April 2025 marks a significant milestone for specialist recruitment business MorePeople as it celebrates 25 years of success in the food, fresh produce, horticulture, and agriculture industries.
Founded in 2000 by Guy Moreton and Peter Hunt, MorePeople has grown into a trusted name in recruitment, helping businesses across its specialist sectors find top talent at all levels. Reflecting on the journey, founder Guy Moreton shares, “Creating a business that has lasted 25 years is something I’m immensely proud of. When we started, we hoped to be successful, but we never knew for certain. MorePeople has evolved, but our core values have remained the same—providing a great service, building strong relationships, and making a genuine impact in our industry.”
The recruitment landscape has changed dramatically since MorePeople’s inception with the rise of digital platforms .“When we first started, we were using fax machines and receiving CVs by post! Now, everything, naturally, is online—from job boards to LinkedIn and AI-driven recruitment tools,” says Moreton.
Like any long-standing business, over the years, MorePeople has navigated major challenges, including the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID was a particularly tough time, with businesses shutting down and job offers being cancelled. However, the resilience of the food industry meant we were able to bounce back,” Moreton recalls.
One of the company’s biggest achievements has been its ability to provide comprehensive recruitment services across multiple functions within its specialist sectors. “Our vision was always to offer more than just recruitment—to be a trusted partner that businesses could rely on for all their hiring needs,” says Moreton.
A defining moment for MorePeople was when it became recognised as an industry thought leader, with team members being invited to speak at key sector events, which has only grown from there. “When we started getting asked to contribute to conferences, we knew we were making an impact. Seeing our team share insights at industry events today is a testament to the expertise we’ve built,” Moreton adds.
MorePeople’s leadership team has been instrumental in driving the company forward. Andrew Fitzmaurice joined the business in 2010 and was made CEO and shareholder in January 2022. Managing Director Richard Hanwell joined the business in January 2021 and became shareholder in 2023. Their leadership has been key to the company’s continued growth and success.
Andrew comments, “As we celebrate 25 years of growth and success, I reflect on the incredible journey we’ve had. When I joined the business in 2010, we had just a small team of 8 passionate individuals. Today, we’re 38 dedicated professionals. What we’ve achieved so far is a testament to the hard work, innovation, and commitment of everyone who has been part of our story. But this is just the beginning. Our vision for the future is even brighter, and with our expanding team and continued focus on excellence, I’m excited to see where we can go next. The best is yet to come.”
Looking ahead, MorePeople remains committed to its core values of exceptional service, sector expertise, and innovation. “The last 25 years have been exhilarating, relentless, and an amazing journey. I still love recruitment as much as I did when we started, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” concludes Moreton.
MD Richard comments, “25 years in business is an achievement in its own right, considering the time periods that the business has had to navigate through. Having joined the business in 2021, I have had the privilege of riding the purple wave that Guy, Pete and Andy had already built, but even since then, we have built the team and business considerably and now have in place both a structure and vision to supersede our already impressive growth. MorePeople has always stood out to me and continues to impress me in the way in which we fully embed ourselves into the industries that we support, which has been our ethos for 25 years.”
As MorePeople celebrates this milestone, the team extends its gratitude to clients, candidates, and industry partners who have been part of the journey. Here’s to the next 25 years of making a difference in recruitment.
