Metcalfe’s Jakobi follows Zuckerberg and Snapchat’s Spiegel onto Forbes’ 30 under 30

Metcalfe’s Food Company’s Robert Jakobi has followed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, tennis star Maria Sharapova, and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel onto Forbes’ 30 under 30 2015 for achievements in the food industry.

Jakobi was the only Brit to make the food & drink list, but joins household names across 20 categories such as Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, multiple Grand Slam-winning tennis star Novak Djokovic and actress and model Blake Lively, who shot to fame in US TV series Gossip Girl.

With categories ranging from science and the arts, to technology, sport, music, venture capital, media, entertainment, and food & drink, the 600 rising stars are chosen by internationally renowned judges alongside Forbes’ editors.

For the food & drink category this included Forbes’ editor-in-chief Randall Lane, a certified sommelier and former restaurant critic for New York’s Time Out magazine, as well as multi-award winning restaurateur Danny Meyer of Union Square Hospitality Group and the founder of South Beach and New York Wine & Food Festivals Lee Schrager.

Jakobi’s success follows Metcalfe’s Food Company, which he formed with Pret A Manger and itsu founder Julian Metcalfe, being named the fourth fastest-growing company in the UK in 2014’s Sunday Times Fast Track 100. The list also featured the Young Gun founders of Ovo Energy, Graze.com, BEAR & Urban Fruit, Brewdog and Notonthehighstreet.com.

Sharing news of the honour, former Barclays Capital investment banking analyst Jakobi said: “I am truly humbled. This honour comes two months after Metcalfe’s Food Company was announced as the fastest growing privately owned food and drink company in the UK.

“Our young and passionate team are moving from strength to strength. I can’t wait to get cracking with our exciting plans for 2015.”