THE TEAM MAKING
THE IMPOSSIBLE DELICIOUSLY
POSSIBLE
Ahrum is a former financier and management consultant who worked in the US, Europe and Asia to bring IPOs to life and a fermentation enthusiast raised in a household where the larder was stocked with traditional, home-fermented Korean foods.
After gaining her MBA at INSEAD, Ahrum advised innovative healthcare and tech companies, but her growing ambition to address food waste and sustainability, and a fortuitous Instagram message, led her to her cofounder, Dr. Johnny Drain.
Ahrum’s received a load of awards including CODE Hospitality’s Women of the Year 2023 in the ‘Disruptors’ category. Named a V-Label “Food Hero” which recognises the individuals transforming outdated food systems. Finally, as one of GreenBiz’s 12 women cultivating sustainable food systems.
Dr Johnny is a leading global expert on fermentation who grew up a stone’s throw from the world-famous Cadbury chocolate factory in Birmingham.
Half chef, half scientist, Johnny gained his PhD in Materials Science from the University of Oxford. Before co-founding Win-Win, he used the insights gained from his studies as a tool to create and amplify sustainability through deliciousness and reduce food waste in the world’s best bars and kitchens. He’s worked with Nordic Food Lab, NOMA and Silo: the world’s first zero-waste restaurant. What’s more, he’s a leading voice when it comes to exploring how what we grow and eat can change the health of the planet via his work with the food/design platform MOLD.
As CTO & Co-Founder of Win-Win, Johnny leads the company’s innovation to transform natural, unloved ingredients into high-value food and drink. Cocoa-free chocolate is just the start!
Jamie is responsible for mapping out our long-term strategy, managing our Sales and Marketing teams and is a specialist in growing retail and (tasty!) consumer brands.
Having worked as Sales & Marketing Director and Interim COO at Rococo chocolates, Jamie has a sound understanding of the chocolate market and is constantly working towards getting our delicious cocoa-free chocolate into as many hands as possible.
A proud husband and father of two boys, in his (limited) spare time, Jamie supports charities such as Fair Shot where he’s currently a Director & Trustee.
Meet Ollie, our ops maestro with a golden touch for all things food! With previous roles at Love Cocoa and H!P Chocolate, Ollie’s no stranger to the delicious world of chocolate production. And, as a former Director at Galeta Bakery and Joe Blakes Coffee, Ollie’s versatility is responsible for whipping up success in different food sectors.
At Win-Win, Ollie’s on a mission to sprinkle his magic on our cocoa-free chocolate! With a strategic mindset and a hands-on approach, Ollie’s laser-focused on optimising our processes and ensuring our choc is top-notch quality while he supercharges our scale-up.
When not running marathons, you’ll find Ollie in one of East London’s unashamedly cool pubs, enjoying a few pints of Guinness and the odd Scotch egg.
As Head of NPD, Alice leads our team of developers, chocolatiers and scientists to make our delicious, cocoa-free chocolate as chocolatey and delicious as possible. It’s no mean feat!
With a background in food science and 16+ years’ experience in the industry, Alice has developed products for standout UK brands including Pret A Manger and Pip & Nut. A self-confessed food science geek, Alice’s passion is understanding how flavours and textures interact with each other at a molecular level.
Outside of work, Alice loves traveling to new countries, photography and eating out, as well as baking something tasty at home with her two little ones!
A self-confessed “foodie” with Cordon Bleu accreditations under his belt, Adam brings a wealth of Marketing experience and digital know-how from his career in the drinks industry. He’s created and delivered global campaigns to build leading brands including Diplomático Rum, Nikka Whisky and Cocchi Vermouth.
From writing thought leadership pieces on chocolate and sustainability, to dunking GoPros in choc for TikTok, Adam’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get dirty at Win-Win to grow brand awareness, gain new customers and let the world know there’s a tastier and more sustainable future of chocolate out there!
Knocking down doors and wearing out the shoe leather, Rich is responsible for getting our choc into as many companies and listed at as many stores as possible across the globe!
Rich brings a wealth of multi-channel Sales experience from his previous roles at Nutrabolt where he launched the sports nutrition and energy drink in retail; at Danone he launched the wholesale and food-to-go arm of the business; and finally, at Nature’s Bounty, he was responsible for selling vitamins and supplements to UK independents.
In his spare time, Rich loves taking his two year-old border terrier Toby on long walks, seeking out new London restaurants and cocktail bars and has recently discovered a love for darts!
Bashu brings a wealth of different experience to her role. Think a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering, a Master’s in Brewing and Distilling and, not to mention, her excel spreadsheet mastery!
Outside of the office, Bashu loves taking her four-year-old whippet ‘Boon’ on long walks where she’s prone to the odd forage, especially if mushrooms are in season! As a fermentation fanatic, Bashu’s a real advocate of craft beers and sipping cold ones on hot summer evenings at independent bottle shops.
We love having Bashu on the team because she brings calm, focused, positive energy and her number crunching is helping us scale up as rapidly as possible.
Jon, sometimes referred to as ‘Hot Hands Hogan’ by Johnny, is our Head Chocolatier. With a background as both a Pastry Chef and eight years as a Chocolatier, Jon’s worked at leading artisan chocolate makers including Paul A. Young, Rococo and Melt Chocolates.
Jon’s been grafting hard in our R&D space over the past couple of years, running endless tests to ensure our cocoa-free chocolate is as tasty as possible, all while being a 1-for-1 replacement for conventional chocolate.
We love having Jon on the team not just because he’s in charge of all the samples in the test kitchen, but also because he shares all our desire to create something utterly delicious, totally new, and hopefully world-changing.
Gianluca is responsible for running special projects across multiple departments in the company. No one day is the same for him.
Prior to Win-Win, Gianluca looked after the operations at The Garden, an edtech startup that’s building a global community for the curious. Before that, he spent two years in finance and a year as an entrepreneur.
Outside of the office, Gianluca enjoys a good non-fiction book, cooking and playing badminton.
With an integrated Masters degree in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol under her belt, Steph’s passion is applying the knowledge gained from her studies to her work at WinWin. Born in Glasgow, Steph is a huge fan of chocolate and, of course, long train journeys.
We love having Steph on the team as she’s super curious and always working on understanding our choc at a molecular level. She also makes a mean cheese toastie!
Giacomo is our resident Choc NPD master and fuses all of his previous experience as a pastry chef with his skills as a level 2 chocolate taster and judge at the Chocolate Awards and applies it to keep taking our cocoa-free chocolate to the next level!
Giacomo cut his teeth at the prestigious School of Pastry Arts, owned by Paco Torreblanca and his son, Jacob. Since moving to the UK, Giacomo’s worked at The Taste Lab, a renowned pastry school in London, as well as a Corporate Chef for Unox, travelling the world and showcasing their oven products.
Outside of the office, Giacomo enjoys traveling, tasting new cuisines and discovering great wine. He’s also got a real passion for rare tea and artisanal chocolate!
Ollie is responsible for working on a range of projects in the Win-Win R&D lab and is passionate about food and sustainability; he even runs an environmental food program.
In his spare time, Ollie likes to get out and about with his camera and is a keen wildlife photographer. When he’s not snapping away, he enjoys settling down with a good Tolkien book and opening a decent bottle of wine now that he’s got his Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certificate under his belt!
Meet Lu, a biodesigner with a passion for innovation. With a Bachelor’s in Product Design and a Master’s in Biodesign from Central Saint Martins, she brings her expertise to her role as a Production Assistant at Win-Win, while continuing to mentor undergrads at Central Saint Martins.
Lu’s love for art and speculative design are her passions outside of the office. She finds inspiration in working with materials and living organisms, embodying creativity in all aspects of her life.
Keeping everything ship shape and ensuring that everything is ticking over like clockwork in the busy R&D lab, Issac has a keen eye for organisation and developing new systems and processes to make everyone at Win-Win’s life as easy as possible i
Outside of the office, Isaac plays music in rock bands around London (pssst. bass guitar is his true passion!) and puts on DIY events including gigs and tasty supper clubs at his Hackney Wick-based home.
Open Positions
Role: Production Assistant
Reports to: Operations Director
Location: London, UK
What are we up to?
We’re developing chocolate without cocoa.
Why do we need your help?
We are building out our team to develop and perfect our products.
We are looking for a Production Assistant.
What you’ll do:
> Work as part of our production team to make, test, and document our products and ingredients.
> Weigh out lots of things, wash lots of things, taste lots of things, and make detailed documentation about your work.
> Manual lifting within health & safety regulations.
> Ensure sanitary conditions in the workspace: clean down is vital for our work and you will be required to do a lot of this.
Who are you?
More than anything we want to find great people to work with. If the above resonates and sounds interesting to you, then get in touch.
However in an ideal world you—our perfect person—would:
> Be organised and timely: we run a tight, clean kitchen.
> Be creative and good at thinking outside the box.
> Be familiar with using Google Docs and MS Excel and/or Google Sheets.
> Be good at writing clear, concise notes about the work you’re doing in the workshop.
> Be keen to get your hands dirty: literally, covered in chocolate, sometimes but also willing to apply yourself to new problems that you might not have faced before.
> Be open to learning new things and being good at receiving constructive feedback to guide you in your journey.
You should also:
> Love chocolate!
> Be able to work weekends
> Be able to work in the UK, specifically at our HQ in East London
Most other things are negotiable but these three—unfortunately—are not!
What we’ll give you in return for your soul employment:
> 4 Weeks structured training from our in-house experts
> Fantastic working hours with no late nights!
> A competitive salary, because money makes the world go round
> Flexible working hours — we’re looking for someone to work PT (8-20 hours a week to begin with, including weekend work)
> Opportunities for professional development — we like to grow people and grow with people!
> The chance to work with like-minded, fun people who have lots of great ideas and dreams
> The chance to be one of the first employees in a quickly growing, exciting company
Our take on diversity:
Win-Win for everyone.
We’re an equal-opportunity employer.
We will consider all applications equally regardless of a person’s race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity.
Moreover, we actively encourage individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in the food and food tech space to apply.
Let’s fight climate change and inequality together.
How to apply:
If the above sounds like you, then apply! What are you waiting for?
Drop us an email at hello@eatwinwin.com.
NO AGENCIES OR RECRUITERS PLEASE
Role: Head of R&D / Director of R&D
Reports to: Founder/CEO
Location: London, UK
Company:
Win-Win, headquartered in London, UK, is a pioneer, disrupting the chocolate industry with an ethical and environmentally conscious alternative to traditional chocolate. The current cocoa supply chain involves child labor, slave labor, and deforestation, contributing to significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Our innovative approach merges low-carbon, abundant ingredients (cereals + legumes) with our proprietary fermentation tech and leverages existing, conventional chocolate machinery. The end result is an alternative chocolate that tastes, melts, grates, and snaps the same as conventional chocolate but avoids these problems.
Win-Win’s first products are a range of award-winning alt-chocs: vegan m.lk, milk, and dark choc easy melt buttons available for B2B industry partners.
Win-win has raised 5 million GBP in funding from European impact, climate, and biotech funds. The company has a cash runway well into 2025 and intends to raise additional funding in the near future.
Position Overview:
WIn-Win is growing quickly and holds high ambitions for the future. The Head of / Director of R&D is expected to be a key contributor and enabler of the delivery of the vision. The successful Head of / Director of R&D will act as a thought partner to the CEO and founder. They will be a strong team player, motivated by the group’s success, and always seeking to make a positive difference.
Roles & Responsibilities:
The Head of/ Director of R&D has a pivotal strategic leadership role, crafting, implementing, and driving our strategy and research and development efforts forward. The position will oversee 6-8 reports. This profile will lead our fermentation initiatives, exploring innovative techniques to enhance flavor profiles and improve the quality of our products. Additionally, this role will spearhead new product development projects, leveraging their expertise to create unique and market-leading alt-choc products.
Strategy & Leadership
> Craft the company’s vision and lead the successful development, launch, and implementation of products
> Define project plans with clear objectives, manage variances, develop timelines, and guide the team to meet deliverables and objectives
> Provide strategic oversight for decision-making, planning, and prioritisation of the product development pipeline
> Lead and manage a team of 6-8 reports, guiding them in developing innovative products while ensuring competency and structure align with the long-term strategy
> Foster a culture of creativity and scientific rigor within the R&D team
> Provide mentorship and guidance to food scientists and technologists to enhance their understanding of innovative food chemistry and product development
> Drive accountability for talent selection and development within the organization
> Build and maintain a high-performing team, fostering collaboration and delivering excellence
Functional Responsibilities
> Lead the R&D team in developing and implementing cutting-edge biomass fermentation processes to optimize our alt-choc’s flavor, function, and quality
> Structure the team to fulfill the business strategy and goals, as well as the growth and development of partners/collaborators
> Oversee all aspects of new product development, from ideation to commercialisation, ensuring on-time delivery and within budget, alignment with company goals and market trends
> Oversee operational scale-up of fermentation process and new products
> Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including operations, sales and marketing, to drive innovation and bring new products to market successfully
> Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and scientific advancements to inform R&D strategies and maintain a competitive edge
> Conduct continuous market research to identify emerging trends in formulation innovations, new ingredients and processing methodologies
> Manage collaborations with external partners (e.g., academic institutions, laboratories, consultants, etc.) and suppliers to develop and source sustainable, high-quality and differentiating ingredients
> Lead IP management for all R&D initiatives and all application formats
> Anticipate the impact of the changing regulatory environment on existing market segments and products and propose strategies, tactics, and new or modified products accordingly
Qualifications:
> PhD in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field from a leading academic institution. A focus on fermentation and/or chocolate is strongly preferred. Technical discipline required.
> Minimum of 7 years of experience in R&D leadership roles within the food industry, with a proven track record of successful product development and innovation.
– Expertise in fermentation techniques, flavor chemistry, and sensory evaluation.
– In-depth knowledge about raw materials, ingredients and their interaction
– Knowledge of DoE, analytical and experimental testing methodologies within the food industry
– Hands-on experience in: ideation, rigorous experimental testing of new formulations, ingredient functionality evaluation, and/or analytical characterisation and prototyping
– Demonstrated track record of successful technology transfer, development, new product launch, and leveraging of external innovations
– Ability to lead teams, make decisions in an uncertain environment and guide teams through ambiguity while driving for results
> Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines, and manage resources effectively.
> Excellent communication and leadership abilities, with the capacity to inspire and motivate a team towards common goals.
> Passion for sustainability, ethical sourcing, and creating positive social impact through food innovation.
> Based in the UK or willing to relocate to London. This role will be based at the R&D lab in Hackney Wick.
Benefits:
> Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
> Comprehensive health benefits package, including medical and gym membership.
> Opportunities for professional development and career advancement within a rapidly growing company.
> A collaborative and inclusive work environment that values diversity and creativity.
> Access to a vibrant office in the center of East London (Hackney Wick), with a barista-level coffee machine and delicious snacks (we are a food company after all!)
> The opportunity to be part of a movement towards a more sustainable and ethical food industry.
How to Apply:
If you are a visionary leader with a passion for chocolate innovation and a drive to make a positive impact, we want to hear from you! Please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are the ideal candidate for the Head of / Director of R&D position at Win-Win at ahrum@eatwinwin.com.
NO AGENCIES OR RECRUITERS PLEASE