Waitrose has faced a real challenge in recent years as the supermarket sector was shaken up by discounters such as Aldi. The upmarket brand has responded by developing its Essential Waitrose budget range. The man responsible for that was Rupert Thomas, who also signed Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal as brand ambassadors in 2010. “We see our product, service and the experience we offer customers as the ‘marketing’ of Waitrose,” he says.