Mr Thomas will join Tulip from Adelie Foods where, in the position of CEO since 2009, he has been instrumental in establishing Adelie as one of the UK's leading food to go businesses, supplying the retail, coffee shop, travel and contract catering sectors.

Before joining Adelie, Mr Thomas held senior management positions with businesses including Mars, PepsiCo, St. Ivel and, most recently, as Managing Director at Bakkavor, during which time he has gained a broad wealth of experience across a range of disciplines including R&D, Supply Chain, Commercial and Operations.

Tulip Ltd's current CEO and Chairman Flemming Enevoldsen said: " We have undertaken a rigorous search in order to find the right individual to lead the Tulip business here in the UK and I know that Chris' experience, customer relationships and value set make him a fantastic fit for our business.

"I will, of course, ensure an effective induction and handover before I return to Denmark and I am confident that Tulip Ltd will continue to strengthen its position under Chris' leadership."

Flemming Enevoldsen will relocate back to Denmark at the beginning of July where he will continue to work with the Danish Crown Group as Chairman of Tulip Ltd and CEO of DC Foods, which includes the four processing companies within the Danish Crown Group.

Mr Thomas said: "I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to join a business of Tulip's expertise and scale and look forward to working with the team to build on the phenomenal growth it has enjoyed over recent years."