Staff Profiles & Pictures

Managing Director

Jonathan Olins

Jonathan is third generation in the fruit industry with 32 years experience. Having started as a salesman in the wholesale markets he progressed after five years to become an importer/distributor concentrating on non-supermarket clients. He particularly specialises in a wide range of out-of-season produce from South and Central America and South Africa.

Fruit Team

Paul Emanuel

Paul is fourth generation in the fruit industry with 42 years experience. He sold his family business, J I Emanuel to Poupart in 1997 having been Managing Director since 1983. He started his sales career in Old Covent Garden and progressed to importing and marketing to the supermarkets. He now concentrates on leading the sales drive to Poupart's non-supermarket client base.


Philip Emanuel

Philip is fourth generation in the fruit industry with 46 years experience. He worked in Covent Garden for 44 years, where he was Chairman of the Tenants Association from 1990-2004. He switched to the import side of the industry in 2004 where he has used his vast experience to develop the company's new European trading business.


Danny Johnston

Danny is second generation in the fruit industry and has over 16 years experience. He stared his career with Louis Reece in Covent Garden market as an exotic fruit salesman. He later moved on to work for 9 years at Spitalfields market before changing direction and joining us at Poupart. Danny is now focused on selling to the Wholesale markets and works alongside Jonathan Olins to gain knowledge and experience within the import side of the Poupart business.


Stewart Abbey

Stewart has been importing and marketing fruit for 40 years. Originally he worked in the wholesale markets and then progressed to trading citrus to the supermarket sector. Now he concentrates on selling to the non supermarket sector of the industry.


Paul Rowe

Paul has 20 years of experience in the fresh fruit industry. He has learnt his trade in Birmingham Wholesale Market for 18 years before switching to the import side of the industry in 2006. Paul joined the company in August 2008 to enhance our UK sales from the Figueres office and help develop new European business.

Salad & Vegetable Team


Tony Cholwill

Tony has over 20 years experience within the produce industry. Starting in the Supermarket sector as a buyer, his initial concentration was on root and brassica vegetables. After 15 years in buying, Tony turned his attention to procurement of salads which gave him invaluable knowledge of the other side of the industry. Tony joined Poupart Imports in February 2008 to head up a new salad and vegetable section.


Des Taylor

Des completes 30 years in the industry in 2010, starting as a porter in Birmingham wholesale market. His career progressed steadily, initially through the wholesale fruit sector, and later as departmental manager at companies such as Macks and Fyffes. He moved into the catering sector in 2003, involved in procurement and business development.

Subsequently he took a senior management role with Watton Produce, with responsibility for expanding and developing their operations into wholesale and food service. This success led to the opportunity for further development through Poupart, utilising their expertise in marketing, to diversify their product range into the vegetable sector.

Procurement Team


Ron Castledine

Ron started in the fruit trade in 1965 working as a salesman in the London markets. He then learnt foreign languages and can speak French, German, Italian and Spanish which helped him in his next role working for a UK import company in Germany. In 1976 he set up his own export company in Perpignan, France selling apples to the UK. He joined Poupart in 2004 to develop the company's fruit business out of Europe and is based in Figueres, Spain.


Carl Latino

Carl has 18 years of experience in the fresh fruit industry. He spent 7 years learning his trade in Birmingham's wholesale market before turning his attention to the importing side of the business. Carl has now been with Poupart for 2 years and is currently based at our Spanish Division, in Figueres. His current role is to develop new European business and increase sales into the UK market. Carl speaks Italian and is currently improving his Spanish.

Admin Team


Janet Duncan
Lou Neville

Matthem Shoop
Sharon Beels

Valerie Wheeler