Lilly’s Kitchen. St Pierre. Crosta & Mollica. He’s been in and around some of the UK’s biggest challenger brand growth stories.
He recently sat down for a chat on the HUNGRY podcast. If you’re growing a food brand right now, especially one looking to scale, it’s well worth a listen.
We’ve pulled out some of the smartest takeaways from his episode. Especially the ones that relate to something many brands leave too late: print and packaging.
Here’s what you’ll take away from reading this.
What you’ll learn:
– Why frozen food might be your next luxury category
– How to make packaging work harder, not just prettier
– The small details that make people trust your brand
– What to think about before a big raise or exit
– Why your story belongs on your pack, not just your pitch deck
– How France is schooling us on frozen branding
– And why the best brands don’t chase trends. They reframe them
Start with how people see your category
“Frozen in the UK gets a bad rep… Picard in France is the retailer that is a Marks & Spencer’s quality and it’s all frozen.”
David’s not wrong. In the UK, frozen can feel like the budget aisle. In France? It’s fancy. Premium. Efficient.
If you’re in a category with baggage, don’t just accept it. Reframe it. That starts with packaging. The words, the colours, the finish, the feel. That’s your chance to show people your product deserves to be thought about differently.
Use packaging to change the conversation. Don’t say “frozen.” Say “fresh-locked.” Don’t say “long life.” Say “zero waste.” The words matter.
Solve real-world problems right there on pack
“No preservatives… less ultra processed… no waste… no waste at home.”
That quote says it all. Milner isn’t just talking ingredients. He’s talking benefits. What’s better for the shopper. What makes life easier.
And if you’ve got that kind of product, you’ve got to shout about it. Not in an ad. Not in a founder story on your website. Right on the pack.
Don’t just say what your product is. Say what it solves. Be clear, be punchy and be helpful. That’s the stuff that makes people pick you up and come back.
Small touches. Big impact
You know that feeling when you pick something up and go, “Ooh, this feels nice”? That’s not by accident. Milner’s brands pay attention to that stuff. The finish on the box, the message inside the lid, the back-of-pack copy that makes you smile.
Add one small premium detail. A soft-touch label. A foil flash. A line of copy that sounds like a real human. That’s how trust starts. Quietly.
If you’re planning to grow, your packaging has to grow up too
“I brought somebody in… David Milner took over… I had a nervous breakdown… running the business for eleven years.”
Henrietta Morrison, Lilly’s Kitchen founder
Henrietta’s honesty here says it all. When your business starts to grow beyond you, things have to shift. Your team. Your systems. Your packaging.
David helped steady the ship and set the brand up for its next chapter. That includes getting the print right. Because design speaks volumes to customers, buyers and investors.
Don’t wait until the week before a raise to redesign. Update your pack like you’re already where you want to be.
Tell your story where it matters most
Some founders tell amazing stories in pitch decks, interviews and brand books. But forget to include it on the one place it’s guaranteed to be seen. The pack.
David’s brands win because they know who they are. And they say it again and again, across every printed touchpoint. Front of pack. Inner tray. Trade SRP. All of it.
Your packaging is your loudest employee. Don’t let it mumble. Tell your story clearly, proudly and often.
What Milner reminds us is simple. The brands that grow aren’t just clever with product or price. They’re smart with how they show up. And packaging? It’s not just a container. It’s your billboard. Your voice. Your best salesperson.
And when it’s done right, it doesn’t just make you look better. It makes you grow faster.
