Your Food and Beverage Recruitment Specialists
We are Bristol Associates, a boutique executive search firm, founded in 1967. As a core focus since our founding, our Food and Beverage recruitment division has been placing top talent at leading companies in the food industry for over 55 years. Our experienced F&B recruiters successfully complete searches using our comprehensive industry knowledge, advanced recruiting technology, extensive network, and ever-expanding database. We have an excellent track record of placement success and are regarded as one of the top search firms in the industry, recruiting key executives across all functions, both nationwide and globally.
Our Focus
Our vast client base encompasses companies of varying sizes across all areas of the F&B sector and supply chain. We offer hiring expertise to any organization that needs people with the specialized skills and experience required for food industry opportunities. This includes production and manufacturing businesses, R&D organizations, first-stage agricultural suppliers, consumer packaged foods, finished food & beverage product manufacturers (for retail and food service channels), as well as formulated ingredients, food service ingredients, industrial ingredients, nutritional supplement providers, and businesses involved with CBD products. We work with start-ups, turnaround operations, and private equity firms to find the best candidates to fit our client’s unique requirements. Our staffing agency also provides talent acquisition services for culinary positions, kitchen jobs, and other executive roles in the restaurant industry.
Our Scope and Process
Bristol’s retained search and recruitment service includes sourcing, screening, submitting qualified candidates, scheduling interviews, and negotiating employment and compensation packages of selected finalists. As an experienced headhunter agency, we are adept at providing executive recruitment for food management and leadership roles. We also understand the value of diverse teams and can deliver recruitment solutions to help our clients maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.
Since each search is unique, we personalize our process for each company and role, mindfully tailoring our recruitment strategy to ensure we find, not just a skilled candidate, but high-quality applicants ideally suited to your team. Our commitment to this goal starts by developing an in-depth understanding of our clients’ business needs and culture at the beginning of our relationship. We take the same hands-on approach with candidates we represent, learning their values, workplace preferences, and aspirations so we can match them to relevant openings that further their careers. The connections we form with both our clients and candidates are valued, and we maintain these relationships with great care.
Given our firm’s industry focus and vast database of talent, we have in-depth knowledge of compensation ranges from CEO and other C-suite executives to mid-level management. We regularly advise clients on current job market conditions and consult on matters of compensation including base salaries, bonus programs, commission structures, incentives, benefits, and long-term compensation. We can provide customized compensation information (wage studies) à la carte to our main retained executive search services. The salary data we provide is always anonymous, in that it is tied to job titles and not executives’ names.
If you are an employer in need of a recruiter who understands the food and beverage field inside and out, contact the experts at Bristol today to learn how we can support your food recruiting needs.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing Survey
Since 2020, Bristol has conducted the Annual Food and Beverage Manufacturing Survey, which is designed to help the F&B industry attract, retain, and motivate its talent. Yearly analysis provides insight into professionals’ current attitudes and preferences towards their workplace and the industry at large, as well as how they change over the years and how they relate to overall market conditions. View more about our Survey here.
We Recruit for a Variety of Food and Beverage Functions
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Why Work with Bristol Associates?
Over 55 Years in Business
We have specialized in executive search since 1967, and are now in our 3rd generation of family ownership.
Specialized
We have unrivaled industry knowledge in the areas in which we focus.
Individualized Service
We provide consultative, individualized service to our client companies. We pride ourselves in conducting our processes confidentially when necessary.
Network of Candidates
With over 1M+ relevant candidates in our private database, and growing every day, we have a strong network of senior-level talent across the board.
Responsiveness
Our recruiters value a communicative relationship with our select client companies and candidates, providing updates throughout the search.
Experienced
Our exceptional lead recruiters each have at least 15 years’ of experience in executive search.
Partner with Bristol Associates
Our Successful Food and Beverage Searches Keep Our Clients Coming Back
Chief Executive Officer
Our firm was selected by a privately held food ingredient distributor to complete their CEO search. The position serves as a hands-on manager, working to grow business profitably, improve the work environment, and increase the company’s efficiency. They will also collaborate with the Board of Directors and management team to plan, prioritize, and achieve financial and strategic objectives. Our placed candidate had nearly 20 years of experience as President and CFO in the food manufacturing industry at the time of hire. As part of the role, they are now the “face” of the organization internally and externally.
Chief Financial Officer
Our client is a fast-growing, progressive company providing premium-quality natural foods to consumer retail and food service channels. Responsibilities for the role include directing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls; overseeing insurance, risk management, IT Systems, corporate HR functions, and ERP systems; establishing and maintaining relationships with commercial bankers; structuring debt arrangements; and ensuring debt covenant compliance. Our placed candidate has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting along with over 10 years of progressive food industry experience in a manufacturing setting.
Vice President of Quality Control and Food Safety Compliance
We completed this search for a privately held, family-owned and operated company that has been in the bottled water business for over 60 years. The position is responsible for assisting in the training and management of the quality control department and overseeing the company’s food safety program across nine manufacturing facilities, as well as leading and managing internal and external audit teams to ensure quality control and food safety compliance and consistency. Our placed candidate leads and manages the design and maintenance of a comprehensive food safety compliance program, including formulation and program document updates, performance of regular audits, and continual department personnel training.
Purchasing and Planning Manager
Our client is a long-established, highly regarded category leader located in Southern California. The Purchasing and Planning Manager works with the executive management team to implement new and improved processes. Our placed candidate is now responsible for developing and implementing ways to make the planning process of the organization more effective.
We Can Fill Your Roles Across the Industry
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Operating Officer (COO)
- Director of Food Service Sales
- Food Scientist
- General Manager (GM)
- Plant Controller
- Plant Manager
- President
- Purchasing Director
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Regional Sales Manager
- Vice President of Engineering
- Vice President of Food Safety and Quality
- Vice President of Marketing
- Vice President of Operations
- Vice President of Research and Development
- Vice President of Sales
- Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics
Check Out Our Latest Food and Beverage Jobs
I.T. Manager
West Coast
Our client is a bakery in the Los Angeles area that produces delicious baked goods…
Senior Sales Manager
Remote - USA
Our client is a manufacturer of specialty ingredients and custom solutions for innovative food, beverage,…
Food Safety and Quality Manager
Los Angeles Area
Our client is a manufacturer of customized food and beverage products (powders, concentrates) for the…