Julian Edward Metcalfe OBE (born 14 December 1959) is a British entrepreneur and founder of food retailers

Itsu Itsu is a British chain of East Asian-inspired fast food shops and restaurants and a grocery company.Moules, Jonathan"Itsu founder nurtures a new generation" ''Financial Times'', London, 21 January 2014. Retrieved on 21 January 2014. The chain ...

, and

Metcalfe's Food Company Metcalfe’s Food Company was a privately owned food business set up in 2010 by Julian Metcalfe, the founder of the sandwich chain Pret A Manger and Robert Jakobi. Metcalfe’s Food Company sold products under two brands Metcalfes Skinny and i ...

. According to the ''

Sunday Times Rich List The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday news ...

'' in 2019, Metcalfe is worth £215 million, an increase of £51 million from 2018.

Early life

Metcalfe is the grandson of Edward Dudley Metcalfe, MVO, MC, an officer in the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

and a close friend and

equerry An equerry (; from French ' stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually up ...

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

. One of his great-grandfathers was

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman ...

, a

Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...

, and a great-grandmother was the American heiress

Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston Mary Victoria Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston, (née Leiter; May 27, 1870July 18, 1906) was a British peeress of American background who was Vicereine of India, as the wife of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy of India. As Vicereine o ...

. Metcalfe was educated at

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

in north-west

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He later attended the

Polytechnic of Central London , mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength , type = Public , established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster , endowment = £5.1 million ...

, where he first met his later business partner, Sinclair Beecham.

Career

Metcalfe founded

Pret a Manger Pret A Manger (''prêt à manger'' is French for ''ready to eat'') is an international sandwich shop franchise chain based in the United Kingdom, popularly referred to as Pret, founded in 1983. As of December 2022, Pret had 434 shops in the UK ...

, the popular

sandwich shop A sandwich bar is a restaurant or take-away food shop that primarily sells sandwiches. Some sandwich bars also offer other types of fare, such as soups, grilled foods. and meals. Notable sandwich bars include Subway and Arby's Arby's is an ...

with college friend Sinclair Beecham in 1986, after purchasing the name and assets from the original founder Jeffrey Hyman. In May 2018, Pret was bought for £1.5 billion, and Metcalfe's stake was valued at £75 million. Metcalfe founded

itsu Itsu is a British chain of East Asian-inspired fast food shops and restaurants and a grocery company.Moules, Jonathan"Itsu founder nurtures a new generation" ''Financial Times'', London, 21 January 2014. Retrieved on 21 January 2014. The chain ...

in 1997. He currently owns 54% of the company. Metcalfe founded

in 2008. It sells Asian inspired food under the brand name

and a range of snack food under the brand name Metcalfe’s skinny. Metcalfe's skinny snack food Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn is a popular brand of popcorn 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. In September 2016, Metcalfe sold his interests in Metcalfes Skinny in full to Kettle Foods owner

Snyder's-Lance Snyder's-Lance, Inc. is the second largest salty snack maker in the United States. It was formed by the 2010 merger of Lance Inc. and Snyder's of Hanover. The company is a subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company. History On September 6, 2012, ...

. Already a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE), he was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

2014 Birthday Honours The 2014 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of ...

for services to the hospitality industry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metcalfe, Julian Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire 1959 births People educated at Harrow School