Strategic advisor to food and FMCG brands

I took LoveRaw from my kitchen to 13,000+ stores. Now I help food founders scale with fewer mistakes.

I know the sleepless nights, the bad buyer meetings, and what it takes to raise money when no one knows your name. Let someone who has done it sit in your corner.

Book a free 30-minute call How I help

LoveRaw was stocked in

About

I know what it takes to grow a brand and I know what kills one.

12 years of lived experience across every stage of the journey.

I am Manav. I co-founded LoveRaw and spent 12 years scaling it from my kitchen to one of the UK’s fastest-growing plant-based chocolate brands.

I secured listings in Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Boots, WHSmith, and Co-op in the UK, and expanded internationally into Carrefour, Spar, and Amazon across 25+ countries. I grew brand awareness from 5% to 18% in a single year, generated over 36 million media impressions, led multi-million-pound fundraising rounds, and brought in over £10 million in cumulative revenue.

I also lived the hard side. Product recalls. Trademark disputes. Global supply chain disruption. I have seen the full picture and that is exactly why founders trust me.

I now work with food and FMCG brands as a strategic advisor, helping founders scale faster and smarter than I did, while avoiding the mistakes I made along the way. I see the things you cannot see yourself, the hidden problems, the blind spots, the opportunities you are missing.

Manav Thapar with LoveRaw products in Tesco
Revenue
£10M+
Stores
13K+
Countries
25+
Media Reach
36M+
Years
12
What I do

Ten core areas.

I work with ambitious food and FMCG brands across ten areas, bringing hard-won lessons from building and scaling a brand.

01 Retail & DistributionStrategy 02 Fundraising& Investor Readiness 03 Brand Strategy& Growth 04 Building YourEconomic Moat 05 NPD & InnovationPipeline 06 InternationalExpansion 07 Wealth Preservation& Capital Efficiency 08 Operational Resilience& Crisis Management 09 Sustainability& Mission-Led Business 10 Founder Mentorship& Productivity
  1. 01 / 10

    Retail & Distribution Strategy

    I secured listings in Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Boots, WHSmith, Co-op, Carrefour, Spar, and Amazon. I help brands break into Tier 1 retailers, nail buyer pitches, optimise pricing, and build commercial relationships that actually last.

    Start with: a focused project

  2. 02 / 10

    Fundraising & Investor Readiness

    I led multi-million-pound fundraising rounds and sat across the table from angels, VCs, and PE firms. I help founders build investor narratives, sharpen financial models, target the right investors, and prepare for due diligence.

    Start with: a focused project

  3. 03 / 10

    Brand Strategy & Growth

    I grew LoveRaw’s awareness from 5% to 18% in one year, generated 36M+ media impressions, and built a brand that owned 5 of the top 7 bars in its category. I help founders sharpen messaging, build community, and create brand love that converts.

    Start with: a single session

  4. 04 / 10

    Building Your Economic Moat

    Scaling is one thing. Making your business defensible is another. I help founders build structural advantages: category ownership, IP protection, supply chain exclusivity, and brand loyalty that compounds over time.

    Start with: a single session

  5. 05 / 10

    NPD & Innovation Pipeline

    I built a 3-year innovation pipeline and developed SKUs that led their segments in taste and performance. I help brands choose which products to back, validate them fast, and position them for both retailers and consumers.

    Start with: a focused project

  6. 06 / 10

    International Expansion

    I expanded LoveRaw into 25+ countries, secured a worldwide distribution agreement with Spar, and recruited international GMs. I help brands grow their global footprint without diluting focus or product-market fit.

    Start with: a focused project

  7. 07 / 10

    Wealth Preservation & Capital Efficiency

    I increased gross margins through smart cost-cutting and pricing, and I learned the hard way what happens when founders do not separate personal wealth from business risk. I help founders build financial resilience alongside growth.

    Start with: a single session

  8. 08 / 10

    Operational Resilience & Crisis Management

    Product recalls. Trademark disputes. Global supply chain disruption. Administration. I have navigated all of it. I help founders create contingency plans, build supply chain resilience, and make sharp decisions under pressure.

    Start with: a single session

  9. 09 / 10

    Sustainability & Mission-Led Business

    I achieved 41% lower emissions versus dairy chocolate, developed a clean-label ethical product range, and embedded ESG into product, brand, and team values. I help brands build purpose into operations. No greenwashing, just smart sustainability.

    Start with: a single session

  10. 10 / 10

    Founder Mentorship & Productivity

    I grew a global brand while raising four young children. I have navigated overwhelm, identity shifts, and the pressure of being the person everyone depends on. I mentor founders with practical tools for time, energy, and decision-making.

    Start with: ongoing

How I help

Three ways to work together.

  1. A single session

    A focused 60-minute call on your biggest challenge, in any one of the ten areas. You leave with a clear action plan and specific next steps.

    Best for: founders with a specific decision or problem to solve.

    Ask about this

  2. A focused project

    A short piece of work on one area: getting retail-ready, getting investor-ready, going international, or focusing your NPD pipeline. Most run for two weeks.

    Best for: brands facing one big step, such as a first retailer, a raise, a new market or too many product ideas.

    Ask about this

  3. Ongoing

    Founder mentorship, with two 45-minute calls a month and WhatsApp in between. Or a fractional commercial director, in your business 1 to 2 days a week.

    Best for: founders who want someone in their corner every month, and brands doing £500K to £5M who need senior commercial leadership.

    Ask about this
My story · The LoveRaw journey

It started in my kitchen.

No investors. No retail connections. No industry experience. Just a belief that plant-based chocolate could taste as good as dairy, and a willingness to figure it out as I went. That was 2013. My co-founder and I made products by hand and sold them at local markets.

Within a few years, we had our first retail listing. Then another. Then Tesco came calling. Then Asda, Waitrose, Boots, WHSmith and Co-op. Each one felt like an impossible mountain until we climbed it.

The brand grew fast. I took it international and joined the Tesco Incubator Scheme, and we came to own 5 of the top 7 bars in our UK category. I did all of this while raising four young children.

But it was not a perfect journey. I learned brutal lessons about cash flow, about protecting personal wealth from business risk, and about what happens when growth outpaces the infrastructure beneath it.

Ultimately, the business entered administration.

That is not something I shy away from. It is one of the most important things I bring to the table. The brand did not disappear: it was acquired out of administration and lives on today. I know exactly where the landmines are because I stepped on most of them.

I am not here to give you textbook advice. I am here because I have done the thing you are trying to do.

Get in touch

Most founders only get one shot at this.

The difference between brands that make it and brands that do not is rarely the product. It is the decisions on pricing, on retail, on who to take money from, and on when to expand. I made a lot of those wrong before I got them right. You do not have to.

The quickest way

Book a free 30-minute call

or send a message

Thank you. The quickest way to reach me is a free 30-minute call, booked directly.

How it works

  1. Book a call

    A free 30-minute conversation about where you are and what you need. No pitch, no pressure.

  2. Get a plan

    I will recommend the right level of support. You will know what it costs before you spend a penny.

  3. Start moving

    We get to work. Every engagement ends with clear actions you can take straight away.