New Chapter Consulting

What New Chapter Consulting does

New Chapter Consulting is a privately held UK recruitment consultancy specialising in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, operating under the legal entity New Chapter Talent Solutions Limited. Founded in 2005 and led by Founder & CEO Adrian Dalby, the firm is headquartered at a registered address in Harrogate (North Yorkshire) with operational offices in Leeds (Northern England) and London, and claims international recruiting reach across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Its core proposition is the placement of permanent and interim middle-to-senior management talent across Food, Drink, Consumer Goods, Beauty & Fragrance and Luxury Goods verticals, with functional coverage spanning Sales & Marketing, Category Management, Operations & Production, NPD & Technical, R&D, Packaging, and Supply Chain & Procurement.

The service portfolio is built around three engagement modes — assignment services, database search and consultancy services — supplemented by three bespoke report products (remuneration benchmarking, competitor insights and talent pool reports) and an annual content franchise anchored by the FMCG Salary Survey and the Drinks Salary Survey (the latter with 400+ contributors in 2024). Service delivery is governed by an internally branded "Five-squared" (Five²) recruitment methodology intended to standardise candidate handling and employer-brand representation. Customer logos span recognised consumer brands including Red Bull, Muller, Oatly, Diptyque, Godiva, Laurent-Perrier, Gallo, Haymans, NetJets and Quorn, indicating enterprise-segment reach alongside SME/start-up work.

Revenue is generated exclusively through professional-services fees from client mandates (typical percentage-of-salary or fixed placement fee, not publicly disclosed). The firm is sales-led, distributed through direct outreach from the two UK offices plus website enquiry and content marketing (salary surveys as gated lead magnets, active blog and social channels). Operating status is "active," ownership remains with the founder (no external funding rounds, no parent, no M&A activity on record), and the management team includes a Managing Director (North) plus vertical Directors for Drinks, Consumer and FMCG supported by named Senior and Associate Consultants.

Name

New Chapter Consulting

Legal name

New Chapter Talent Solutions Limited

Website

https://newchapter.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New Chapter Consulting is a UK-based specialist recruitment consultancy placing permanent and interim middle-to-senior management talent across FMCG, Drinks, Consumer Goods, Beauty & Fragrance and Luxury sectors, with offices in Leeds and London and international recruiting reach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership Development & Executive Coaching (BPAHAGAD), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• FMCG recruitment services
• Executive search
• Talent acquisition
• Salary benchmarking
• Consumer goods staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Recruitment Services - Assignment Services: Traditional recruitment placement services for placing permanent and interim candidates in FMCG, Retail, and Consumer organisations. The company charges clients for successful candidate placements.
2. Database Search Services: Specialist database searching to identify and recruit candidates for specific roles, particularly for hard-to-fill positions requiring specialized skills.
3. Consultancy Services: Advisory and consulting services related to talent acquisition, remuneration benchmarking, competitor insights, and talent pool reports.
4. Salary Survey Publications: Industry-specific salary surveys (FMCG Salary Survey, Drinks Salary Survey) published annually, potentially providing market intelligence to both employers and candidates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

New Chapter Consulting is a UK-based recruitment consultancy that places permanent and interim middle-to-senior management talent into FMCG, Retail, and Consumer organisations. It delivers three core services — assignment services, database search, and consultancy services — supported by bespoke reports covering remuneration benchmarking, competitor insights, and talent pool mapping. It also publishes annual FMCG and Drinks Salary Surveys.

Product overview

New Chapter Consulting is an established FMCG recruitment consultancy offering a unified service portfolio built around its core recruitment offering. The primary service encompasses Assignment Services, Database Search, and Consultancy Services for permanent and interim middle to senior management placements across Food, Drink, Non-Food, Beauty & Fragrance, and Luxury Goods sectors. Supporting the core recruitment function, the company provides three types of add-on analytical products: FMCG Salary Survey and Drinks Salary Survey (annual benchmark reports), and three bespoke reporting products (Remuneration Benchmarking, Competitor Insights, and Talent Pool Reports). The company also operates a proprietary Five² (Five-Squared) methodology as a framework for candidate engagement and employer branding representation. All services are delivered with UK focus and international recruiting capabilities, with offices in Leeds and London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assignment Services Recruitment assignment service where New Chapter consultants work on specific hiring mandates for clients seeking to fill permanent and interim middle-to-senior management positions within FMCG, Drinks, Consumer Goods, Beauty, and Luxury sectors.
• Database Search Targeted candidate sourcing service using New Chapter's proprietary database and network to identify and attract suitable candidates for hard-to-fill FMCG, Drinks, Consumer, Beauty and Luxury roles.
• Consultancy Services Strategic recruitment consultancy providing advice and support on hiring strategies, market intelligence, and talent acquisition best practices for FMCG, Retail and Consumer clients.
• Remuneration Benchmarking Reports Bespoke salary benchmarking reports comparing client compensation packages against industry standards to ensure competitive positioning in the FMCG talent market.
• Competitor Insights Reports Market intelligence reports providing analysis of competitor hiring practices, compensation strategies, and talent movement within the FMCG sector.
• Talent Pool Reports Custom reports mapping potential candidates and talent availability within specific FMCG industry segments or geographic regions.
• FMCG Salary Survey 2024 Annual industry report providing FMCG, Retail, and Drinks industries with insights into the employment landscape, covering salaries, bonuses, and benefits across sales, marketing, category management, senior, net revenue management, and digital marketing roles.
• Drinks Salary Survey 2024

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ contributors to Drinks Salary Survey 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Deeply FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeeply Foods, a prebiotic gut health brand launched in September 2023, has utilized New Chapter Consulting for recruitment placements. Co-Founder Clara Latham mentions working with New Chapter for hiring at previous companies including Seedlip, noting successful placements of sales and commercial talent.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quest Search & Selection: UK-based specialist recruitment firm focused on FMCG, Consumer, and Retail sectors across commercial and operational roles. Direct competitor for the same middle-to-senior management mandates New Chapter targets.
• Seven Search & Selection: Specialist UK recruitment consultancy with dedicated FMCG, Consumer, and Retail practices. Closely comparable in vertical focus, client profile (consumer brands), and middle-to-senior placement positioning.
• Bloom Search: UK-based boutique search firm serving Consumer, Retail, and FMCG brands with senior commercial and marketing placements. Operates in the same niche with comparable boutique scale.
• Straight Forward Search & Selection: UK recruitment consultancy covering FMCG, Consumer, and Retail verticals. Comparable in size, sector focus, and target buyer profile to New Chapter Consulting.

Broad incumbents

• Hays: One of the largest UK-listed recruitment firms with a Consumer Goods / FMCG practice. Overlaps with New Chapter on senior commercial and operational placements but operates globally across all sectors.
• Robert Walters: International recruitment group with a dedicated Consumer Goods practice covering FMCG brands. Competes for mid-to-senior FMCG placements with broader geographic and functional reach.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with a Consumer Practice covering FMCG, Retail, and Luxury. Competes at the senior end of New Chapter's mandate range but with broader cross-border capabilities.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a dedicated Consumer Practice for executive search across FMCG, Retail, and Luxury. Overlaps at the senior executive end of New Chapter's placement work.
• Michael Page: Global recruitment firm with a dedicated Consumer Goods / FMCG practice across permanent and interim middle management. Competes for the same enterprise mandates but from a much larger, multi-vertical platform.

Others

• LinkedIn (Talent Solutions): Dominant professional network and talent platform widely used by FMCG employers for direct sourcing. Functions as both an enabler and a competitive substitute for traditional recruitment consultancies like New Chapter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/newchapterltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/newchapterconsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-chapter-consulting
• Instagraminstagram.com/newchapter_consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Chapter Consulting