“Not much Jo doesn’t know about the food industry. Her operational insight, technical grounding, and ability to connect commercial strategy with practical factory realities is exceptional.”
25+ Years FMCG Leadership • Grounded Yorkshire Values
A Food Consultant with a Difference
We don't hand over 100-page theoretical reports and walk away. We put boots on your factory floor, co-design practical workflows, and build roadmaps you can actually deliver.
Pragmatic Mentoring
Our Philosophy
Why Working with Honeycomb is Different
Rooted in straight-talking commercial reality, our approach repudiates ivory-tower consulting clichés.
01
We are different…
We are not a large, faceless consulting group that arrives with pre-packaged slides to tell you how to run your business. We work collaboratively, side-by-side with you and your team. We ensure you feel total ownership of every process change so that execution is natural and sustainable.
02
You are different too…
No two bakery production floors, confectionery workshops, or food facilities are identical. Every setup has unique physical constraints, batch recipes, and team dynamics. Jo Crebbin flexes her role to match your exact needs: serving as a formal business adviser, a technical food expert, or a constructive "critical friend".
03
We share the same aims…
Straightforward, clear, honest communication. We focus relentlessly on exceptional value for money and deliverable bottom-line results: protecting your cash flow, reducing waste, expanding throughput, and saving you time so you can re-ignite your passion for your craft.
“I will not over-complicate the strategy or the solution. I provide a tailored service which is unique to the client, provides a clear pathway forward which is deliverable by them… and makes good business sense.”— Jo Crebbin, Founder & Principal Consultant
Executive Background
In Conversation with Jo Crebbin
Combining corporate-grade FMCG supply chain discipline with artisan empathy.
Tell us about your business background…
I have spent more than 25 to 30 years in director-level and senior operational positions across both major multinational corporations and prestigious family-owned heritage enterprises. My entire career has been dedicated to food and drink manufacturing, retail quality systems, and supply chain logistics.
Who have you worked with previously?
I have held senior leadership roles with Yorkshire heritage icon Bettys & Taylors, major supermarket retailer Sainsbury’s (auditing food suppliers across the country), and global consumer goods leader Unilever. This experience gives me deep insight into what tier-one retailers expect from suppliers, from food hygiene accreditations to factory volume capabilities.
Why did you start Honeycomb Consulting?
I have a genuine passion for great food products and the passionate entrepreneurs who make them. Too often, talented independent makers hit an operational glass ceiling: they get overwhelmed by production schedules, run out of kitchen space, or struggle to scale batches without compromising flavor. I founded Honeycomb to give independent producers access to the high-level operational rigor that big corporations take for granted, but delivered in a grounded, accessible way.
What academic and regional roles do you hold?
In addition to consulting, I serve as an Associate Lecturer and Productivity Expert at Leeds Beckett University, guest lecturer at Hull University Business School, and Food Sector Specialist for The Supply Chain Network. I am also an independent funding appraisal panel member for the £3.5M Let’s Grow North & East Yorkshire (LGNEY) Local Growth Fund programme, helping evaluate regional capital grants for growing manufacturers.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Untangling operational knots! When an exhausted business owner tells me they are working 70 hours a week and can't see a way through, and within a few weeks we've unlocked 40% more capacity without hiring extra staff or spending thousands on machinery—seeing that relief on their face is why I do this.
Peer Endorsements
What Industry Leaders Say
“Jo has the flexibility to deal with multi-faceted tasks, under high pressure in both corporate and artisan environments. Great experience… she is a huge asset to any business in need of help.”
“Working with Jo was really thought provoking and there were some real lightbulb moments. She helps you see your business through an objective, experienced lens.”
Start The Conversation
Discuss Your Growth Plans with Jo Crebbin
Book a no-obligation 30-minute discovery call to sense-check your ideas, discuss factory challenges, or identify available grant support.