Red Lion Foods: A Brand with a Purpose

Red Lion Foods Ltd, founded by Andrew Gidden, presents a unique business model that combines commerce with charitable giving. The company’s core concept is simple yet powerful: 100% of post-tax profits are donated to armed forces charities.

Launch and Initial Impact

At the company’s launch event, Red Lion Foods made an immediate impact by donating £100,000, split between The Royal British Legion and SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association). This generous act generated significant excitement and positive support for the business from the outset.

Sustainable Giving Model

Unlike one-time charitable initiatives, Red Lion Foods’ model ensures ongoing support for armed forces charities. As the business grows and continues to trade, the donations to these organizations will recur, creating a sustainable stream of support.

Market Potential and Consumer Engagement

The brand’s success will largely depend on its ability to gain traction with minimal above-the-line (ATL) advertising. The key question is whether word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing will be sufficient to drive consumers to choose Red Lion Foods products, such as teabags at Tesco or ham at Morrisons.

This unique approach offers consumers an opportunity to support popular causes without additional spending or committing to direct debits. Some industry experts are optimistic about the brand’s potential, predicting it could become a £150 million business within 12 months.

Red Lion Foods presents an innovative model that aligns consumer purchases with charitable giving, potentially reshaping how businesses approach corporate social responsibility and consumer engagement.

Kevin Harrington

I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.

See Full Bio