Julian Metcalfe: The Entrepreneur Who Created Pret and Itsu

Last Updated on July 26, 2026 by Business Blog Media Editorial Team

Introduction

Julian Metcalfe is a British entrepreneur best known for co-founding Pret A Manger and later creating Itsu. He helped turn fresh, ready-to-eat food into a major part of the modern British high street.

Metcalfe opened Pret A Manger with his university friend Sinclair Beecham in 1986. The company became known for sandwiches, salads and other food prepared inside its shops.

He founded Itsu in 1997 after becoming interested in Japanese food and service. Itsu later grew from one London restaurant into a large business selling meals through restaurants, takeaway shops and supermarkets.

As of July 2026, Metcalfe remains the founder and an active director of Itsu. Recent professional profiles also describe him as the company’s founder and group chief executive.

His career answers an important business question: how can one founder create two well-known food brands in different parts of the market? Metcalfe achieved this by studying customer habits, improving products repeatedly and making convenient food feel fresher and more attractive.

Julian Metcalfe Quick Facts

Fact	Verified information
Full name	Julian Edward Metcalfe
Birth month and year	December 1959
Age	66 years old as of July 2026
Nationality	British
Profession	Entrepreneur, company founder and business director
Best known for	Co-founding Pret A Manger and founding Itsu
Pret founded	1986
Itsu founded	1997
Current main business	Itsu
Current public role	Founder and active company director
Honour	OBE for services to the hospitality industry
Main industry	Restaurants, food-to-go and grocery products

Who Is Julian Metcalfe?

Julian Metcalfe is a British food and hospitality entrepreneur.

He became widely known after helping to establish Pret A Manger, one of Britain’s most recognisable sandwich and coffee chains. He later created Itsu, a business focused on Asian-inspired meals and grocery products.

His two major brands serve customers who want food quickly. However, they were designed with different identities.

Pret became known for fresh sandwiches, salads, soups, coffee and baked products. Itsu became associated with sushi, rice bowls, noodles, dumplings, bao and miso soup.

This ability to create two different food businesses is the main reason Metcalfe remains an important figure in British entrepreneurship.

Julian Metcalfe’s Early Life and Education

Metcalfe attended Harrow School in London.

He later studied property at the Polytechnic of Central London, which subsequently became part of the University of Westminster.

This period was important because he met Sinclair Beecham there. The two students became friends and later started working on business ideas together.

Their first attempts were not all successful. They explored different ideas, including a drinks business, before entering the food industry.

These early experiences showed them that starting a company often requires testing ideas, accepting mistakes and changing direction when something does not work.

How Did Julian Metcalfe Start Pret A Manger?

Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham opened their first Pret A Manger shop in London in 1986.

They believed many quick meals available at the time were too processed, poorly presented or not fresh enough. Their aim was to provide food that customers could buy quickly without making it feel like ordinary fast food.

Pret prepared sandwiches, salads and other meals in its shop kitchens. This allowed the business to promote freshness as an important part of its identity.

Its stores were also designed to feel clean, simple and modern. Customers could enter, choose food from a display, pay and leave without waiting for a traditional restaurant service.

This model worked especially well for office workers in busy city centres.

Pret slowly expanded across London before growing into other parts of the United Kingdom and international markets. The company became a familiar name in railway stations, airports, shopping areas and business districts.

Why Did Pret A Manger Become Successful?

Pret grew because its founders understood a simple customer problem.

Busy people wanted meals that were quick, but many did not want traditional burgers, fried food or heavily packaged products every day.

The company offered an alternative through:

• Freshly prepared sandwiches
• Ready-to-eat salads
• Simple soups
• Coffee and breakfast products
• Fast service
• Convenient city-centre locations
• Clear and recognisable shop designs

Pret also built a strong brand identity. Customers knew what type of food and service they could expect when entering one of its shops.

The growth of other British food entrepreneurs also shows how simple products can become large brands when they solve a clear customer need.

The Pret Foundation

Metcalfe and Beecham also helped establish the Pret Foundation in 1995.

The programme was created to support people facing hunger, poverty and homelessness. Pret shops began donating suitable unsold food instead of treating every remaining product as waste.

The foundation later expanded its work through charity partnerships, financial support, training and employment programmes.

This became an important part of Pret’s public identity. It connected the company’s daily food operations with a wider social purpose.

Why Did Julian Metcalfe Leave Pret?

Pret’s ownership changed as the company became larger.

Investment firm Bridgepoint acquired a majority interest in the business in 2008. Metcalfe also stepped down from his main Pret directorships during that period.

Pret was sold again in 2018 when JAB acquired the company. This transaction completed Metcalfe and Beecham’s remaining financial exit from the business.

Metcalfe has since confirmed that he is no longer involved in Pret’s daily operations.

He remains one of its co-founders, but he does not manage the company or control its present business decisions.

How Did Itsu Begin?

Metcalfe’s second major food business began after a visit to Tokyo in 1994.

He was impressed by the food, presentation, speed and attention to detail he saw in Japan. He believed that parts of this experience could work in Britain.

The first Itsu restaurant opened in Chelsea, London, in 1997.

According to the official Itsu company story, the business developed through years of testing and changes. Metcalfe and his team tried different restaurant formats, menus and ways of serving customers.

Itsu eventually created a clear position in the market. It offered Asian-inspired meals that were fast, colourful and easy to carry.

What Food Does Itsu Sell?

Itsu is best known for Asian-inspired food, including:

• Sushi
• Rice bowls
• Noodle dishes
• Miso soup
• Dumplings
• Bao buns
• Salads
• Edamame
• Gyoza
• Hot broths

The company does not present itself as a traditional Japanese restaurant. Its food is inspired by Asian flavours but designed for customers seeking convenient everyday meals.

This distinction is important. Itsu combines ideas from restaurant food, takeaway service and supermarket products.

How Itsu Expanded Into Supermarkets

Itsu did not remain only a restaurant chain.

The company developed a grocery division that created packaged products for supermarkets. These products have included frozen dumplings, noodles, miso, bao buns, seaweed snacks and other ready-to-cook foods.

This part of the business allows Itsu to reach customers who may not live near one of its restaurants.

People can buy Itsu products from a supermarket and prepare them at home. This gives the company a second way to grow beyond physical restaurant locations.

Metcalfe remains closely involved in product development. Company material has shown that he sometimes creates drawings, samples and simple models while developing new products or packaging.

What Is Julian Metcalfe Doing Now?

As of July 2026, Julian Metcalfe remains mainly focused on Itsu.

Companies House records list him as an active director of Itsu Limited, Itsu Grocery Limited and Metcalfe Food Concepts Limited. He also holds active roles in companies connected with Itsu’s wider ownership structure.

His current work includes:

• Developing new food products
• Improving restaurant operations
• Supporting Itsu Grocery
• Planning international expansion
• Reviewing packaging and product design
• Studying customer behaviour
• Making meals faster and easier to prepare
• Improving the balance between technology and human service

Metcalfe continues to work closely with Itsu’s product-development teams rather than acting only as a distant founder.

Technology and Customer Service at Itsu

Itsu introduced self-service ordering screens across many of its locations.

The screens helped the company manage rising costs and staffing pressures. They also allowed customers to place orders quickly and customise their meals.

However, Metcalfe later acknowledged that the company moved too far towards fully automated ordering.

Some customers found the screens difficult or preferred speaking to an employee. Itsu therefore began returning staffed tills to restaurants during refurbishment work.

This decision offers an important lesson for other businesses. New technology can reduce costs and improve speed, but companies must still consider how real customers feel while using it.

Julian Metcalfe’s Business Approach

Metcalfe is strongly involved in the details of his companies.

He does not focus only on large financial decisions. He also studies packaging, ingredients, restaurant layouts, menus, equipment and the way customers move through a shop.

Several principles can be seen throughout his work.

Solve a Clear Problem

Pret offered fresh food to busy city workers. Itsu offered Asian-inspired meals through a quick and convenient service.

Both businesses began with an understandable customer need.

Make the Brand Easy to Recognise

Pret used simple shop designs and ready-to-eat food displays. Itsu uses bright colours, clearly presented products and a modern visual identity.

Customers can quickly understand what each brand offers.

Improve Products Repeatedly

Metcalfe is known for testing different versions of products, packages and restaurant systems.

A product may be changed many times before reaching customers.

Learn From Mistakes

Not every decision has worked perfectly. The changes to Itsu’s self-service system show that Metcalfe is willing to reverse a decision when customers respond negatively.

Keep Looking for Growth

Metcalfe expanded from restaurants into grocery products, giving Itsu more than one source of sales.

Similar lessons can be found in the stories of global food-brand founders who started with one simple product and later reached international customers.

Is Julian Metcalfe Still Involved With Pret?

No, Metcalfe is not involved in the current management of Pret A Manger.

He remains historically important because he co-founded the company with Sinclair Beecham. However, he left its direct leadership many years ago and completed his remaining financial exit when Pret was sold in 2018.

His main present business is Itsu.

Who Owns Itsu?

Itsu is a privately owned business.

Metcalfe has remained its main founder and an important shareholder. Investment company Bridgepoint acquired a minority interest in Itsu in 2021 to support further expansion.

Because Itsu is not a publicly traded company, its ownership information is not reported in the same way as a company listed on a stock exchange.

Public reports have continued to identify Metcalfe as the company’s largest individual owner.

Julian Metcalfe’s OBE

Metcalfe was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 Birthday Honours.

The award recognised his services to the hospitality industry.

He was already an MBE before receiving the higher OBE honour.

The recognition reflects his role in creating two major food businesses and helping to change how quick meals are sold in Britain.

Julian Metcalfe’s Wife and Family

Julian Metcalfe is married to Brooke de Ocampo, an American art specialist, writer and designer.

Public reporting states that they married in 2008.

Metcalfe has also publicly discussed being a father. However, his family members generally remain outside the daily management story of Pret and Itsu.

His business work remains the main reason for public interest in his name.

Why Is Julian Metcalfe Important in Business?

Metcalfe is important because he helped reshape the quick-food market more than once.

Pret showed that fast food did not always need to mean burgers and fried meals. Itsu later showed that sushi, dumplings, noodles and miso could become convenient everyday products for a wider audience.

His career also demonstrates how a founder can apply similar skills to two very different brands.

Those skills include:

• Understanding customer needs
• Building a clear brand
• Choosing convenient locations
• Testing products carefully
• Expanding through different sales channels
• Using technology without forgetting customer service
• Continuing to develop products after achieving success

Interesting Facts About Julian Metcalfe

• His full documented name is Julian Edward Metcalfe.
• He was born in December 1959.
• He met Pret co-founder Sinclair Beecham while they were students.
• Pret A Manger opened its first shop in 1986.
• A visit to Tokyo helped inspire the idea for Itsu.
• Itsu opened its first restaurant in 1997.
• He helped establish the Pret Foundation in 1995.
• He remains involved in Itsu’s product-development process.
• Itsu now sells food through restaurants and supermarkets.
• He received an OBE for services to hospitality.
• He is no longer involved in managing Pret.
• His current main business focus is Itsu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Julian Metcalfe?

Julian Metcalfe is a British entrepreneur. He is best known for co-founding Pret A Manger and founding Itsu.

What is Julian Metcalfe famous for?

He is famous for helping to create two major food brands: Pret A Manger and Itsu.

How old is Julian Metcalfe?

Julian Metcalfe was born in December 1959. He is 66 years old as of July 2026.

Did Julian Metcalfe found Pret A Manger?

Yes. He co-founded Pret A Manger with his university friend Sinclair Beecham in 1986.

Does Julian Metcalfe still own Pret?

Metcalfe no longer holds a management role or remaining investment in Pret. His final exit was completed when the company was sold in 2018.

When did Julian Metcalfe start Itsu?

He opened the first Itsu restaurant in London in 1997.

What is Julian Metcalfe doing now?

As of July 2026, he remains focused on Itsu as its founder and active director. Recent professional profiles also describe him as founder and group chief executive.

Is Julian Metcalfe married?

Yes. He is married to American art specialist and designer Brooke de Ocampo.

Why did Julian Metcalfe create Itsu?

A visit to Tokyo inspired him to create a fast and modern food business influenced by Japanese presentation, service and flavours.

Is Itsu only a restaurant business?

No. Itsu operates restaurants and also sells packaged food through supermarkets.

Conclusion

Julian Metcalfe is the British entrepreneur behind Pret A Manger and Itsu.

He co-founded Pret in 1986 after recognising that busy customers wanted food that was quick but still felt fresh. The company grew into an internationally recognised sandwich and coffee chain.

He later founded Itsu in 1997 after being inspired by a visit to Tokyo. Itsu developed from one London restaurant into a wider food business covering takeaway meals, restaurants and supermarket products.

Metcalfe is no longer involved with Pret, but he remains active at Itsu. His attention is now focused on new products, grocery growth, restaurant improvement and international expansion.

His career shows that a successful business idea does not need to be complicated. It must solve a clear problem, serve customers well and continue improving as customer needs change.