Alumni Board

Nik Basran, Class of 1998: President of the OWA

Nik left Cheadle Hulme School in 1998 to complete a degree in German and Management at the University of Leeds. Following a short stint travelling he joined his family business, The Authentic Food Co., in 2003.

Nik is now CEO of The Authentic Food Co. He is a second generation family business leader, taking over the company from his parents, who started the company from their kitchen in 1985 when Nik was 5 years old.

His biggest challenge to date has been buying out the family business during a recession in 2008, while his biggest achievement was launching the Beyond Meat brand in the UK & Ireland in 2018 and doubling the sales every year since. Beyond Meat is the largest plant based meat company in the world based in LA and is backed by Bill Gates and Leonardo di Caprio among others.

Nik employs 200 people in his Manchester head office and is proud to work with the Manchester United Foundation supplying food to 26 schools around the Greater Manchester area. Building on the work started by Marcus Rashford’s school meals campaign, last Christmas The Authentic Food Co. provided 65,000 meals and plans to do much more in the future.

At CHS Nik was Captain of the First XV Rugby team. Since leaving he has returned to the School to speak to pupils about his journey in business.

Roderick Goddard, Class of 1974: Chair of the Alumni Board and 1970s representative

“I was delighted, if a little surprised, to be asked to chair the Alumni Board. For many of the boarders, of which I was one, CHS was not just a school it was our home, and the fellow pupils were our family. Strong bonds were formed there, many of which are still going strong 50+ years later. I am keen that the School continues to be the amazing educational establishment it is now, whilst still recognising and celebrating that the foundations of it were forged in the philanthropy of some wonderful people many years ago.”

Roderick is from the Class of 1974, joining the boarding school in 1964 under the foundation scheme. Following a, self-confessed, undistinguished school academic performance he joined the Metropolitan Police. Roderick served for over 30 years and retired as a senior detective on the Serious Crime Directorate. He spent time on the Homicide Command in NW London and investigating serious crimes internationally, in addition to training detectives from the UK and abroad in serious crime investigation.

Roderick studied law prior to his retirement from the Police and was called to the Bar as a second career in 2007. He practiced predominantly criminal law on the South Eastern circuit. In recent years, he has been involved in teaching and assessing aspiring lawyers for a legal training company.