Mike Hedges is leaving his role as CEO of Little Moons after two years at the helm, the UK mochi ice-cream business has confirmed.
Hedges has departed “with immediate effect”, the group told Just Food.
Little Moons has already started its search for a new CEO, with Vivien Wong, one of the company's co-founders stepping on an interim basis, supported by executive chair, Flor Healy.
Hedges joined Little Moons in 2022 and managed the group during "a transformative period", it said.
He joined Little Moons with more than 20 years' experience in the food and drinks industry, having worked for snacks groups Proper and Tyrrells, tea major Twinings, and Irish cider giant Bulmers.
Commenting on the news in a statement, Vivien Wong, said: “We’d like to thank Mike for overseeing Little Moons' growth in the UK and internationally over the last couple of years and we wish him the very best for the future.”
The company declined to provide details on the reasons for Hedges' departure.
Founded in 2010 by brother and sister Howard and Vivien Wong, Little Moons produces mochi dough ice cream and sorbet balls in a range of sweet and savoury flavours.
These include pink grapefruit, sweet and salty popcorn, yuzu and lemon, matcha green tea, roasted pistachio, Belgian chocolate and coconut, among others.
Its UK offering also includes chilled mochi cheesecake bites.
[Link src="https://www.just-food.com/interviews/whenever-you-have-success-people-will-try-and-get-a-piece-of-the-pie-little-moons-co-founder-howard-wong-on-bringing-excitement-to-ice-cream/" title="“Whenever you have success, people will try and get a piece of the pie” – Little Moons co-founder Howard Wong on bringing “excitement” to ice cream" font-size="20px"]Based in London, it presently manages two production sites in Park Royal and Wembley.
Some 350 people are employed by the company, 265 of which work at the two factories.
Last October, it announced plans to open its first plant outside of London, in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
It is unclear how much Little Moons will invest in the project but the site is expected to assist the company with its entry into markets in New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The 500,000-square-foot factory is expected to open in the first half of this year.
In 2022, the group achieved an annual turnover rate of £64.5m ($83m).
That same year, it sold a minority stake in the business to private-equity group L Catterton. At the time, Howard Wong said "their support will help us to scale our reach globally”.
In the UK, Little Moons markets to retailers and online delivery giants around the country, such as Morrisons, Sainsburys, Whole Foods, Asda, Waitrose, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Its desserts are also exported to Europe.
