UK tea business Typhoo has appointed Dave McNulty, previously the chief of Burts Snacks, as its new CEO. 

McNulty, whose career includes stints at SHS Group and in the Coca-Cola system, succeeds Andrew Reardon, who is moving to a non-executive director position.

In a statement, McNulty said he had joined Typhoo at a "pivotal moment" for the company.

Typhoo has made changes to its recipe and "overhauled" its supply chain to raise awareness of sexual exploitation on tea plantations.

The group says the changes in its supply chain "guarantee greater control over the quality and taste of the final blend".

McNulty said: "Tea is undeniably a cornerstone of British culture. But what happens behind the scenes is largely unknown. We want to empower consumers, providing them with the tools to make informed choices when purchasing their tea. I’m really looking forward to working with such a brilliant team, and really making an impact."

The new Typhoo CEO spent four years at Burts Snacks, two as MD and then two as chief executive. Last year, the UK crisp maker was bought by Europe Snacks.

Before joining Burt Snacks, McNulty held senior roles at Coca-Cola Enterprises, including director of marketing for energy drinks and trading director for the out-of-home channel. He was managing director at SHS Drinks for three years. 

Typhoo Tea chair Mike Brehme said: “We are delighted to welcome Dave to the team, especially at the beginning of this incredibly important journey. His track record speaks for itself. 

In the year ended September 2023, Typhoo Tea reported annual pre-tax losses of £37.9m ($49.2m), compared to £9.6m the year previous.

Revenue also declined from £33.6m a year earlier to £25.3m.  

Typhoo attributed the results to exceptional costs, which were partly related to one-off expenses from its transformation plan aimed at tackling “significant legacy and structural issues”.