Last cuppa at Bettys as top man prepares to bow out

But now it is the end of an era for Jonathan Wild, the chief executive of iconic Yorkshire brand Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, who is hanging up his perfectly starched apron and retiring after more than 35 years at the family-owned business.

The man who was once described by a newspaper as Yorkshire’s answer to George Clooney is handing over the day-to-day control of the company to Andrew Baker, former chief executive at Duchy Originals, who is the first non-family member to take charge of the business since it was founded in 1919.

In a rare interview, Mr Wild, 58, said he was looking forward to a retirement spent on long walks and environmental projects. “I want to retire while I’m young enough to do the things that I’ve not done all my life. I’ve been like a caged animal for 35 years because I love the outdoors,” he said.

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate has flourished under Mr Wild’s stewardship.

When he first joined the business in 1975, it employed 350 staff and had an annual turnover of £1.6m. Staff numbers have risen more than threefold to 1,246, sales have grown to £103m and Taylors of Harrogate now produces the third largest tea brand in the UK, the best-selling roast and ground coffee brand in the UK and exports to over 30 countries worldwide.

There are six Bettys tearooms – two in Harrogate, two in York, Northallerton and Ilkley.

Mr Wild joined his father Victor at the firm after graduating from Oxford University and a short spell as a secondary school teacher. “My father always said, ‘You need to have your own career first so you’re free to make choices,’” he said.

Mr Wild started work on the Monday, held his stag party on the Friday, married his childhood sweetheart Lesley on the Saturday and was back at work on the Tuesday after a weekend’s honeymoon in Swaledale. “I didn’t dare ask my father for a honeymoon because I’d just started in the business,” he said.

Mr Wild trained in every job in the company before becoming managing director in 1986 and chairman and chief executive in 1996. Mrs Wild succeeded him as chairman in 2009.

During his first few years at the helm of the business, Mr Wild set about improving the company’s training. He said: “Bakers used to keep their recipes a secret. I had to unbundle all this and say we need professional training throughout the organisation. The training here now is second to none.”

In 2001 Mrs Wild launched Bettys Cookery School, fulfilling an ambition to create somewhere Bettys could train people and also pass on the knowledge of their chefs and experts to the public.

The headquarters at Plumpton Park also includes Bettys Craft Bakery, where all the breads, cakes and chocolates are made, as well as the tea and coffee factories and tasting rooms.

Mr Wild also created and trademarked the iconic Fat Rascal recipe, which is traditionally made using the leftovers from baking. He developed his own recipe in secret for fear of being laughed at by the bakers at Bettys. “They still laughed at me but now we make 200,000 to 300,000 a year,” he said.

Another of Mr Wild’s legacies is his environmental work, which began 21 years ago in a bid to cheer up his children, Chloe and Daniel. They had become upset after watching an item on TV’s Blue Peter about the destruction of rainforests so Mr Wild promised to plant a million trees.

By 2007 the company had planted three million trees and Mr Wild received a Blue Peter badge. “I’m so proud of it and I do wear it on special occasions,” he said.

Two years later, he embarked on his biggest environmental challenge to date – the Yorkshire Rainforest Project, which is a pledge to save an area the size of Yorkshire from destruction. “To me, it’s just part of running a business – facing the challenges and bringing some hope,” he said.

And his greatest achievement? “To retire as the third generation steward of the business feeling I am leaving it in good hands with a huge amount of energy that it maybe didn’t have 30 years ago,” he said.