Popular Asian-inspired restaurant chain Wagamama has named Claire Farrant as its new Chief Marketing Officer, bringing in a veteran retail leader with extensive experience from major brands, including Lidl, BP, Tesco, and a brief stint at Morrisons.
Farrant steps into the role following the departure of Emma Colquhoun, who served as Wagamama’s chief marketing and commercial officer from March to December 2025. Colquhoun recently left the brand to take up a newly created chief growth officer position at Wingstop UK & Ireland. In a statement, Farrant praised Colquhoun for laying “brilliant foundations” during her tenure.
The appointment comes as Wagamama continues to build on strong brand momentum in the competitive casual dining sector. Farrant, announcing the move on LinkedIn, described the chain as experiencing “huge momentum” and outlined her ambitions: “building even greater brand buzz and food love, strengthening salience, deepening connections with our guests and driving meaningful impact.”
Farrant’s career highlights include over eight years as marketing director at Lidl UK, where she played a key role in driving multichannel strategies, launching the successful Lidl Plus loyalty program, and contributing to significant market share growth for the discount supermarket.
More recently, she served as vice-president of marketing for BP’s mobility and convenience retail division in Europe, leading a team of 140 across eight markets. There, she developed unified customer plans, improved ROI through performance measurement, and advanced data-driven insights. Farrant briefly joined Morrisons as group marketing director in mid-2025 but departed after just two months for personal reasons.
Her earlier roles include nearly a decade at Tesco in senior positions across brand, advertising, merchandising, and fresh food, as well as stints at Asda, Kerry Foods, and Woolworths.
Known for her customer-centric approach and leadership in transformation, Farrant is expected to leverage her retail expertise to elevate Wagamama’s brand salience and guest engagement amid growing demand for its fresh, nourishing Asian-inspired dishes.
The move follows a period of leadership changes at Wagamama, with Kay Bartlett previously holding the CMO role from 2022 until early 2025, before moving to Stonegate Group.
Wagamama, part of The Restaurant Group, operates over 160 UK sites and continues international expansion, positioning Farrant’s appointment as a strategic boost to its marketing and growth efforts.
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