Appointments: Hook joins Charbrew; Hires at JLL, Seddon Construction and Douglas Scott

CHARBREW, a fruit and herbal tea brand founded by Manchester entrepreneur Adam Soliman, has appointed the former boss of gluten-free food group Nutrition Point as chairman to support its growth plans.

Chris Hook, who founded Warrington based Nutrition Point in 1998, stepped down the from the wheat and gluten free specialist last year after selling the remainder of his shareholding to parent company Dr Schar.

Mr Hook, 53, has been appointed chairman of Global Tea & Coffee Exchange, Charbrew’s parent company.

The Charbrew brand is the brainchild of Soliman, 23, who founded the business after graduating from Newcastle University with a degree in accounting and finance.

Since launching less than a year ago, it has developed six fruit and herbal blends and secured listings with 20 UK retailers, including supermarket group Booths and kitchenware specialist Lakeland. 

Now, with Hook on board, the business plans to accelerate its rollout with major grocery chains across Europe and the Middle East, where demand for fruit and herbal teas is growing quickly.

Soliman said:  “Chris has a proven track record of developing niche, high value brands across international markets. Given our strategic focus on growing overseas sales of Charbrew, his expertise and experience will be crucial to our continued success.”

Chris Hook said: “As customers’ tastes and lifestyles change, the market for alternative blends is growing quickly and outstripping traditional tea bags.
Achieving scale with a niche product however requires a clear export-led strategy to target key international markets, which is where my focus will be over the coming months.

“I’ve been hugely impressed by what Adam has achieved to date, having created a brand with the perfect platform for global growth.”

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JONES Lang LaSalle has appointed Jessica Speers as a surveying executive in its Shopping Centre Management team in Manchester.

Speers joins from Manchester office of DTZ where she has worked for the last three years – most recently in the corporate real estate management team.  In her new role, she will work with the team on a number of significant retail schemes located in Altrincham, Chorley and Leeds.  

Susannah Jeffs, head of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Shopping Centre Management team in Manchester, said: “Jessica’s appointment to the shopping centre team in Manchester reflects our continued commitment and drive to strengthen and bolster our market position.”

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SEDDON Construction has appointed an influential Midlands construction professional to head up its operations across the West Midlands region.

Richard Sapcote joins the Bolton-based, family-owned company as the business unit m responsible for its West Midlands division,

Peter Jackson, Seddon Construction’s operations director, said: “Richard has a deep understanding of the construction sector in the West Midlands and shares the values and vision of a family-owned business, I see his appointment as the springboard we need to create an influential presence in the region.”

Sapcote has recently being re-elected chair of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) for the West Midlands region, following a long association with the organisation. He was chair for the West Midlands region in 2001-2003 and the Birmingham Centre in 1997 and also led the Chartered Building Companies’ Scheme, as well as the CIOB Conservation Group.

Established in the late 1800s, Seddon Construction is now in the management of the fourth generation of the Seddon family.

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MANCHESTER-based legal recruiter Douglas Scott has appointed Dante Friend as as a recruitment consultant to head the company’s Birmingham office.

A spokesman for the firm, which has offices in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham, said that Friend “will manage Midlands-based opportunities in private practice and commercial law”.