James Averdieck (born November 1965) is a British entrepreneur, the founder of the dessert manufacturer

Gü Gü () is a dessert manufacturing company, whose products are sold in the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the United States. The product is made in the UK and was created by James Av ...

and the Coconut Collaborative.

Early life

Averdieck was born in November 1965. His father was the owner of a textile business. His grandfather also had his own business. He has a twin brother Ed, managing director of Nokia Music and an older brother Will, who is an inventor. He was educated at

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils 13-18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. The headma ...

, and received a bachelor's degree in economics from Durham University in 1988.

Career

Averdieck worked for the food companies Safeway and

St Ivel St Ivel is a brand of dairy products in the United Kingdom, introduced in 1901 by the Yeovil-based dairy company Aplin & Barrett, for use on a range of their products. The company was taken over by Unigate Dairy Company in 1960. Most production ...

for ten years. He founded

in 2003, and in 2010 sold it to Noble Foods for £32.5 million. In 2014, he bought a majority stake in Bessant and Drury, a small

dairy-free Milk allergy is an adverse immune reaction to one or more proteins in cow's milk. Among the possible symptoms is anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition that requires treatment with epinephrine, among other measures. However, ...

ice cream company, which he rebranded as the Coconut Collaborative. The company produces ice cream and other desserts using coconut milk or

almond milk Almond milk is a plant-based milk with a watery texture and nutty flavor manufactured from almonds, although some types or brands are flavored in imitation of cow's milk. It does not contain cholesterol or lactose and is low in saturated fat. ...

instead of dairy. Its products are produced and sold in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Personal life

Averdieck married Annie Averdieck in 1993, with whom he has two children. He married Charlotte Knight on 6 December 2018 at St. Margaret, Kilmersdon, Somerset, England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Averdieck, James 1965 births Living people Alumni of the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham People educated at Uppingham School British company founders