, so I’m constantly finding and reaching out to new business leads - from major retailers to smaller independent health food stores, farm shops and garden centres - as well as organising trade events, sampling opportunities, and generally having conversations with buyers and consumers alike, to help them understand our products and the category that we have created.
Pukpip is in the indulgent frozen fruit category, which is a category that really didn’t exist here in the UK before we launched our first range of products at the beginning of 2023. The category has excitingly only continued to grow since then - with a flurry of new frozen fruit launches over the past 12 months in particular - which has helped to develop a greater understanding of it, but there’s definitely still a job to be done in terms of explaining what indulgent frozen fruit products look like, why they’re so good for the consumer and when they should be consumed.
I also oversee Pukpip’s marketing, which at the moment is really focused on building our social media presence, and doing what we can to stand out and build a real community of chocolate-dipped banana lovers online. Not forgetting, all the other ad hoc work that comes with working in a smaller company and, subsequently, having a bigger part in helping things run smoothly, such as setting up internal systems and making the company culture what you want it to be.
How did you get to where you are today?
I owe a lot to my parents. When I was growing up, my mum worked as an internal communications director for a food company, so she was always bringing home new and exciting foods that she was launching, and I was always interested in trying and learning more about them. My dad is also a great chef and taught me how to cook when I was still little, which sparked my passion for cooking. He’s also got a sweet tooth, which may have contributed to why I’ve ended up in the indulgent frozen fruit category. They’ve both hugely helped me over the years with wise words and advice only parents can dish out.
When you’re having a bad day, what cheers you up?
Definitely going on a walk and stroking as many dogs as possible! I think it’s really important to get away from your desk when you’re having a bad day. It’s crazy how much a short walk can change your attitude. I try to get outside every lunchtime without my phone to clear my head. My afternoons are always more productive when I’ve had some fresh air.
What’s your favourite part about the food sector?
The innovation side of the industry is really exciting to me. I love seeing brands come out with new and exciting products that are changing the game and making big players change the way they do things.
I also love that an increasing number of smaller brands are speaking up for inequalities in the food industry, and really paving the way for bigger brands to follow suit and start doing what’s right and not what’s most profitable.
We’ve experienced first hand with Pukpip how much power challenger brands can have: since launch, we’ve seen more and more major players doing what they can to shake up the ice cream sector and introducing their own bite-size offering, and we like to think that we’re encouraging them to do more to fight food waste too.
If you could change one thing about the F&B sector what would it be?
I would love for the F&B sector to have a better feedback culture. If a potential buyer could spend just two minutes saying ‘no, because’ instead of not responding at all, for example, it would give smaller brands invaluable insights that will help them improve in the long term. This would also prevent brands from chasing buyers who aren’t interested and free up precious time for them to focus on buyers who are.
What’s next for you/what’s the dream?
Eventually, I would love to own an area of the business - whether this be as a brand manager, or head of out of home, or something else. The exciting thing about working for a startup is that I have the opportunity to work across so many different areas of the business and so there are so many different paths I can pursue in the future.
For now though, I’m enjoying growing with the company and seeing where my role takes me. It’s a really exciting time for Pukpip as we look to increase our market share in the UK and get our products into as many hands as possible - making it easier for consumers to eat well and enjoy great taste.
I would love to get to a point where I can tell anyone I work for Pukpip, and they already know and love our products, having discovered them in a store that I’ve won business in. I’m confident it’s only a matter of time before that happens.
