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James Parratt (1912-1979) was Chairman of Birds Eye Foods Ltd from 1956-1972, and is known for his marketing innovations, most notably observing - and utilising - consumers' propensity towards impulse buying.

Early Life & Career
James Parratt was born in 1912 and was educated at Lancing College and various universities in the UK and mainland Europe before receiving his BA in Canterbury. He joined Unilever as a management trainee in 1934 and subsequently spent three years working with various margarine and oil companies in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. By 1937 he was was working in the Supplies Department, and was responsible in this role for all chemical, timber and gift scheme purchases within the business. When war broke out he enlisted in the Royal Marines, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Return to Unilever & Involvement with Birdseye
After the war he resumed his career with Unilever, joining Crosfields, Watsons and Gossages as their General Manager. From 1949-51, he spent two years as Marketing Director of Unilever's Zeep Mij in the Netherlands, and then returned to the UK, becoming Sales Director of Hudson and Knight, where he later took the post of Plans Director.

In 1953, Parratt joined Birds Eye Foods Ltd as the Marketing Director, and in this position acted as a driving force behind the introduction of the first fish fingers in 1955. His most significant innovation in this role was the realisation that frozen foods were primarily impulse buys and thus had to be highly visible to capture consumers' attention. Also in 1955, he became a Director for Smethursts, Grimsby Ltd. He was promoted to the position of Chairman of Birds Eye Ltd in 1956, and became Chairman at Regent Foods Ltd (a subsidiary of Birds Eye Ltd) in 1958. The following year, he also became Chairman of the Times Food Products Company, when it too was acquired by Birds Eye.

Parratt also served as part of several national and international organisations representing the interests of food producers, starting with his election as Chairman of the National Association of Frozen Food Producers in 1960. Additionally, he was appointed joint head of the Continental Frozen Products Group in 1963, and in the following year he became the President of the National Food Producers. Furthermore, in 1965 he was appointed as the Chairman of the North Eastern Fish Industries Limited, and as Chairman of the Management Company Board (Frozen Products), which had been formed under the recommendation of Birds Eye Foods Ltd and T. Wall and Sons Ltd.

He received a CBE in the 1971 New Year Honours List.

Retirement and Later Years
He retired on 1 August 1972 from all his positions - though he remained available to Foods II Co-ordination in an advisory capacity until 31st October 1972. He was succeeded in his role at Birds Eye by Kenneth Webb. Parratt died on 14 June 1979, seven years after his retirement.