Julian Metcalfe joins Knoops amid £5m fundraiser

The artisanal hot chocolate café brand says the appointment of Metcalfe and Avis, who are both investors in the business, brings further expertise to the group from which to execute its international ambitions in the coming decade and drive growth.

Founded by Jens Knoop in Rye, East Sussex, in 2013, Knoops currently operates 20 sites across the UK.

The group has recently opened locations in Bristol, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Leeds, with outposts in York, Exeter and Belfast in the pipeline.

“Knoops, like Itsu, is a pioneering confident brand with a sense of purpose and a passion for quality,” says Metcalfe (pictured).

“They don't come around that often and I applaud their leadership and vision. I am hugely excited to be part of this story.”

Alongside the appointments, Knoops has secured EIS approval for a £5m fundraising, which will be led by Lush co-founder, Andrew Gerrie.

It comes after Knoops CEO William Gordon-Harris recently revealed that he is seeking to ‘build a billion-dollar brand’​​ and has a goal of operating 3,000 stores globally by 2030.

The group has already agreed its first international partnership to open sites in the Middle East, with expansion into the US and China also being discussed.

“The reality of Knoops being a leading global brand has taken one step closer with Julian and Alice joining the Board and investing in the business alongside Andrew,” says Gordon-Harris.

“Their belief in the scale and scope of our chocolate drinks offering and the ability of Knoops to lead this unique category is a fantastic endorsement. We are building upon our world-class team to realise our ambitions.”