Leading figures from the natural and organic products world have been remembering the serial entrepreneur and natural food champion, Simon Dunn, who died at the end of November.
Simon Dunn’s 40-year career in the grocery industry began in the 1970s, when he helped to get a number of now household name brands off the ground – including Jordan’s and Cawston Vale (which joint-founded), and later steering the launch of leading apple juice brand Copella. For 20 years he ran his consultancy business PCHL, working with a wide range of brands. He had a particular passion for helping small food brands to get off the mark.
In a statement on the Cawston Press website, the company said: “Simon loved Cawston Press. It was extraordinary that after involvement in a good number of great brands over many years he had the capacity to embrace another one which, as far as the outside world was concerned, was yet to prove itself fully. We owe it to Simon’s memory to turn the business into the gigantic success that he, above all others, knew it is going to be.”
Natural Products News recently gathered comments and memories from some of those in the natural products world and who knew and worked with him.
Robin Bines, founder of Natural Products News and Natural & Organic Products Europe told us:
“At the end of the eighties, I was happily trading Ecover in the health food trade when, out of the blue, a letter arrived from Sainsbury’s asking us to come and present the products. This went straight in the bin but two weeks later another letter arrived again asking us to present the products, this time “urgently”. On a recommendation, I called up Simon Dunn to ask for advice. “Are you mad or what!?,” he said, “call and make an appointment now – and tell them I’ll be coming too”. Ten days later, Sainsbury’s agreed a three-month exclusive in 150 stores and then extended to more stores. Listings followed rapidly in Tesco, Asda, Safeway, even Morrisons et al. Simon was in his element, expertly guiding the buyers through the tricky minefield of the new world of ‘green’ products.
And so he became our salesman and was instrumental in bringing Ecover to a much wider audience, helping to lay the foundations for the successful brand it still is today. He lived life to the full and it was always a roller coaster ride with Simon, fuelled with salesman’s bravado, lashings of beer, rock’n’roll trivia and endless jokes. Altogether he was a lot of fun to work with, he worked his magic with the buyers too and got the results.
“The trade has lost a pioneer who transformed some original health food trade products into mainstream brands”
The trade has lost a pioneer who transformed some original health food trade products into mainsteam brands, paving the way for a host of other brands that have since made the same journey.”
Green & Black’s and Whole Earth founder, Craig Sams, said:
“Bill Jordan introduced us to Simon Dunn around 1977 and he started representing Whole Earth peanut butter. I remember our first outing together when he and I went to Tesco to pay a visit to Albert Swann, who was ‘old school’ Tesco – he grew up in the business with founder Jack Cohen and Daisy Hyams, a real no nonsense buyer. We were in the lift going up to his office when Simon’s face turned white, he doubled up as he clutched the side of the lift. “Are you OK, Simon?” I asked anxiously. He looked like he was about to throw up. “Yeah, no problem, don’t worry” he croaked. He was suffering that curse of all great actors, including Laurence Olivier, whose greatest performances came during times of chronic stage fright. We walked slowly and a little unsteadily towards Mr. Swann’s desk. Swann crossed his arms, looked significantly at his wristwatch and barked ‘OK, you’ve got 20 minutes. What are you going to try and sell me?’ (that was the old school Tesco way – before their buyers learned about ‘partnership’ and other cuddly stuff.) Simon launched into his pitch, barely mentioning peanut butter but hooking Swann into a narrative that had him chuckling softly, grinning and sometimes even outright laughing. I was gobsmacked, having never seen Simon at full throttle and finding it difficult to connect this person next to me with the whimpering wuss that I’d been in the lift with a few minutes before.
“Simon radiated pure charisma, wit and charm but there was no faltering in his overarching sense of direction”
Simon radiated pure charisma, wit and charm but there was no faltering in his overarching sense of direction – he was laying out the groundwork for a sale and within 20 minutes the deal was done. It was a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Whole Earth brand and was to be repeated over the next few months with other customers. Without Simon I’m not sure we could have reached the level of volume and penetration that the brand now enjoys.”
Simon Wright, brand developer and founder of OF+ Ltd , told us:
“Simon Dunn and I coincided over a love of two things: natural foods and the Rolling Stones. Over dinner before a Sainsbury’s organic dairy meeting I got talking to Simon for the first time about something other than work and realised his deep love of rock’n’roll was a match for my own. There followed a series of excursions: The Who in Southampton, Pete Townshend in Brick Lane and the Stones all over the place, most recently Zurich. His party animal tendencies dimmed in recent years but he was always up for a music-related chat. We even managed to get some work done occasionally, although sadly Fairtrade cigarettes never happened. Simon was a passionate champion of small brands and carefully shepherded their growth: Ecover, Whole Earth, Cawston Press and Jordans were just some of his success stories. He was lucky to find his ever-supportive wife Alyson, and he knew it.”
