UK food manufacturer Premier Foods plc has appointed Ian Deste as group sales director.

Deste joins the company from Coca-Cola Enterprises, where he most recently served as vice president, sales and customer development. He will join Premier on 19 September and replaces Ian York who last week announced his intention to leave the company to pursue “exciting new opportunities”.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

“I am delighted to be joining Premier Foods at such a key time as we aim to grow sales in a challenging consumer environment,” Deste said today (23 August). “I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with the team to help build its stable of great British brands.”

New Premier CEO Mike Clarke, who only formally joined the company last week, added: “Ian has an enviable track record in building strong, enduring customer relationships. This will be of enormous value to Premier Foods. I know Ian has the skills and the motivation needed to help drive our business forward.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact