Paul Lindley

Paul Lindley is a leading UK entrepreneur and founder of Ella's Kitchen – the premier baby and children's food brand in the UK.

Paul Lindley founded Ella's Kitchen after nine years at Nickelodeon, where he rose from Financial Controller to Deputy Managing Director, before which he trained and qualified as an accountant at KPMG. Paul's daughter Ella was the inspiration behind the creation of Ella’s Kitchen. Recognising a gap in the children’s food market, Paul gave up his job at Nickelodeon in 2004 to embark on a research mission. Investigating the worlds of grocery retail, food manufacturing and the FMCG industry allowed Paul to conclude that Ella’s Kitchen would not only be a viable but essential addition to the existing market.

From a standing start at the start of 2006, the company's revenues have doubled every year to around £31 million this year and the company now has 45 employees. In 2011 families spent over £50 million on Ella’s Kitchen foods. In each of 2009, 2010 and 2011, Ella’s Kitchen was ranked in the top 25 fastest growing private companies in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100, and in June 2010 was voted the Best Food and Drink Brand in the 2010 Grocer Gold Awards, beating Hovis, Walkers, Doritos and Cadburys. Having won numerous awards for its customer focus, Ella’s Kitchen has co-founded The Consumer Forum, to promote customer excellence in business.

In 2011, Paul won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the National Business Awards and was also selected as one of the Department for Business's inspiring entrepreneurs in the Business In You campaign- a partnership between private enterprise and Government to highlight support for start-ups and growing businesses and encourage entrepreneurial spirit in 2012.