It will be led by Ollie Lloyd as head of innovation. Lloyd is the co-founder of Great British Chef and helms "The Food Talk Show" podcast. He will work closely with Louise Forster-Smith, the unit's innovation director, formerly with the Soil Association.

They report to Rupert Pick, Hot Pickle's founder.

The Innovation Lab creation has been developing for years, as the agency has done brand work for Hello Fresh, Diageo, General Mills and Unilever.

Nadia Djeroro, strategy and innovation director at Unilever, called Hot Pickle “Humble. Accountable. The best agency I have on my roster.”

The new unit compliments Hot Pickle's Brand Homes and Flagships and Integrated Experience arms. The Innovation Lab will address the major changes confronting the food industry, such as new legislation, the shift to regenerative agriculture and the rise of GLP-1s, such as Ozempic and Zepbound.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for F&B brands,” says Pick. “The launch of our new division is all about tapping into the fringes of food culture to help even the biggest brands disrupt and think/act like a challenger brand. Between the three of us – Ollie, Lou and I – the expertise and passion we share for food and drink is colossal. We can’t wait to distill our shared knowledge to make magic happen.”

Founded in London in 2009, Hot Pickle's client work includes Hennessey, Smirnoff, Magnum and Wall's.

(Photo: Louise Forster-Smith, Rupert Pick and Ollie Lloyd)