John Vincent (restaurateur)
John Vincent | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 28, 1971 Enfield, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, entrepreneur, author |
| Known for | Co-founder of Leon Restaurants; contributor to the 2013 School Food Plan |
| Notable work | Co-author of seven cookbooks under the LEON brand; Winning Not Fighting |
John Vincent MBE (born 28 September 1971) is a British business leader, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the fast-food brand Leon Restaurants. He significantly contributed to the development of the 2013 School Food Plan, for which he was honoured with an MBE. Vincent also serves as chair of the Council for Sustainable Business and has co-written seven cookbooks under the LEON brand.
Early life
Vincent was born in Enfield, London and raised in North London. He attended the private institution Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School before earning a first-class degree in History from St John's College, Cambridge. During his university years, he established an entertainment production company that organised dance and music events.
Career
Following his graduation in 1993, Vincent spent four years in sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble before transitioning to management consultancy with Bain & Co for seven years. From 2004 to 2007, he was involved in overseeing the rebranding and business transformation of whisky and spirits firm Whyte & Mackay under the ownership of Vivian Imerman.
Leon Restaurants
The idea for LEON emerged while Vincent was at Bain & Co., working alongside Henry Dimbleby. Their goal was to establish a fast-food chain offering healthier options with high-quality ingredients, inspired by McDonald's but with a focus on nutrition—described as "If God did fast food." In 2004, together with chef Allegra McEvedy as co-founder, they launched the first LEON outlet on Carnaby Street, London. Within its first year, it earned the title "Best New Restaurant in the UK" from The Observer.
LEON distinguished itself as a leader in sustainable dining by becoming a founding member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) in 2013. It achieved the SRA’s top three-star rating in 2018 and received the 2017 Sustainability Hero accolade at the Food Made Good awards. Additionally, LEON was featured in the 2017 Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list.
In 2014, Vincent took on the role of CEO, managing day-to-day operations, while Dimbleby exited the board in 2017. Since then, LEON has grown internationally and broadened its product range by introducing cookware and tableware collections through collaborations with retailers such as John Lewis.
The School Food Plan
In 2013, Vincent and Dimbleby led an independent review commissioned by the UK Government focusing on the school meal programme. This resulted in the practical "School Food Plan," which laid the groundwork for updated school meal regulations throughout the UK.
Major components included introducing cookery classes for children up to age 14, providing universal free meals for infants, and enforcing stricter nutritional standards within schools.
The initiative has improved daily meals for five million pupils across 22,000 schools nationwide. Both founders were honoured with MBEs in 2015 for their services to school food and were recipients of the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Raymond Blanc Sustainability Hero award in 2017.
Council for Sustainable Business
In 2018, Vincent was invited to play a key role in founding and chairing the Council for Sustainable Business, an initiative aimed at motivating UK companies to safeguard and enhance the natural environment while providing guidance on fulfilling the objectives outlined in the 25 Year Environment Plan.
Books and newspaper column
Between 2014 and 2015, Vincent contributed a regular column to Metro. Additionally, he has co-written seven cookbooks associated with LEON, which include:
- Naturally Fast Food
- Family & Friends
- Fast & Free
- Fast Vegan
- Happy Salads
- Happy Soups
- Happy One-Pot Cooking
In 2019, he also collaborated with Wing Tsun martial arts expert Julian Hitch to produce the book Winning Not Fighting.
Personal life
Vincent wed broadcaster Katie Derham in 1999, having proposed on the very evening they first met. The couple has two daughters and lives near Haywards Heath, Sussex. He was honored with an MBE during the 2015 Birthday Honours.