Recipe for Greatness (Jay Greenwood)

Today's Guest is Marieke Syed who is the founder of Snackzilla - the healthy, 50% less sugar soft-baked cookies.

We cover so much in this chat today from leaving a job to entering the start-up world, navigating new HFSS legislations, which stands for High Fat, Sugar, and Salt. We chat about launching your products, testing them, finding your target customer, running a trial in Sainsbury's and SO MUCH MORE.

It was so much fun chatting with Marieka, she has a wonderful brand on a wonderful mission to combat child obesity.

There is so much to learn in this chat; so please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Marieke from Snackzilla.

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Today's guest is Josh and Sonny who are the founders of WellEasy - the brand trying to make healthy living accessible to everyone. What a story they have.

Josh and Sonny both suffered from their own health issues and after graduating in the middle of a pandemic and their job opportunities not looking too appealing, they through caution to the wind and decided to create their own jobs.

Their story is wonderful and the lessons from their journey so far are definitely ones to listen to.

I loved this chat and so will you,

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Josh and Sonny - founders of WellEasy.

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Leo Bradshaw is the co-founder of Peckwater Brands which offers virtual food brand franchises for delivery.

This is a brilliant conversation and one especially to listen to if you operate in the food delivery world. We chat all about the top delivery food trends in the UK, how to identify opportunities in certain locations, what makes successful delivery options, how to use data to create efficiencies and so much more.

I think Peckwater is an incredible business and the impact it is having on independent operators is incredible. go check out their testimonials!

Sit back and please enjoy my conversation with Leo from Peckwater brands.

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Today's Guest is Angus McCurdie who is the co-founder of Happy Joe - the app allowing people to order meals from restaurants based on their personal nutrition goals.

We talk all about his journey from taking an idea to creating a physical app, how to onboard clients in the most effective way, how their technology works, getting customers, and how they run experiments to keep optimising their experience.

What I really love is when we get into what it's really like running a food tech business and how the perception can be very different from reality.

Angus taught me so much in this chat and it's really worth a listen.

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Angus.

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Dafna Ciechanover Bonas is the founder of Indie Bay Snacks - the snack with benefits.

Dafna has had many lives in her career;

Dafna cofounded and ran Founders Pledge and now is a Trustee.

Dafna was also was COO of Eden McCallum, a disruptor in the strategy consulting space. Dafna began her career at Procter and Gamble and McKinsey, later starting the European operations of tech companies including excite! and eos Ventures. Dafna studied at Stanford University and achieved a master's from Harvard Business School.
Dafna shares all about her incredible journey and lessons along the way in this chat, I always say, learn from people much smarter than you, Dafna is definitely someone I learned a lot from.

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Rimi Thapar is the co-founder of LoveRaw - The fastest-growing UK  plant-based chocolate brand.

From an idea that started strolling around the Spanish food markets - LoveRaw has become the fastest-growing vegan chocolate brand in the UK.

In this chat, we cover all things from taking those first steps from idea to product, not being scared to dream big and aim high, and how to keep hustling and get noticed, Rimi tells us an amazing story about how she got in front of a buyer from wholefoods. Finding product-market fit and balancing life as a mum and a CEO. 

This chat is incredible and so is Rimi so please sit back and enjoy our conversation!

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Today on the podcast we have Morten Toft Bech who is the founder of The Meatless Farm Co.

Prior to founding The Meatless Farm Co Morten had a previous life in technology which he founded his first company in 1996. From then Morten achieved his MBA and founded a fintech business and then in 2015 decided to explore meat alternative options to build a more sustainable future for our planet- and Meatless Farm was born.

In this chat we cover so much, Morten is a true entrepreneur with so much wisdom so was an honour to have Morten on. I learned so much so please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Morten from meatless farm

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Joe Formisano is the founder of DeliVita - the wood-fired oven brand. Joe has 20 years of experience in retail sales with Mamas and Papas & Euro-pro, the creators of ninja and shark hoovers.

I love this conversation because something that started as a hobby built from a passion to solve his own problem he was having with traditional clay wood-fired ovens, soon became a fully-fledged business. Joe shares all of the tips he has learned in his career and now with Delivita. I think all great businesses are built from a true passion for your product and Joe's pure passion comes across in this conversation. 

Please sit back and enjoy!

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Richard Clark is the founder of Drynks - the alcohol-free brand that uses state-of-the-art cool vacuumed distillation kit which gently dealcoholises full-strength drinks.

Richards has over 20 years of experience in the drinks and alcohol industry and in this conversation, he shares his knowledge of success from his previous life with launching Crabbies Ginger Beer & other products to now launching his own venture Drynks.

Richard has a wealth of experience and knowledge and shares some incredible advice in this conversation so please sit back and enjoy!

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Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu is the founder of The Turmeric Co, a company that produces a wide range of turmeric shots to help enhance health and energy levels. 

Thomas founded the business in 2018 after spending 2 years in R&D, during this time he was also playing football in the premier league and representing his country, Wales. His journey is incredible, we cover so much from mindset, always being curious and then we get technical and dig into all the details around building a great online experience for your customers. This is one to listen to if you are a direct-to-consumer brand. 

Please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Thomas from the Turmeric Co.

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Today’s guests are Dr Megan Rossi and Jon Walsh, the founders of Bio&Me - the gut-loving brand serving delicious granola, muesli, porridge, and now yogurts!

Megan, also known as the gut health doctor, holds a PhD RD, and is a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and research fellow at King’s College London with an award-winning PhD in gut health.

Jon has a commercial and marketing background spanning 30 years, with successful roles working on some of the UK’s best-known FMCG brands including P&G, John West, and sat on the UK Board of Nestlé

We spend a long time diving into how to build a successful co-founder relationship, we then talk about identifying gaps in the market, the harsh reality of being a start-up, why teamwork wins and so much more.

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Jon and Megan from Bio&Me.

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Today on the podcast we have Marcus Black who is the co-founder of Spirit of Harrogate - the company making incredible Gin, which you may know as Slingsby, a gin that prides itself by sourcing everything locally to his hometown, Harrogate.

Marcus, an accountant by trade found somehow found himself at the head of an international drinks company, Intercontinental Brands, with his now co-founder, Mike.

In this chat we cover creating a successful co-founder relationship, the importance of understanding your goal for the brand, driving awareness in the premium space and so much more.

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Marcus from Spirit of Harrogate.

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Today on the podcast we have Jess and Ed, the founders of Take Stock the simply better bone broth. 

In this conversation we cover lots, going from an idea at the start of lockdown to being a number one rated product on amazon in two years, their journey is really incredible. 

Please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Jess and Ed from Take stock.

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Today on the podcast we have Alex Harrison, the co-founder of Young Spirits, the secret weapon for small distillers and producers, offering a range of services from bottling all the way to Branding. They also sell their own whisky and rum now, Uhuru. 

Alex’s story is all about trial and error, taking each lesson and using that knowledge to keep progressing. This was such a fun conversation, Alex made me laugh a lot and at the end, he gives us his recommendation for the best whisky out there for under £70.

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Alex from Young Spirits

https://topwhiskies.com/products/ferg-and-harris-12-year-old-speyside-px-finish

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Today on the podcast we have Damien Byrne, the co-founder of HUX the science-backed supplement company.

Damien has a wealth of experience from his times and Mars and Kind and he shares his knowledge with us and how it translates to the start-up world. There is so much to learn from this conversation so please sit back and enjoy!

• Damien Byrne; Damien is an established General Manager with over 20 years CPG experience spanning four continents and 12 categories. Most recently he led the expansion of KIND outside of North America - building a cross-functional team, innovation funnel and manufacturing capability to service 24 countries - significantly contributing to a $5B acquisition of the brand.

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Today we have Freya Twigden - the founder of Fix8 - a delicious Kombucha drink. This was such a wide-ranging conversation: from lifestyle and rituals in Chinese culture, scaling from home brewing to full-scale production, yoga and the positive effects of it, and just so much more. 
Freya’s ethos and approach to business are incredible and something many others, including myself can learn from. 
So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Freya from Fix8.

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This week on the podcast we have Andy Welch, the founder of Seriously Low Carb, a company bringing you some of your favourite products such as bread, but low in carbohydrates and higher in protein.

This is a wonderful example of someone with an idea, weaving their way through the ups and downs of a start-up business but having a deeper mission driving them to persevere through it to create a wonderful business that is changing people's lives.

This is a wonderful listen so please, sit back and enjoy my conversation with Andy from Seriously Low Carb

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Today on the podcast we have Roberto Vanin, the founder of Bolle, a low/no alcohol wine brand.

Roberto is so interesting, with his background in chemistry he has been behind some of the biggest household innovations we know such as Vanish. Roberto then led innovation at Mars and many other international businesses. His experience and knowledge of developing, testing, failing, learning, and innovating is exceptional and he is now taking all of that to his own start-up Bolle.

This is a great listen, so please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Roberto from Bolle.

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Today, we have a special guest with us. Charlie Phillips, the founder of Morty & Bob's restaurant. Charlie has been in the food industry for over 15 years, going from working in some of the best restaurants in London to working in cookery television production, working with names such as Tom Kerrdige. 

Charlie has built a reputation for creating beautiful food and atmosphere in all-day dining venues across London. He's here to share his story of how he started Morty & Bob's, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned along the way.

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Today, we have a special guest, Daniel Featherstone, the founder of Made For Drink.
Made For Drink is a company that specializes in creating delicious bar snacks and pairing them with a drink. Dan is also the co-founder of The Exmoor Carbon Project. Prior to that Dan built his way up to a senior marketing position within PepsiCo and Concha Y Toro, the wine maker. 

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Welcome to the podcast today we have Kane Dowell, founder of Ask Mummy and Daddy. In this episode, we'll hear about his journey from leaving school at 16 to working with Cath Kidston and helping businesses scale as a operations manager. Kane will also share how he evolved his business from selling at fairs to creating his own sweets and brand, and how his experience with other startups helped him build the confidence to start his own. Kane welcome to the podcast

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In this podcast, we interview Nicci Clark, founder of Re:Nourish. We discuss her journey from a critical care nurse to a successful entrepreneur. Nicci talks about the pivot that led to the creation of ReNourish, the challenges she faced, and the key decisions that drove the company's success. We also touch upon her experience with venture capital funding, her advice for other entrepreneurs, and the importance of trusting your instincts. Join us for an inspiring conversation with one of the fastest-growing soup brands in the UK.

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On the podcast, we have Rachel Kettlewell, founder of Fearne and Rosie, the more fruit less sugar jams. Rachel will be sharing her journey from being a teacher to building a successful business. We will be chatting all about how she got her products into Waitrose and Morrisons, her insights on finding the right business partner, creating a mission-driven brand, and lots more.

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Today we have Andrew McGuinness the founder of Layered Reality, the company behind the smash hit immersive experiences - Jeff Wayne’s: The War of the Worlds and the Gun Powder Plot to name a few. 

Prior to that, Andrew spent two years running Freuds (apologies for my bad pronunciation), the UK’s leading PR business. The decade before that, he ran two businesses that he founded: Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) and Seven Dials PR. Andrew was made CEO of TBWA\London at age 32 and has worked across Australia, New York, and Mumbai. Outside of the day job he has worked on two general election campaigns in the UK and chaired the Advertising Association.

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Welcome to the Recipe for Greatness podcast! Today we're excited to have Harvey Jenkinson, co-founder of Gravity, the UK's leading active entertainment brand. Join us as we discuss the growth, challenges, and successes of Gravity, and learn from Harvey's experience in creating some of the best UK entertainment destinations.

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Today on the Recipe for Greatness podcast we have Dan Lowe and Toby Moore - the founders of Smugglers, the market's first ice cream with hidden veg. Dans previously founded Fourpure, the award-winning beer company, which was acquired by Lion Group in 2018. Prior to that Dan founded UK Solutions, a data network consultancy that he started at 19 and was acquired in 2011.

Toby Moore is a shopper marketing specialist, previously founding Mesh Marketing and Pilgrim Marketing, working with some of the biggest clients in the world such as Ben and Jerry's, Wrigley, Mars, and many others. 

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Today we have Matt Grech-Smith, the co-founder of The Institute of Competitive Socialising but you’ll know them for Swingers - the crazy golf club with sites in London, New York, and Washington. 

Prior to that, Matt co-founded Rough Hill with Jeremy Simmonds, also co-founder of The Institute of Competitive Socialising. Matt started RoughHill while he was at university and grew it to the UK’s biggest organiser of youth music events until it was acquired by Chime PLC in 2012. 

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Today we have Chris Leach, co-founder of Manteca. Manteca is a modern Italian-British restaurant focused on nose-to-tail cooking and fire-cooked meat. It was awarded 11th Best Restaurant in Britain at the National Restaurant Awards and received a Michelin Bib Gourmand. It has also received rave reviews from Grace Dent and Jay Rayner calling it "Genuine verve and originality". Prior to Launching Manteca Chris worked at Petersham Nurseries, Pitt Cue and Kitty Fisher. 

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Welcome to the Recipe for Greatness podcast today we have Marc Summers - the founder of Bubala - the Middle Eastern restaurant with two sites in London, Spitalfields and Soho. Bubala is a Michelin-recommended restaurant, with rave reviews from Jay Rayner and Jimi Famurewa. In 2022 Jay Rayner called Helen Graham, the executive chef, six chefs to watch in the Observer Food Monthly. 

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Today we have Camilla Barnard, co-founder of Rude Health. 
Rude Health was founded in 2005 by Camilla and Nick Barnard. They started with the Ultimate Muesli, which they created around their kitchen table. Today, 18 years into the journey, Rude Health can be found in fridges and cupboards worldwide, with a 60-plus product portfolio.  Along with an unrivalled range of Dairy-free Drinks and Muselis, the brand now offers everything from flavourful Granolas, Porridges, Puffs and Flakes to seriously exciting snacks. For each and everyone, the approach to flavour remains the same.   Quality ingredients.  Nothing artificial.  Nothing refined. 
They also employ over 40 people, they are committed to championing sustainability and donating at least 5% of their annual profits to charity. 

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Ever wondered what it takes to turn your passion into a successful enterprise? Pop a bag of popcorn and settle in for a riveting conversation with Louise Webb, the brains behind Popcorn Kitchen. Louise takes us on a journey through her career, from food science degree to sales director, before finally making the leap into entrepreneurship. Her tale, filled with highs and lows, reveals how a simple snack led her to the prestigious shelves of Selfridges.

We dive headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship as Louise shares her strategy for pitching Popcorn Kitchen to Selfridges, the innovative processes that make the brand unique, and her unique approach to problem-solving. Get ready for an inspiring lesson in resilience, a quality she admits was honed during her stint in retail. Louise’s mantra of 'win or learn' is a testament to her indomitable spirit, making her story a must-listen for any budding entrepreneur.

Finally, join us as Louise shares her experience of navigating the impact of COVID-19 on her popcorn business. Learn how she implemented new strategies to create a more robust, sustainable business model, including utilising hamper companies and student interns. As we wrap up, Louise gives us a look into Popcorn Kitchen's future, including their plans to attain B Corporation certification, and the significant role social media has played in their brand awareness. Enjoy a serving of inspiration, spiced with creativity and hard work, in our chat with Louise Webb.

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discount code: JAYSPEANUTBUTTER - 15% off - single use only (as of Friday 27th Oct)

Today on the podcast we welcome Stu MacDonald, the founder of the ground-breaking peanut butter brand, ManiLife. Stu is a food fanatic with an incredible tale of seizing a chance on his travels to Argentina and turning it into a revolution in the peanut butter market. Learn about Stu's journey, from overcoming the fear of starting a business to developing an unwavering focus on product quality and provenance. Plus, don't miss out on a special discount code: JAYSPEANUTBUTTER for 15% off.

Stu didn't just create another peanut butter brand; he changed the game with ManiLife. An example is how he wanted to create a new peanut butter chocolate flavour and It took him a year to find the perfect cocoa supplier. Listen as Stu talks about juggling product development, quality assurance, and customer satisfaction, recounting the time he went all-in to deliver an order to a pregnant customer via Uber! His dedication to his customers is inspiring and a key takeaway for any budding entrepreneur.

Stu lets us into his personal life and the challenges of balancing business and family. As a father to twin girls, he shares how his family life has helped him stay grounded amidst the whirlwind of running a business. In a true entrepreneurial spirit, he wraps up the episode by offering a ManiLife discount code and encouraging listeners to check out the brand and taste it for themselves. You're in for a treat.

discount code: JAYSPEANUTBUTTER - 15% off - single use only (as of Friday 27th Oct)
https://mani-life.com/

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Imagine trading a predictable career in finance for the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship in the middle of a pandemic. That's exactly what our guest, Kevin Tang, the go-getter behind the organic iced tea brand, Kaytea , did. An unforeseen visa complication coupled with the global lockdown propelled him to chase his dream, resulting in a thrilling journey from brewing tea in his kitchen to creating a website to test the market waters. Kevin's story is a testament to the power of resilience and perseverance.

Tune in as Kevin takes us along the road less travelled, narrating the realities of launching a product. The process was far from easy - from the intricacies of recipe development, the gruelling task of tracking website clicks, to the relentless search for manufacturing partners. However, every challenge faced was a lesson learned, and every hurdle crossed further deepened his wisdom. Particularly interesting is his emphasis on testing consumer interest, the challenges and rewards in sourcing raw materials, and the experience with contract packers.

The final part of our conversation with Kevin revolves around the complex facets of product distribution, branding, sales strategies, and staffing in a growing business. He stresses on the importance of understanding the buyer's language, the power of a well-chosen product name, and the art of finding product-market fit. Moreover, he candidly shares his trials with hiring and the books that helped him navigate the entrepreneurial landscape. Prepare to be inspired and informed by Kevin's fascinating journey and entrepreneurial acumen.

HOW BRANDS GROW - BYRON SHARP

LEAN START-UP - Eric Reiss

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Imagine enjoying a refreshing, plant-based drink while basking in the glow of an outdoor adventure. That’s exactly what Alistair Frost, founder of Pentire, had in mind when he created his unique brand, inspired by his love for active outdoor living. Join us as we dive into Alistair's fascinating transition from the bar scene to entrepreneurship, and how his changing relationship with alcohol led to the creation of a healthier, plant-based drink alternative. We'll explore how Pentire captures the essence of the outdoor experience in each bottle, from the carefully selected ingredients to the branding.

As we unravel the story of Pentire, Alistair shares valuable insights on building a brand that emotionally resonates with its audience. From their values of Active Outdoor Living to their marketing campaigns, we'll uncover how Pentire is not merely a brand, but a community people want to belong to. We'll also delve into how the company employs resourcefulness and open-mindedness to overcome challenges, with Alistair providing invaluable entrepreneurial advice distilled from his abundant experience.

With a launch into Waitrose, Pentire is setting the bar high, demonstrating the importance of strategic partnerships in brand growth. We'll discuss the journey towards company accreditation, the launch of a new beverage line in 200 Waitrose stores, and the exciting future that lies ahead for Pentire. As we close, Alistair emphasises the need for a clear purpose and belief in something bigger than oneself for long-term success. 

So join us on this inspiring journey, and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast to stay tuned for more insights and stories from the world of entrepreneurship.

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Ever dreamt of leaving your routine job and setting off on an adventurous journey of passion? Imagine swapping your job for a distillery, and this episode brings you the real-life story of someone who did just that! Meet Martin Murray, co-founder of Dunnet Bay Distillers, who took the audacious leap from the oil and gas industry to distilling, creating jobs for himself and his wife, Claire. From developing the award-winning Rock Rose Gin to the Holy Grass Vodka, hear all about their tale of triumphs, challenges, and the central role of local wisdom and sustainability in their distilling voyage.

Are you pondering the risks and rewards of starting your own distillery? We discuss the personal journey of building a distillery from scratch, the pressures and fears he and Claire faced, and the lessons they continue to learn. Also, get a peek into the fascinating story of Rock Rose Gin and their unique strategies for creating a high demand for their product. From using social media effectively to leveraging word-of-mouth marketing, their incredible journey is a testament to the power of modern-day marketing techniques.

The captivating stories don't end here. Get ready to hear about the stunning transformation of an old mill into a whiskey distillery, the creation of Rock Rose's signature gin and Holy Grass vodka, and the innovative methods they employed. We conclude the episode with a potent discussion on the importance of sustainability in the distilling industry and Martin shares their innovative, eco-friendly approach. So, tune in and share our passion for the mesmerising world of distilling!

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Imagine leaving behind a life destined for the stage, microphone in hand, to command the bustling kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant Tomas Lidakevicius
did just that, trading beats for beets, and in our latest episode, he recounts his extraordinary transition from aspiring rapper to culinary maestro. His story begins amidst the transformative post-Soviet era in Lithuania and unfolds across the high-pressure cooklines of London, where he rised across roles to become to executive chef at the Michelin stared City Social  until opening up his own restaurant called Turnips, his own innovative venture at Borough Market. Tomas's tale is a vivid mosaic of personal anecdotes and pivotal moments, all serving up a feast of inspiration for anyone hungry to follow their own uncharted course.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to face down the white-hot intensity and relentless pace of a top-tier kitchen? Tomas doesn't shy away from the heat, offering up hard-earned advice for aspiring chefs. He shares reflections on his own learning curve, from the tough love of mentorship to the critical balance of creativity and precision. Tomas's journey through chef school, the crucible of fine dining, and the accolade of a Michelin star is a masterclass in resilience. His insights extend a guiding hand to those yearning to carve out a space in the culinary world, demonstrating that while the route might be laborious, the rewards are boundless.

The narrative wouldn't be complete without exploring how Tomas and his partner Charlie turned the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic into a story of triumph. They harnessed the spirit of collaboration to launch their restaurant in the heart of a lockdown, turning forklifts into tools of opportunity and a shipping container into a beacon of community and culinary delight. With sustainability at its heart, Turnips is more than a dining destination; it's a testament to the power of innovative thinking and community in the face of adversity. Join us as we celebrate this journey of ambition and the shared passion that fuels the ever-evolving world of hospitality.

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Imagine swapping the courtroom for the kitchen; that's exactly what Chantelle Nicholson, the culinary virtuoso at the helm of London's sustainability mecca, Apricity, did. Her remarkable journey from law student to award-winning chef is not just a tale of career transformation, but a stirring testament to the power of passion. In our latest episode, Chantelle opens up about the defining moments that took her from a family orchard in New Zealand to the pinnacle of the UK's food scene, earning a Michelin Green Star for her unyielding commitment to the environment.

Join us as we peel back the layers of Chantelle's professional life, from her early days of learning kitchen basics to managing the intricate dance of a buzzing restaurant. She recounts the delicate balance between creativity and the nitty-gritty of business management, giving us an insider's perspective on the making of Apricity. The insights shared prove invaluable, as Chantelle discusses her visionary approach to work-life balance within the demanding hospitality industry, including her revolutionary decision to limit restaurant operations to five days a week for the well-being of her team.

Curious about the intersection of food and film or how charity work enriches one's professional path? We've got that covered too. Chantelle divulges her experiences consulting on the movie "Burnt" and the joy she finds in giving back through food education initiatives. As we wrap up our engrossing chat, we assure listeners that stories like Chantelle's are what drive us to bring you more inspiring content weekly. So, tune in, feel the passion, and perhaps find the spark that ignites your own career pivot.

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From the hustle of finance to the heat of the kitchen, Mark Selby, co-founder of Wahaca, sits down with me to serve up a story that’s as flavourful as it is insightful. With a dash of serendipity, Mark recounts the pivotal moments that took him from the world of finance into the arms of the restaurant industry, alongside Thomasina Miers. Together, they've stirred up more than just tantalising dishes, giving birth to Wahaca in the vibrant heart of Covent Garden. Their tale is one of blending a passion for Mexican culture with a stringent ethos of sustainability, setting their restaurant group apart in the UK's competitive dining scene.

As we peel back the layers of Wahaca's journey, Mark doesn't shy away from the raw, often chaotic beginnings of restaurant life. Picture this: an opening night flooded with a flooded kitchen forcing it to close its doors for the day! Mark and Tommi's perseverance through staffing challenges and operational hurdles has seasoned Wahaca with resilience, transforming early struggles into the sweet taste of success and a coveted spot in the UK's sustainable dining sphere. Their story is a testament to the fact that the road to greatness is often paved with trials, and sometimes, the best spice in life is a little bit of chaos.

We wrap up our chat by toasting to innovation and the relentless drive for sustainability that marks the modern business landscape. Mark shares how curiosity and a pinch of competitiveness have led Wahaca to pioneer eco-conscious milestones, like introducing the UK's first carbon-negative beer on tap. It's a narrative that’s as much about the spirit of entrepreneurship as it is about the steadfast commitment to pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a sustainable, culture-rich dining experience. Pull up a chair and savor the rich, unfolding story of a restaurant that's as committed to the environment as it is to your taste buds.

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Have you ever found yourself in the crossroads between a comfortable corporate job and the thrilling unknown of startup culture? That's where Ella McKay stood before she took the leap into the world of dark chocolate with her company, Fatso. Join us as Ella opens up about her transformative journey, from debating ice cream toppings to pioneering a brand that's captivating the dark chocolate market with its bold flavours and ethical sourcing.

In this episode, we unravel the threads of human connection that are woven into the fabric of business success. Ella illustrates the potent blend of creativity and strategy in product development, emphasising how relationships with everyone from cacao farmers to customers are more than simple transactions; they're partnerships that pulse at the heart of Fatso's ethos. We also delve into the landscape of entrepreneurship reshaped by the pandemic, revealing the surge of innovation and community support that has buoyed small businesses through challenging times.

Topping off our rich conversation, we get a taste of the future as Ella hints at tantalising new Fatso flavours and expansion plans that chocolate aficionados can look forward to. Our chat isn't just about the sweetness of chocolate; it's a reservoir of insights for the budding entrepreneur, steeped in the authenticity that defines Fatso's journey. Tune in and be inspired by the passion and drive that can transform a simple idea into a delectable reality.

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Embark on an inspirational odyssey with Adam Wills, the culinary mastermind who's reshaped London's food scene, as he recounts his journey from a software career to founding food sensations Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Crosstown Donuts. Feel the rush of excitement as Adam, a New Zealander by birth, details the leap of faith that led to his reinvention of the burger experience and the artisanal donut revolution. Our insightful chat peels back the layers on what it takes to make a mark in the bustling metropolis, from conceptualising a unique dining niche to the critical first days of opening a business in a foreign land.

"You got to do it for as much as the memories as the money"

Adam Wills

Joining me, Jay Greenwood, Adam delves into the transformation of the London dining landscape, reflecting on the daring yet simple approach that saw GBK soar in a city divided between fast food and fine dining. Imagine the awe of Londoners tasting a true burger for the first time, a testament to Adam's belief in quality ingredients and his knack for capturing the culinary zeitgeist. The narrative is peppered with personal tales of overcoming challenges, the thrill of customer reactions, and the gratifying journey from novelty to mainstream staple.

True to form, Adam doesn't just rest on his laurels. He shares the wisdom garnered from years of entrepreneurial ventures, offering sage advice for anyone hungry to enter the food business. This deep dive is replete with revelations about sustainable growth, the value of a great team, and how to stay nimble and receptive to feedback. Listeners will emerge with a newfound appreciation for the grit behind gourmet and the real ingredients needed for success in the world of food entrepreneurship.

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Repost from 2020 | What happens when a neuroscience enthusiast shifts gears to revolutionise the olive market? Meet Olly Hiscocks, the mastermind behind Olly's, a vibrant brand that's breathed fresh life into olives, nuts, and snacking pretzels. Olly's journey began with just 50 pounds and a kitchen full of experimental flavours tested on friends and family before making it big. Listen as Olly reveals the quirky character names behind his products, the importance of eye-catching branding, and how his story of persistence, passion, and authenticity led to early sales success.

Ever wondered about the unexpected pitfalls in the food industry? Olly shares a surprising tale involving improperly stored garlic and an enlightening conversation with a CEO that shaped his business mindset. Explore the power of an authentic story in the entrepreneurial world as we discuss my own career shift from neuroscience to founding a startup. Together, we highlight the thrill of sales, the necessity of relentless pursuit, and how genuine narratives resonate with customers and drive impressive results.

Navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, Olly opens up about the dynamic experience of being a single founder, overproducing for Sainsbury's, and handling lockdown excess supply. Discover the importance of networking, mentorship, and community initiatives like the Nest Foundation, which empowers women to start their own businesses. Learn why delegating responsibilities and hiring skilled team members is crucial for growth, and why taking risks and experimenting with new ideas are vital steps toward long-term success. If you're passionate about the food industry or entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with invaluable insights and inspiring stories.

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What ignites a person to leave a prestigious career for an uncertain venture? Meet Zan Kaufman, the dynamic founder of Bleecker Burger, who shares her journey from a corporate lawyer in New York to a renowned burger entrepreneur in London. Discover the moment that turned Zan's passion into a thriving business and how her core values of equality, inclusion, and diversity laid the foundation for Bleaker Burger's success.

From a single street food truck to a bustling kiosk in Spitalfields Market, Zan reveals the strategic decisions that fueled Bleeker Burger's growth. Delve into how her legal expertise played a vital role in navigating business contracts with confidence and maintaining operational integrity during the expansion. Zan's transformation from hands-on operator to strategic leader offers invaluable insights into the importance of mentorship, peer support, and adaptive leadership.

The pandemic posed unprecedented challenges, but Zan's resilience and commitment to her vision kept Bleaker Burger afloat. Listen as she candidly shares the obstacles faced and the strategies employed to overcome them, from managing supply chains to navigating government schemes. Reflecting on both successes and setbacks, Zan provides powerful lessons in leadership and strategic hiring, emphasizing the importance of staying true to one's values. Join us for a heartfelt discussion filled with gratitude for our listeners and practical advice for aspiring food entrepreneurs.

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Ever wondered how a finance guru can transform into a cheese industry innovator? Edward Hancock, the founder of The Cheese Geek, joins us to unravel his captivating journey from fund management to pioneering a unique cheese retailing experience. Discover how Edward's expertise in investor psychology and algorithm building became the secret sauce in creating a brand that emotionally connects with its customers, and get a peek into the neuroscience that drives our most delicious impulse purchases.

But great ideas alone don't build successful businesses—execution does. Edward opens up about launching The Cheese Geek while juggling a full-time job, starting with minimal resources, and growing organically through the sheer power of word-of-mouth. Learn the invaluable lessons he garnered from the trenches, turning first-time buyers into passionate brand advocates and proving that actionable steps and loyal customer relationships are the true cornerstones of enduring success.

In the final segments, we dive deep into the art of crafting memorable customer experiences and strategic growth. Hear how The Cheese Geek transitioned smoothly into retail with Sainsbury's, all while maintaining a consistent brand identity. Edward shares the challenges of sourcing cheese, the importance of being prepared for opportunities, and the problem-solving mindset that helped navigate the pandemic. Tune in for an episode packed with actionable insights, whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a devoted food enthusiast.

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From aspiring lawyer to founder, Emily Tout, the co-founder and CEO of Mighty Slice, joins us to share her extraordinary path to entrepreneurship. Emily's unexpected discovery of powerlifting during her university years sparked a profound shift in her mindset, fostering a resilience and growth mentality that became crucial in her journey. Listen in as Emily recounts how the discipline and skills honed in her legal studies provided a solid foundation for her venture into the dynamic world of health-conscious food products, even as she navigated an identity crisis when entrepreneurship beckoned.

Witness the transformation of Mighty Slice from its humble beginnings in Emily's home kitchen to a recognisable brand disrupting the dessert industry. At a pivotal moment during the Balance Festival, Emily realised the importance of presenting even a minimal viable product professionally to captivate the interest of larger retailers. As Mighty Slice grew, Emily tackled the balance between direct-to-consumer sales and business-to-business opportunities, revealing how these strategies built consumer trust and unlocked unexpected business avenues, leading to innovative products like the standout "pink slices."

In her journey with Mighty Slice, Emily faced the logistics of introducing protein-rich cheesecakes into both small gyms and large supermarkets like Asda and Sainsbury's. She shared invaluable insights on the power of packaging, where a simple shelf barker could dramatically boost sales. Emily also explored the significance of delegation and building a robust team, highlighting the shift from hands-on involvement to empowering her team to excel independently. Throughout the episode, Emily's story underscores the courage and adaptability required to build a thriving business centered on evolving consumer needs and market trends.

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Meet Huib van Bockel, the creative force behind Tenzing, a natural energy drink brand that's turning heads. Journey through Huib's eclectic career, from his marketing roots at Unilever and Red Bull to his initial entrepreneurial steps with a fashion venture specialising in high-end socks. Huib opens up about the vital lessons learned in supply chain management and how these experiences shaped his unique approach to launching Tenzing. This episode offers a candid reflection on aligning personal expertise with business aspirations and the transformative power of passion and commitment.

Huib's narrative challenges the conventional wisdom of spotting market gaps and instead champions the idea of building businesses on personal skills and passions. He argues that honing one's abilities and focusing on areas of deep interest can naturally lead to success, using examples like Fever-Tree and Liquid Death. With Tenzing, Huib draws on his background and love for the outdoors, creating a brand that not only stands out in the market but resonates with his values. Huib's story is a testament to pursuing an entrepreneurial mission that is both meaningful and uniquely tailored to one's strengths.

Explore the nuanced journey from a corporate role to startup life, as Huib discusses the delicate balance between financial caution and full entrepreneurial commitment. He shares personal insights on managing risks, gaining early customer feedback, and fostering a transparent company culture. With anecdotes on empathy, perseverance, and strategic focus, Hub illustrates the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship and how understanding team dynamics can propel a brand to success. This episode promises to enlighten listeners on the blend of personal values and business strategies that power Tenzing's sustainable and innovative journey.

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Uncover the inspiring entrepreneurial journey of Melissa Snover, the visionary founder and CEO of Nourished, as she takes us on a ride from her unexpected start in business to pioneering innovations in the world of personalised nutrition. Melissa's passion for creating a vegetarian gummy candy led her to experiment with plant-based ingredients and develop a vegan gummy using Gellan gum. Throughout this episode, Melissa opens up about the challenges she faced in scaling her businesses, from branding to international logistics, and how her dedication to food technology continues to break new ground in the industry.

Explore the art of strategic partnerships and business growth through Melissa's insights into the fine balance between knowing when to pivot and the power of aligning with the right partners. Highlighting a successful collaboration with Magic Candy Factory and industry giants like Colgate, Melissa illustrates how mutual innovation and value addition can propel a company's vision forward. This episode also offers effective strategies for raising brand awareness, emphasising tailored marketing approaches that honour the unique attributes of each product, and showcasing practical examples from Nourished's successful launch.

Melissa also shares her wisdom on building confidence as an entrepreneur through delegation and strategic marketing. Learn about the importance of trust and clear communication in empowering team members and the impact of public relations in fostering consumer trust. By balancing intuition with data-driven decision-making, Melissa navigates the complexities of managing a growing team and creating unprecedented technology. Her journey is a testament to perseverance and dedication, encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to consider their personal circumstances while pursuing their dreams. Listen in to be inspired by Melissa's commitment to innovation and her trailblasing contributions to the industry.

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Ever wondered how a simple bean can transform the food industry? Join us as Amelia Christie-Miller, the innovative force behind Bold Bean Co, shares her extraordinary journey from a food-loving childhood to becoming a notable entrepreneur in the UK. Gain insights into how Amelia's experiences in Spain ignited her passion for beans, leading to her entrepreneurial success and the presence of her products on the shelves of major retailers like Waitrose, Sainsbury's, and M&S. Amelia's story is an inspiring testament to how dedication to sustainability and flavour can redefine a market, and how she leveraged community engagement and data-driven insights to forge genuine connections with consumers.

Explore Amelia's strategic shift from a direct-to-consumer model to entering the retail space during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understand her proactive engagement strategies with supermarket buyers and how she navigated the complexities of the grocery marketplace. Amelia highlights the significance of "brand servicing" over "brand selling," emphasising the importance of authentic interactions with consumers. Through her story, you'll discover the intricacies and excitement of the supermarket landscape, offering valuable lessons for anyone enthusiastic about food and entrepreneurship.

Amelia also delves into the entrepreneurial mindset, the importance of having a co-founder, and the rewarding challenges of building a brand with integrity. Learn about her growth-oriented approach, how past experiences shaped her business acumen, and why focusing on quality ingredients is crucial. Uncover the behind-the-scenes efforts that brought Bold Bean Co to life and the power of a growth mindset. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a food enthusiast, this episode offers a delicious blend of inspiration and practical advice for crafting a successful food business.

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Florian de Chezelles, co-founder of The Salad Project, joins us for a conversation about his remarkable journey in the hospitality industry. From growing up in a lively family of five siblings to his transformative education at the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, Florian shares how these experiences shaped his communication skills and passion for hospitality. We delve into his early career with luxury giants LVMH and the Waldorf Hilton, where he honed his meticulous attention to detail and discovered his love for creating memorable experiences.

Fueled by passion and a desire for fulfillment, Florian embarked on an entrepreneurial journey with co-founder James, leading to the creation of The Salad Project. Despite initial challenges like limited savings and the unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic, they crafted a menu that resonated with a wide range of dietary preferences. Listen as we recount the amusing process of naming the business and the innovative strategies behind their menu development, which relied on personal preferences and customer archetypes rather than traditional market research.

Discover how The Salad Project has thrived with seven locations across London, thanks in part to savvy investors and the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Florian also emphasises the game-changing role of digital technology in their business model, which positioned them ahead of the curve during the pandemic. Throughout this journey, the complementary partnership between Florian and James has been key, blending their skills and mutual respect to build a successful and enduring brand. Join us for a blend of inspiring stories, practical advice, and a celebration of entrepreneurial spirit in the hospitality industry.

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Chris Kong's journey from child actor in Hong Kong to co-founder and co-CEO of Better Nature is nothing short of remarkable. Chris shares how his early experiences in biochemistry at the University of Oxford and his passion for sustainability led him to create a leading tempeh brand in the UK. Growing up with an entrepreneurial spirit, from selling snacks to classmates to experimenting with a hot dog stand, Chris's story is one of relentless pursuit to develop impactful, planet-friendly products.

The episode takes you through the transformative journey of Better Nature's inception, sparked by a chance encounter at a biotech conference. A conversation with his future co-founder, Ellen, challenged Chris's dietary habits and planted the seeds for a revolutionary plant-based protein business. Through this serendipitous meeting, Chris discovered tempeh and its untapped potential in the UK market, leading to a bold mission to make this protein-rich product a supermarket staple and win over health-conscious consumers.

Chris also opens up about the trials and triumphs of the sustainable food business. He details the strategic moves, such as rebranding, to highlight tempeh's health benefits, and the role of strong partnerships in scaling production. His background in sports instilled a dedication to persistence and discipline, essential traits in bringing Better Nature's vision to life. This episode promises not just an entrepreneurial story but an insightful reflection on aligning business with a meaningful impact on the world.

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Discover how Tess Reed transformed her homemade tahini dressing into All Dressed Up, a standout brand now stocked in Whole Foods and Ocado within just one year of launching. Tess shares her winding career path from university graduate to food entrepreneur and the pivotal moments that led to her business success. 

• Growing up on a farm with a food-loving family shaped Tess's passion for quality ingredients
• Early career at The Coconut Collaborative provided valuable food industry experience
• Brief detour into tech revealed that food was where her true passion lay
• COVID redundancy led to formal culinary training at Leiths School of Food and Wine
• All Dressed Up began with a simple tahini dressing and her boyfriend's business suggestion
• Initial production involved making just 12 bottles at a time in her kitchen
• Finding a manufacturer willing to produce small batches was a crucial turning point
• Focusing on quality ingredients and authentic flavors created a point of difference
• The food industry's collaborative nature provided support and mentorship
• Balancing a full-time job while building the business required significant sacrifices
• Future plans include growing the team and expanding into more major retailers

You can find All Dressed Up dressings in farm shops, delis, independents and on Ocado. If you want to know more about starting a food business, visit www.jgreenwood.com

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Claire Connor is the founder of A Pie Party. In this part of the series we are covering getting started. We will discuss Claire's journey, how she came to found her company, the struggles she had and how she got through. This is a great episode with an amazing story behind a great company. Please enjoy. If you want to learn more about setting up a food business then please head over to www.jaygreenwood.com. Subscribe and please leave a review! Any feedback is appreciated - you can reach me at jaygreenwood10@gmail.com

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This is an introduction to the Recipe for Greatness podcast. The goal of this podcast is to share the stories of the people behind the best food companies in the UK and deconstruct how they did it, what skills and knowledge they used and most importantly, how you can get started.
I wish there was something like this when I started my food business - I really struggled at the start so I'm hoping this can help others.
I've been wanting to do this for AGES so would love to hear some feedback from you. This is something I really care about so please reach me at jaygreenwood10@gmail.com or head over to my website - www.jaygreenwood.com to find out more.

Thank guys - be great!

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Adam Wills is the founder of Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Crosstown Doughnuts. He moved over from NZ in 1996 and in 2000 launched GBK which he sold in 2005. In 2010 he opened up Kopapa restaurant headed by Peter Gordon and then In 2014 he founded artisan doughnut concept Crosstown Doughnuts.

Adam is an exceptional entrepreneur with continued track record of success. We chat about his journey and how he almost blew up his first restaurant! We discuss how he identifies opportunities and what questions every aspiring food founder should be asking themselves.

This was a dream interview to chat with Adam. 

"You got to do it for as much as the memories as the money"

Adam Wills

If you want to learn more about setting up a food business then please head to www.jaygreenwood.com

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Angie Gewargis is the founder of My Cookie Dough who make the most incredible desserts. Since opening their first site in Cardiff they have expanded at a rapid pace and now have 14 sites operating across the UK and in the Middle East.

Angie came across the idea while at university with her co-founder Ricki. We talk about how branding was the most important thing and how it needs to be one of the first things to think about. Angie breaks down their methods and how it led to them growing such a fan base. We cover social media and the importance that it has had for their growth and Angie delivers tips on how to grow on social.

We also talk about how they have adapted their whole business model and switched to BIY (Bake It Yourself) My Cookie Dough Kits at home.

If you want to see some amazing desserts that will make you drool, click here. 

Another interview with an amazing founder - please enjoy.

If you want to learn more about setting up a food business then head over to www.jaygreenwood.com

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Hugo Campbell is the founder of Feast It, an events booking platform ranging from food and drink to staff and photographers. Launching in 2016 it has grown and has been shortlisted for "Disruptor of The Year" for Great British Entrepreneur Awards and named Number 7 in Start Up's top 100 UK companies in 2020.
Hugo founded the business with long-term friend Digby. They have raised £2.7m in funding.
Hugo is an amazing founder. We talk about how to capture attention in articles, importance of co-founders, Paul Graham's "13 Things You Should Know About Starting A Company" and goal setting for the team. He finishes off with golden advice for any food caterers about how to stand out.
We also chat about how when they turned their business live online and within five minutes they took a huge booking!
It was an amazing conversation with so much great advice.
Please enjoy my conversation with Hugo

If you want to learn more about setting up a food business please head to www.jaygreenwood.com

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Teddy Rigby is the founder of Abbeville Supper Club and was a MasterChef 2020 Quarter-Finalist.

MasterChef is a well known annual cooking show hosted on BBC, the show receives (according to Google) 20,000 applications a year and chooses only 56. I talk with Teddy all about MasterChef and we get to hear a real behind the scenes look of what it is actually like to be on the show, applying, how it runs, what Greg and John are like and so much more. If you like MasterChef this is a must listen.

While waiting to hear from MasterChef Teddy launched his first food business with friend Jean-Pierre Bird (ex professional chef), which is a non-for-profit super club in Clapham called Abbeville Supper Club. They create the most amazing food and had plans to grown, lock down happened and forced Teddy and JP to pivot and start online cooking challenges and food delivery packages for people who need them. They have partnered with a charity called Royal Trinity Hospice and have raised over £6,000 for them. We talk about the lessons learnt in setting up the supper club, how he has had to adapt and future plans for the business.

Please sit back and enjoy my chat with Teddy Rigby.

Head to www.jaygreenwood.com to learn more about setting up a food business.

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David Templer is a fitness and food enthusiast who has taken his side project in to a complete business. Also known as Temptation or the Shirtless Chef, David has around 400,000 thousand followers across his social media platform.

David went away travelling and started a Instagram account and it has grown and taken him on to TV shows such as Hairy Biker's Chocolate Challenge and also had his video picked up by Gordon Ramsey that made it on to the Daily Mail and ITV's Lorraine.

David is seen to never take himself too seriously on his social media platforms but in this interview we dive in to the business behind social media and what it really looks like. David talks about how to build a community of followers around what you love and how to create a business around that. David also goes in to some of his brand deals and shows us the scale they can reach.

This is a little different from our normal interviews, however, it is intentionally showing you how a food business can move beyond conventional shop fronts and be a social media business.

You can find more about David at:
https://www.instagram.com/temp_tation/
https://www.tiktok.com/@temp_tation?lang=en
www.litness.co.uk

If you want to learn more about starting a food business then head to www.jaygreenwood.com

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Asher Flowers is the founder of Rogue, they create the most exceptional jams and chutneys from the likes of Espresso Martini Marmalade, Negroni Marmalade and many others.

Asher left his job in PR in London and moved back to Wales to set up his business. He started with £350 and began selling it at market stalls and trade shows. He got his break and pitched to Sainsbury's and Ocado and his national distribution journey began.

Asher is very open and honest about the mistakes he has made and discusses the lessons he has learnt on his journey. It really is a story of lots of ups and downs but Asher gives great advice on how to keep going.

We discuss how he got to meet the buyers for these big supermarkets and what a typical deal looks like. We talk about his experience with crowd funding and what the future holds for the business.

This is a great listen and it is really interesting to understand the scale and branding needed to go from a market stall to national distribution.

Please enjoy my conversation with Asher Flowers

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This weeks guest is Dan Pope - Who is the sales manager for ManLife, One of the leading UK peanut butter brands shaking up the category. Dan was employee number 2 at the company.

Dan graduated university - all his other friends took jobs in London and followed the corporate route but Dan took a different journey that lead him to a few different places. Dan talks about the value of his non-conventional job and what he learnt. Eventually his path ran in to the Founder of ManiLife and Dan decided to join. We hear all about the value of being an employee at a start-up, what it is really like versus what people think it is like, on being a sponge soaking up all the information of people around him and how he learns from his mistakes.

This is such a great interview because people think they have to set up a company and be a founder, but what about being a number 2 or 3? Or being an employee and treating it as your mentorship to eventually go on to set up something yourself? A lot of interesting ideas we cover in this chat and Dan gives a really honest insight in to life at a start-up, what a typical week might look like and what he has personally got from his experience.

Please enjoy my chat with Dan from ManiLife

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Sam Mensah started off in the music industry - playing on stage, talking to major record labels, touring the country, but in the background his parents were running a Ghanaian bakery, Uncle Johns Bakery, that they set up 25 years ago. 
It was doing well but Sam believed it could do better. in 2015 he finally took the step and decided to john the family business. But this was not without challenges, sam had to reinvent the business in order for it to reach the goals he set for it which ultimately led the bakery to be stocked in Tesco, Morrisons and he has even bigger plans in the future. 
This is such an interesting chat with Sam about his journey. In this interview you will hear how he faces failure, how the people around you influence you, the importance of focusing on one thing and so much more. 
This really was one of my favourite interviews and really got me fired up. This is such a great listen to please enjoy my interview with Sam from Uncle Johns Bakery.

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Eloise Head is the founder of Fitwaffle. If recently you have been on social media and you came across some mouth-watering food pictures or incredible home baking recipes there is a chance it was Eloise with Fitwaffle. She has over 1.2 Million followers and her recipes get picked up weekly by the national media and get tens of thousands of shares. If you want to have some home baking recipe inspiration head to her page: Fitwaffle Kitchen.

Eloise started the page just over 3 years ago that started off as a hobby when she and her partner, Bernie, would post photos of their cheat meals. That page grew in popularity and Eloise started getting requests from restaurants to post content for them. Eloise grew the fitwaffle platform and over the years has gained over 1.2m followers and it is now a fully fledged business.

This was so interesting to talk to Eloise. A couple of episodes back I spoke with David Templer who creates contents for brands but Eloise does it specifically for food brands. You really see how this is such a huge industry and once you have the following there is a lot of money to be made.

Eloise gives such a honest and open review of what it takes to grow a platform like she has and the time and effort it takes on a daily basis to manage it. We also chat about what it is like when your hobby becomes your full time job.

I loved chatting with Eloise, she is one of the nicest, happy and most genuine people I have met and it comes across in this interview. Please enjoy my conversation with Eloise Head from Fitwaffle.

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Today my guest is Jason Mulhall who is the founder of Karnival. Karnival work with some of the biggest companies in the world and smaller start-ups and create pop up food experiences in their offices.

We talk about his journey in to entrepreneurship and how he was actively brain storming ideas and problems to solve so he could create a company. Jason tried other business ideas and after experiments and tests he realised they weren't going to achieve what he had set out to. Jason Didn't give up and kept trying new ideas and came across the idea of setting up street food pop-ups inside offices and founded his company.

We talk about how he convinced these companies in 2016 to let different street food brands come from the streets of London and in to the office to sell food - it may seem obvious now - but 5 years ago it wasn't a big thing. We talk about how he scaled from one client to 50. This is a great chat because its a really honest account of not only trial and error, but not giving up, persevering and starting small and growing big! Jason is a friend and he is such a lovely bloke - I could chat forever with him about food and business - please enjoy my chat with Jason from Karnival.

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Today’s guest is Sophie McGregor who is the co-founder of Griddle who make delicious whole grain pancakes with less sugar and no artificial flavours, they are available in Sainsbury’s and Amazon.

This is such a great chat because Sophie really provides context of what it takes and how long it takes to come up with an idea, test the market, manufacture the product and get it in to a retailer.

Not only was Sophie setting up Griddle but her and her co founder Ella we’re working at the same time!

We talk about how she thinks about the importance of standing for something more then just a product but it’s values and Sophie’s and Ella's work with charities over lockdown and future plans for the brand.

This really is such a great chat to get behind the scenes about the journey of getting a product in to a major retailer, please enjoy my chat with Sophie from Griddle.

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Stephen Tozer is one of the founders of Le Bab, Maison Bab and Kebab Queen that reinvented the kebab. When I say kebab - think Michelin star kebab.

Stephen met him co-founder Ed at Oxford university which they parted ways, Ed to go train at Michel Roux Jr two Michelin Star restaurant Le Gavroche and Stephen to work in the city.

After some time Stephen felt his long life passion for food and cooking draw him back to the idea of opening a restaurant and convinced his friend Ed to join him. Together they convinced Manu who also worked at Le Gavroche to join.

In this Chat we talk all about the Stephens process from coming up with the idea, facing his choice to leave his career and follow his passion. We talk about the journey to opening up a restaurant, raising money, finding mentors and what his philosophy behind business is. Stephen also launched an initiative in lock down called The Restaurant Co-operative that kept his staff in employment and fed over 9000 NHS staff.

I loved chatting with Stephen not only is he such an awesome guys, but his advice is incredible in this interview for people thinking about entering the restaurant world. This one ran for a while and we could have chatted for even longer - please enjoy my chat with Stephen Tozer.

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This week my guest is Olly Hiscocks who is the founder of Olly's. 4 years ago he entered the olive market and reinvented the category. They have gone on to do nuts and their most recent innovation has been snacking pretzels as a better alternative to crisps.

What started off in his kitchen and a market stall, Olly's are stocked in Sainsbury's, Ocado, Selfridges, Virgin trains, Major airlines, Euro star and many others.

Olly talks about how he set up his business with less then 50 pounds and how he trialed the product with friends and family and at markets. We talk all about how he thinks about following your gut and staying true to yourself in the brand and everything you do and how he try's to turn any problem in to a win.

Olly is such a humble, great guy and he offers so much advice in this interview. Please Enjoy my chat with Olly the founder of Olly's.

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Dominique Woolf is the founder of The Woolf's Kitchen - They make the most amazing sauces such as Tamarin Ketchup, Jalapeno and Lime and have just launched some new nuts!

Dominique launched her business in the middle of lock, oh and she is also a mum of three all under the age of 5!

Dominique talks all about how you find your calling for a business and the importance of tasting and experiencing different career paths. Dominique started in the music industry but didn't quite feel it was her true calling - until she came back to her Thai inspiration.

What started of as an idea quickly turned in to Dominique creating sauces at home and then going to a market and selling 250 bottles in 2 days. That gave Dominique the fuel to launch the business that was planned in April but then the UK national lock down came in but that didn't stop Dominique and she launched in June. The Woolf's Kitchen and Dominique's journey has got national press, radio coverage and led to her being the finalist of Enterprise Nations Female Start-Up of the year.

Dominique breaks down all the stages involved in creating the product, immersing yourself in the category, testing the product, building the brand and selling. This is a great listen for aspiring food business founders looking to get the hints and tips to launch their business! Please enjoy my chat with Dominique from The Woolf's Kitchen.

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Helenor and Mike are the founders of Troo - you may have seen their granola or porridge in places such as Sainsbury's or Waitrose. They create delicious granola, porridge and syrups that all promote gut health, with high levels of functional fibre, low sugar and made with all natural ingredients.

Helenor started making granola at home for her son after seeing how much sugar is in shop bought options and this ultimately led to the business being set up. Mike noticed the early signs of the big trend towards gut health and they set out a their mission to sell amazing tasting granola and porridge while educating the population about gut health.

We cover so much in this chat, you'll hear one of the most amazing stories that really captures the entrepreneurial spirit of Helenor and Mike when they talk about their pitch to Sainsbury's. We also talk about why standing for a mission that is bigger than your product is so important and how it shapes your future business operations. We cover gut health and just how important it is in your life and behind the scenes of what it was like scaling Troo.

Mike and helenor are husband and wife and they are so fun and enjoyable to chat to. Not only are they exceptional business minded individuals but they are also TV stars that we touch on at the end. I think you'll be able to tell just how much I enjoyed chatting with them. Sit back and please enjoy my chat with Mike and Helenor from Troo.

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Thom Elliot is the co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims that he set up in 2011 with his brother James. Thom comes from an advertising background and James from tv, After a few pints in the pub they decided it was time to do something themselves.

Pizza pilgrims was born but they realised they needed a pizza oven to sell pizzas - they decided to buy Piaggion Ape van and add a pizza oven - not wanting to pay the huge import shipping fees to get it from Italy they set up on their pilgrimage to go to Italy, pick up the van and drive it back while learning all about pizza on the way home. They got a production company involved and off they went.

They returned to London and set up a street food market stall in Soho and after great success they decided to take on the restaurant world

Fast forward to today and they operate 14 sites, have released a cook book and have just put out there most recent book Pizza, history recipes people place love

When the pandemic hit they were forced to close all sites but the birth of "Pizza in the Post" happened and after having aspirations to hopefully sell 100 a day at some point - they put 50 on the website and sold out in 20 seconds.

Thom gives us an amazing account of what it was like starting a business and the highs and lows associated with it. One thing for sure is how fun Thom and James have clearly had on the way and it makes you just want to be apart of it from the start. Thom talks so passionately about the importance of people being the core to the success of a business and how he believes investing in them is the key to a great company.

Chatting to thom is a dream for me because I've been watching their journey since 2014 with admiration so to finally chat to him was a privilege. Thom gives so much value and great perspective of what this is all about at the end of the day.

Please sit back and enjoy my chat with Thom from Pizza Pilgrims.

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Zan Kaufman is the founder of Bleecker Burger. You may know all about the their world famous burger winning award countless awards such as Best Burger In The World by Foodie Hub.

Zan started off her career in New York as a corporate lawyer but after pondering some of lifes bigger questions, Zan started working in a burger joint. This burger and its taste changed Zan and her life - she left her corporate job and worked their full time.

When Zan moved to London in 2011 she began her plans to launch her burger business - Bleecker burger.

What started off as a van in a car park has now grown to 4 restaurants.

We hear all about her journey, the new challenges that come with scaling. Zan dives in to the importance of her values and standing for things bigger than business; equality, inclusion and diversity.

Zan is bloody awesome - I've admired her and Bleecker for years so this was such an honour for me.

Please enjoy my chat with Zan Kaufman from Bleecker Burger.

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Imran Merza - who is Imran?
He is the founder of Jealous Sweets. I first came across Jealous Sweets in a coffee shop, they caught my eye, and they're absolutely delicious. They are stocked in Asda, Ocado and they are generating revenue in the millions. 

Jealous sweets was set up back in 2010 and launched it in 2011 with his co-founder Taz, they started off in Selfridges as gifting boxes and grow their product and range from there. We chat about how they went about developing the perfect vegan natural sweet in 2010, We hear about Imran's persistence to get in front of the buyers at the major retailers. We dive in to his mindset, how the habits and routines he has engrained in his day-to-day set him up for success and we hear the advice he got from industry legends. 

This conversation really dives deep in to the mindset of how to create a happy, abundant life and focus in business. Imran offers great tips with actionable advice on how you can start adding things to your daily routine to improve your mindset. Imran is a legend and we could have chatted all day about business. 

I'm Jay Greenwood and this is Recipe for Greatness.

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Huw Gott Is the co-founder of Hawksmoor, which first opened in 2006 and has grown to become one of the UK’s most respected restaurant groups. 

They have a reputation for being the best employers in the industry, being the only hospitality company to have appeared in the Annual Sunday Times Best Places to Work list for each of the last 9 years. 

They’re also a founding member of the Sustainable Restaurants Association and have raised over £1.5 million pounds for charity. And they’ve pulled off the difficult trick of remaining a critics favourite 15 years after first opening and Jay Rayner has named them one of his favourite restaurants of the last 10 years.

Huw Is a legend in the industry and we talk about his journey with Hawksmoor. How after 3 failed attempts, him and Will gambled everything on their 4th venture; Hawksmoor. We hear Huw's take on what makes Hawksmoor special, the challenges involved in their journey and reflections on their newest venture; Hawksmoor New York.

This is a dream come true interview for me so please enjoy.

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Today on the podcast we have Joe Taylor who is the co-founder of Real Handful. 

Joe  was working in IT and while backpacking in America in 2006 had the idea for trail mixes and saw a gap in the market. 

Joe left the world of computers and entered the food and drink world where he worked for notable companies such has Innocent and Heinz, to name a few. 

10 years after his initial inspiration, in 2016 he set up Real Handful with his wife Carley: frustrated with the snacks offering the next health miracle or being pure indulgent they set out to make better snacks that improve lives using plant based foods. 

Joe's journey is an incredible listen, we chat about so may things from the benefits of working at a start up  & large companies, the embrace of the food and drink culture, unpacking your idea to your why, category and the market, how to open conversations with retails industry leaders and how to frame conversations and so much more. 

So much value  in this conversation. Please Enjoy this episode with Joe Taylor.

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Adam Smith is a founder of the multi-award-winning, global initiative: The Real Junk Food Project set up in December 2013, to revolutionise the disposal of avoidable food waste into landfill, idea is to feed bellies, not bins.

In 2019, TRJFP intercepted about 400 tonnes of food, the equivalent of 950,000 meals. In the first 12 weeks of lockdown in 2020 alone, the team intercepted double that amount – comparable to 1.9 million meals. They also run multiple projects across the world and have Fed over 13 million people.

Adam is also a professional chef for over ten years, Adam has held a wealth of head chef positions, internationally.

Adam and TRJFP have received numerous plaudits and awards from organisations ranging from NESTA to The Observer. In 2014, Adam was voted one of the forty most influential men in the world by AskMen. The Telegraph voted Adam as one of the 50 th most influential people in UK Food & Drink – Food & Drink Power List 2017.

Adam was a featured speaker on the TedX broadcast from Warwick University on February 28th 2015.

In 2010 at aged 25 Adam was found in a field, pronounced dead at the scene by the police, with only cocaine keeping his heart beating, he had attempted suicide.

We hear about Adams story, what led him to that moment, and how he went on to achieve the things he has

Adam is a reminder to us all that despite the challenges we face, there is always purpose and meaning to be found.

Please enjoy my chat with Adam Smith.

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Joe Moruzzi is the founder of Pleesecakes who make the most incredible, cheesecake porn, if you will, desserts. They are stocked in Selfridges, Whole foods and have nationwide delivery. They have over 216 thousand followers on instagram and have been enjoyed by many big celebrities, including the queen.

Joe started making cheesecakes in 2015 while running a painting and decorating company, two years later he decided to launch an instagram page to try sell 5 a month while still working. In January 2017 he launched the page and on the first day he got 50 orders and within a week over 15,000 followers.

He had a crazy first year, appearing on ITV this morning, getting a book deal and publishing it, as mentioned making a queen for the cake and being asked to go on Dragons Den.

But with all that success on the surface, what is really going on behind the scenes? We talk about the sacrifices Joe had to make, the debt he got himself in, the crazy hours worked and his love for failure. Joe gives such an honest account of what it is like to grow a company from the bottom up, but he emphasises hes not special, he had no unique skill or head start, anyone can do it with the right mindset and work ethic.

I loved chatting to Joe and it was just so nice to hear how honest he was about all the bumps on the way. Its a great listen and the journey is amazing.

Please enjoy my chat with Joe from Pleesecakes.

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Anushi Desai is the co-founder of Plant Pops which are popped lotus seeds snacks. They have won Winner of Best Snacking Innovation at the 2019 World Food Innovation Awards. Shortlisted for a Great British Food Award and Anushi was named on starling banks top 15 food entrepreneurs to watch in 2021.

Anushi left the world of management consulting in 2019 to go full time with Plant Pops, however she was busy creating the brand in the evenings after work and testing them on her co-workers. Anushi refers to her time at plant pops as her real life MBA and she talks all about her journey, the challenges faced, Covid being a huge one but how she and the business has over come them. 

Anushi gives plenty of advise to future food founders in this - please sit back and enjoy my chat with Anushi from Plant Pops.

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Finn Lagun is the co-founder of Pasta Evangelists and the Chief Marketing Officer. Pasta Evangelists deliver fresh, restaurant quality pasta to your door. Finn joined in 2017 and he and his co-founders launched the business in 2018. Later that year they appeared on Dragons Den and told they were "Pasta Le Disaster" and delusional. Fast forward to 2021 a majority stake was just purchased by Barilla.

Finn unpacks all the secrets behind scaling a direct to consumer brand, how you stand out in  a food market, how to create authority in the industry, the most successful marketing channels and so much more. 

Finn gives so much incredible advise for anyone marketing food, especially anyone doing direct to consumer marketing. 

Finn is someone I really look up to and admire a lot so this was such a huge honour for me. Sit back and please enjoy my chat with Finn Lagun from Pasta Evangelists.

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Jacqueline Barleycorn is the founder of The Great British Porridge Co that launched in 2018 with a mission to get people more excited about porridge with flavours such as strawberry and peanut butter, They are now stocked in Sainsbury's across the country.

Before porridge Jacqueline and her husband had just settled in to retirement but Jacqueline decided that wasn't for her so decided to start a business. This is such a great listen because so often in business world it is preached about business strategy and how there is a right and wrong way to do it but Jacqueline is so humble about her skill set and is a perfect example of how you should follow you gut and trust in the process and things can fall in to place.

Talking to Jacqueline was so refreshing and a reminder of why business is so exciting because there is no right or wrong path - it is just your path!

Sit back and please enjoy my conversation with Jacqueline from The Great British Porridge Co

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Stef Pellegrino is the co-founder of Purely Plantain Chips, a brand on a mission to make the world of snacking more exciting. Stef and her co-founder Mark set up the business in 2017 after traveling around South America where they discovered how delicious the plantain chips were there vs what was out there in the market.

Stef is great in this conversation because we have all had that light bulb moment where we think, I have an idea that I think would work. In this chat Stef unpacks the steps from idea, product testing, branding, packaging to launch and gives real context to the work and time involved in launching a product.

Stef also talks about the value of a coach and how surrounding yourself with people you look up to, that combination was transformational for her journey in business.

So much value in this chat, with so many tips. Sit back and pleas enjoy my conversation with Stef from Purley.

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Today we have Amanda Argent who is the co-founder of Soupologie & Foodologie, which she set up in 2012 with her husband Stephen.

Stephen who had just sold his business and started making soup with Amanda. After it being a big hit with friends and family they decided to try sell it.

Fast forward to today Soupologie is stocked in Waitrose and has been a best seller on Ocado since 2014 & Foodologie is in 450 Tesco stores nationwide.

This is such a great chat for two reasons, one because even despite all the success, Amanda is so humble and doesn't shout about her impact in the business as she leads the sales and marketing of the business. Secondly, she breaks down how to have a top selling brand and how to stay one for over 6 years.

I loved talking to Amanda and if you listened to a recent interview with Jacqueline from The Great British Porridge Co - you begin to see a theme of just following your gut and keeping things simple and things fall in to place.

So sit back and please enjoy my conversation with Amanda from Soupologie & Foodologie

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Today on the podcast we have Siddhi Mittal who is the Co-founder of YHANGRY that she launched in 2019 with her co-founder Heinin Zhang. Y/hangry is the The very first affordable private chef platform allowing you to instantly book a professional chef to come cook for you at home From as little as £100 including groceries. Y/Hangry recently raised £1.5 million from notable angel investors and Siddhi and Heinin have also both been shortlisted for Food and Drink Heroes - Service Entrepreneurs Of The Year.

I loved this chat with Siddhi, not only is she super interesting and such a passionate entrepreneur but she gives SO much advice. Whether it is testing your idea, what things to measure for performance, how to find those first customers and so much more. We also dig deep in to a shared passion of ours, reading and writing, and talk about the benefits of both and the impact they have had.

One of my favourite conversations on this podcast so far. Please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Siddhi from Y/Hangry

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This week on the podcast we have Max & Olly Kohn from The Jolly Hog - you may know them for their bacon, their sausages, their scotch eggs, or one of the other products they do which are stocked nationally across the largest retailers.

The Jolly Hog was born in 2008 with Olly making sausages in his downtime. Thinking they were on to something, Josh, his brother, set up in Harlequins rugby club where Olly played professional rugby to sell sausages. After rave reviews from people buying the sausages, they convinced Max to come on board. And then, the three brothers joined forces. The rugby player, the shipbroker, and the cabinet maker too form the Jolly Hog.

The story of the Jolly Hog is so authentic and you hear all about it in this conversation. Their success is national now, but this was no overnight success. We talk about their 13-year journey to get to where they are now, how they thought the global pandemic was the end of their business, and just what grit and determination it takes to keep going and come out thriving.

Max and Olly bring so much value in this chat, it will make you laugh, captivate you with their story and feel like you can overcome any obstacle.

Oh, they also tell you their one Jolly Hog product you should go a try today - I did - and it is incredible!

Please, sit back and enjoy my conversation with Max and Olly from The Jolly Hog

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Jonny Burnett is the co-founder of The Conscious Food Co, which delivers only local, sustainable, ethically sourced Fish & Meat, straight from local fishing boats and farmers. Jonny started his career as a chef at the age of 15, training at the river cottage. He then moved to work at Raymond Blanc's two Michelin Star restaurant. After a few other Michelin restaurants in between, Jonny decided to launch his first restaurant, becoming the youngest chef in Europe to ever do so.

During the first lockdown, Jonny founded the Romajos community meals in his local town, which started off as a few free meals scaled to 88 volunteers and serving over 1200 free meals a week. He and the team served over 17,000 meals and raised over £24,000 and Jonny donated £5000 to North Somerset Community Hospital.

Jonny's journey is truly remarkable and one to listen to, it really is a roller coaster ride and a very sobering reality of what it is like to set up your own business and all the things that encompass the day-to-day activities. How taking a break is a positive thing and how to take all your experience and lessons from the past and bring them together to create new things.

I love this chat and it really resonated with me so much so I hope it will with you. Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Jonny from The Conscious Food Co.

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Today on the Podcast we have Julie Waddell, who is the founder of Moorish. They make award-winning hummus and dips that are stocked across Sainsbury's, Ocado, Waitrose, and many others. I'm a huge fan, their original smoked hummus is a staple in my fridge at home.

Julie's journey is extraordinary: in 2010, while working in broadcast journalism at the BBC, she came up with the idea that would change up the hummus market, she perfected the recipe and decided to start selling her product. However the pressure mounted when in 2011 her husband was diagnosed with epilepsy, unable to drive for a year, Julie had to take responsibility for the family and her business.

This is such an inspiring story of unwavering drive and determination to make something successful. I love how Julie talks about listening to your gut, following the signs, and not overthinking but taking action. It is a lesson for us all and you can hear the impact it had on her journey.

This chat had me gripped and it has just got so many gems in it, you also get a guest appearance from my new dog towards the end who wanted to make himself heard - so please sit back and enjoy my chat with Julie from Moorish.

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Hannah McCollum is the founder of ChicP, which makes delicious dips from raw seasonal vegetables.

Over the last decade, Hannah McCollum has worked as a private chef, catering for events and businesses across the UK and Europe. After witnessing the colossal amount of food waste in the catering sector, she felt driven to do her bit to tackle the issue.

Hannah started to convert leftover vegetables into delicious dips to accompany meals. As her passion for creative cooking grew, Hannah decided to introduce her sustainable and healthy creations to the masses. ChicP was born.

With multiple national accolades under its belt, including the Trailblazer Award at Food Vision 2017, ChicP has also been recognised by the likes of Women’s Health, BBC Good Food, and The Guardian. ChicP in Wholefoods, Ocado, Booths, and Amazon Fresh.

We chat all about Hannah going from an idea to launching a business. Her thoughts on how to find your passion and we take a deep dive into sustainability and the deeper issues around the supply chain and what we can do, to be more sustainable.

Sit back and please enjoy my conversation with Hannah from ChicP

Carrot, Ginger and Turmeric Hummus
Beetroot and Horseradish Hummus 

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Peter Butler is the Co-founder of Dishpatch, a company that brings the UK's best restaurants to your home with nationwide meal kit delivery.

Pete started off his career working in the city but felt the pullback to his lifelong passion, food and hospitality. From a young age Pete had worked in restaurant kitchens, he took cooking courses so he decided to take the dive and set up his first business.

We talk all about his journey with 3 different start-ups he founded, the lessons he learnt and Pete offers some incredible principles that we can all use. We hear all about how he convinced the best chefs in the UK to take part in a challenge in under 6 weeks, and how much a mince pie can sell for. Then we dive into Dishpatch and discuss the shift in consumer behaviour from eating out to dining at home and whether this trend is here to stay.

This chat is incredible and you can tell that Pete has learnt a lot in his journey and I've tried my best to extract that gold. So please sit back and enjoy my interview with Pete from Dispatch.

2mins: Chat about the Mince Pie Project, Convincing 50 of the best UK chefs to get involved
7mins: Chat about his time at the Boston Consulting Group and why he left
9 mins: Principles to find out what you're interested in 
13 mins: Product-market fit and the challenges around it
16 mins: Scalability and why it's important
18 mins: Dispatch and the origin
23 mins: Co-founders and what principles matter and why
26 mins: Convincing your first customer
28 mins: Consumer trend shift to dining at home - here to stay or not
33 mins: Books to read
36 mins: What to order of Dishpatch

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Today's guest is Adam Sopher who is the co-founder of Joe & Seph's - the family run gourmet popcorn makers, with flavours such as Salted Caramel all the way to Bakewell Tart. Joe & Seph's was founded in 2010 by Joeseph, his wife and their son, Adam.  

They have given the wonderful listeners of The Recipe for Greatness 20% off online on all orders above £12. Just enter the discount code RECIPE20 at the checkout. VALID UNTIL JULY 8th 2021

I loved talking with Adam because Joe & Seph's has grown organically and you get a real sense of the impact that has had on the operation and culture of the business. We cover so much in this chat from taking overseas concepts and testing them in the UK, how to remain independent and just focus on quality, the reality of business vs what people think it is like, impacts of covid and Brexit, and the shift they have made to a direct to consumer business and how the tactics they have used to make it successful, Oh and so much more!

I love Joe & Seph's so this was a huge honour for me.

Check out the video of the popcorn being made, it's amazing! HERE

2 mins: How to weigh up leaving your job
6:30: Building an unknown category
8:30: Testing overseas concepts in the UK
12:00: Educating people on a new product
14:00: Quality vs profits battle
16:00: Organic growth vs external investment growth
20:30: The reality of running a food business
22:30: Thoughts on international expansion instead of domestic focus
25:30: Brexit
27:00: Competitors entering the market
29:30: Impact of Covid
32:00: Shifting people to online instead of retail
35:30: Family and business
37:30: What to try at Joe & Seph's

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Today's guest we have Gaz, the cofounder of Holy Moly Dips, The all-natural, guacamole dips, which are absolutely delicious by the way and the best on the market.
Sadly Tom couldn't make it due to a last-minute work commitment but Gaz stepped in for both of them and did not disappoint. 

Gaz's value in this chat is incredible and is a must listen to for anyone setting up or at the start of the journey. 

We cover so much from their founding story, failing fast and cheaply, the fundamentals you need to focus on in a business to scale, building core values into your business that you do not deviate from and so much more.

I was cheeky and kept Gaz longer than I said I would, but the value he provided was too good to miss out on. So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Gaz from HolyMoly.

IN THIS CHAT:
1:30: Co-founder relationships and creating a successful dynamic
4:40: Previous ventures and brainstorming ideas
6:20: Holy Moly beginnings 
8:50: Asking the silly questions and framing things differently 
10:30: How to create a brand in an existing category
11:20: Fail fast, fail cheaply
16:30: Who is your target customer
20:10: Getting for manufacturer on board
25:20: Testing your product idea of retail buyers first
27:50: Side hustling with your corporate job
30:30: Business fundamentals you need to focus on
35:30: The Holy Moly Commandments
39:00: Making a buzz around your product
44:30: Effects of Covid
47:30: Holy Moly, what's coming next.

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Today our guest is Charlie Thuiller, the Co-founder of Oppo Brothers Ice Cream, the award-winning, lower-calorie ice cream he, and his co-founder, his brother Harry, created in 2012. I'm a HUGE fan of Oppo ice cream and as you'll hear me and my partner smash through multiple tubs a week so this was a special interview for me.

We cover a lot in this chat, and charlie has got bundles of great advice and actionable tips for us to take on board.

We chat about rules, when they can be broken, how to reach for the opportunities when people see challenges, how to move towards your strengths, mistakes made and lessons learned from the oppo journey, brazil, and how experiences move beyond that one moment and can last a lifetime.

Charlie is so humble and it made it easy to chat away with him, so please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Charlie from Oppo.

IN THIS CHAT:
1:30: "Good Morning David" a phrase at Oppo - what it means and why
4:00: Lessons from the drink giant Diageo
8:00: Eating The Big Fish - What is Intelligent Naivety
10:10: "Rules are easier to break when you don't know they exist"
17:00: Questions to ask yourself if you can innovate a category
19:40: See opportunities where people see challenges, see rewards where people see risks
24:45: How to identify your strengths and use them
28:30: Determination & sacrifices at the start and reflecting back on them
30:30: Mistakes made at the start of Oppo
35:00: Brazil Trip: How experiences go beyond the moment and last a lifetime
41:10: Fitness & Health
44:00: TedX and public speaking tips

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My guest today is serial entrepreneur Nick Coleman, not only is he the co-founder of The Snaffling Pig but also the Medical Supermarket, Storage Buddy, and Start-up Logistics.

In this chat, you are going to hear all about his first venture into business, but what I really love about this conversation, is the realisation that running your own business and being your own boss isn't enough, what really matters is having that purpose and passion for a business that really ignites the fire in you. We also dive into the business fundamentals from cash flow, diversity, and de-risking the business, and one topic I loved - Lean Management. 

Nick is a legend and really tells the story of why starting a food business is brilliant. So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Nick from The Snaffling Pig.

IN THIS CHAT:
02:00 - Mind set shift from employee to business owner
06:30 - Other business ideas
07:45 - Finding your passion in a business
13:00 - Starting a business with £500
16:00 - What drives you in business and in life long term
20:30 - Snaffling Pig launch strategy
23:30 - Diversifying and de-risking the business 
27:30 - Cashflow - the importance and how to manage it
32:00 - Lean Management/Lean Manufacturing
36:00 - Big Hairy Audacious Goal 

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Today's guest is Jamie Crummie who is the co-founder of Too Good To Go. 

If you don't know who Too Good To Go is, they're an app connecting businesses that have unsold food with consumers who can purchase, collect and enjoy it so that it doesn’t go to waste. Globally they have over 20 million registered users who have saved more than 30 million meals from going to waste. 2.5 million of these users are based in the UK. Incredible!!

Jamie is inspiring, chatting to someone who is so driven by a purpose, eradicating food waste, that ultimately he would happily put himself out of business to achieve it. We cover so much in this chat from taking an idea and getting it to launch, overcoming resistance, and educating your customers to get them on board, and how to create change by empowering people.

We recorded this first thing on Monday after the World Cup final so forgive us if we are a bit mellow.

But please, sit back and enjoy my conversation with Jamie from To Good To Go.

IN THIS CHAT
1:30 - How awareness grew of social and environmental issues
4:50 - Seeing issues and getting insights
7:15 - Turning those insights in to a business
8:30 - Launching a business with the basics
10:30 - Letting go of your pre-conceptions
12:00 - Collaboration "Far along, further together"
14:15 - Launching; overcoming resistance 
16:00 - Getting those first customers
20:30 - How to change peoples behaviour with joy and empowerment 
27:50 - Balancing purpose-driven goals-against commercial goal
31:30 - What we can do to be better
33:00 - Further readings

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Today's guest is Julianne Ponan who is the founder of Creative Nature, Top 14 Allergen Free Easy to Make Baking Mixes, Snack Bars other delicious treats.

I loved this chat because Julianne was so open and honest. She opens up about her struggle as a young female and business and how she overcame the challenges, learning from failures and coming back stronger and succeeding, her journey to creative nature and building to where it is today and so much more.

This chat is an example that there is no linear graph to success, the road is bumpy, it tests you and you need to have the perseverance to keep going.

Please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Julianne from Creative Nature.

IN THIS CHAT:
1:30 - Moving out of the comfort zone
3:15 - Finding meaning in your work
4:15 - Management buy out
5:35 - Building a business around your passion
7:15 - Always finding learnings from mistakes
9:00 - Testing and adapting to feedback
12:00 - learnings from failed fundraising and succeeding the second time
17:00 - How to identify best opportunities to show case your brand
20:00 - Turning negativity into motivation
23:00 - Overcoming challenges of being a young woman in business
26:30 - Dragons Den, insight behind the scenes
31:00 - Imposter syndrome, overcoming the fear of public speaking
35:30 - Challenging yourself once a year

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Today's guest is Rushina Shah, the co-founder of Insane Grain - the healthy snack brand championing Sorghum. 

Rushina's journey is incredible and along the way she has picked up many awards such as; Forbes 30 under 30, grocer's top new talent 2018, NPN's 30 under 30, NatWest great British entrepreneur 2018 finalist, and many others.

We sit down and cover lots in this chat from being a sole founder vs having a co-founder, launching and then rebranding the business, exploring the market before launching to identify a unique opportunity, how to word conversations with supermarket buyers and so much more.

Rushina is amazing and I love chatting with her so please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Rushina from Insane Grain.

IN THIS CHAT:
1:30: Lessons from 5 years as a brand manager at P&G
4:00: Searching for that lightbulb moment
5:30: Researching the market to identify opportunities 
7:30: Manufacturing and the challenges involved in finding a partner
10:30: Lessons from early product testing and rebranding
13:30: Networking leading to opportunities
15:00: The relaunch
16:00: Sole founder vs co-founder
18:30: Launching 8 days before Covid
20:00: Obstacles creating new opportunities
21:30: How to speak to retail buyers
25:30: Getting yourself out there and championing the brand
27:30: Educating people on a new product
31:20: An amazing way to find an investor

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This week on the podcast we have Charlotte Dauzat, The Co-founder of GATO who make delicious plant-based snacks.

Charlotte has had a career that has taken her across the world working in many different roles, from management consulting to head of marketing. After studying patisserie at the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, charlotte decided to found her own company. 

I love this chat because it is just such an honest chat about the challenges involved in starting a business. You can set off on a path of what you think the business will be, but then as you learn, you adapt and the business can change and evolve with you. We talk about the personal side of the business, the stress it can have finically on you, and the lonely side of being a sole founder and the difference having someone along for the journey can make, personally and on the business. I loved chatting with charlotte and appreciated how honest and open she was.

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Charlotte from Gato

IN THIS CHAT:
1:30: Lessons from multiple jobs in multiple locations
2:40: Working as an entrepreneur and getting ideas for business
4:30: Passion for food
6:30: Gato and its creations
10:00: Le Cordon Bleu - lessons from one of the best cookery schools in the world
13:10: Creating Gato out of cookery school
15:30: Coming up against operational challenges and pivoting
17:30: Co-founder Kim and her impact on the business
21:30: Sole-founder VS Co-founder
23:10: Running out of money and Raising money
26:00: Dragons Den
29:30: Lessons from pivoting the business
32:10: Pandemic - the impact

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This week on the podcast we have Andy Lawson who is the founder of  FodaBox (Borough Box) - the online marketplace for independent food and drink brands.

I consider Andy to be a direct-to-consumer master. After spending years in the digital marketing area, Andy decided to apply his love for food, particularly from individual artisan producers, and bring them both together to create an online platform for these brands to showcase themselves.

Andy also runs the logistic side of delivery for other brands, so that combined with his experience with borough box means he has had years of experience gaining insight into online trends, mistakes online brands make, and how key knowing your numbers are, and he shares his insight into all of it in this chat. I spent most of the conversation listening and taking notes, I learned so much, and so will you. So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Andy from Borough Box.

IN THIS CHAT:
1:30: Passion for food
5:30: Leaving a secure job for uncertain food start-up
12:30: Bootstrapping VS investment
14:30: Covid impact & new growth opportunities 
17:50: Getting producers onboarded
20:30: Power of growing organically
21:30: Mistakes start-ups make online
26:40: Driving online sales traffic
31:30: Difference between DTC and Retail
33:30: DTC trend - here to stay?
38:30: Current online trends

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Today's guest is Amy Moring who is the co-founder of Hunter & Gather who she founded with her partner, Jeff who is also her partner in life.

Too often we can think about creating a business because that's what we want to do, that's what everyone is doing at the moment, but the question people can stumble on is what is the product. In this conversation, we talk all about starting a business with a mission, a purpose, and from that, your product is formed. It becomes your north star for everything.

Amy deeply understands her business and her community and she shares the approach she took to grow Hunter and Gather year on year at a crazy rate. It is a fantastic chat so sit back, and enjoy my conversation with Amy for Hunter and Gather.

IN THIS CHAT:

1:30: having ideas and assumptions and testing them with the hard questions

5:00: Having your mission first then creating a product around it

7:45: The mission guides you to your customers and your market

10:45: How to learn new skills and how to play to your strength

15:30: Getting started with Hunter and Gather

19:00: The secret to year-on-year double or triple-digit growth.

24:00: Building an online community

28:30: The importance of talking to your community and listening

30:00: How to have a successful relationship and Business with your partner

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Today on the podcast we have Stephanie Johnson who is the Founder & Co-Ceo of Pollen + Grace. We chat all about her journey from the event industry to set up Pollen + Grace and we explore the different elements of scaling it from her kitchen at home to nationwide listings. We chat about the challenges involved in growing and how to overcome them and so much more. 

It was a joy to chat with Stephanie who you can tell is just loving what she is doing. 

Please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Stephanie from Pollen and Grace

IN THIS EPISODE:
1:30: From event industry to setting up Pollen and Grace

4:00: Taking action on your dreams and not waiting around

6:15: Targeting your first customers

7:15: Reaching out for help and the benefits of sharing the journey

11:00: Managing the co-founder relationship

12:30: Taking a direct approach to land retailers

14:30: Climbing the retailer ladder

16:30: Creating and maintaining year on year growth

18:45: Direct-to-consumer vs retail

20:30: The impact of timing on a business' journey

22:40: Internal creativity vs using external agencies

26:20: The importance of team

28:30: Learning from a failure

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Today's Guest is Cathy Moseley who is the founder of Boundless Activated Snacking.

Cathy worked for 25 years in the city but decided she wanted a change - so she set out to create her own business.

This is such an amazing conversation because we cover a wide range of things. One that stands out for me is that after leaving her career,  Cathy is so open to talking about her failures and how they helped get her to where she is now. 
Cathy gives incredible insight into hacks in how to find a manufacturer, how to succeed in a trial with a major retailer, how to build your direct-to-consumer channel, and real data behind the trends she is seeing.

This was a favourite of mine - Cathy is a bundle of joy to talk to and you can't help but get caught up in her enthusiasm and passion. This is one to listen to so please enjoy my conversation with Cathy from Boundless.

IN THIS CHAT:
Leaving school at 16 - the lessons learnt
Leaving a 25-year career behind to start a business
Street food - lessons learnt
Formation of Boundless
How to evaluate if your heart is your business still
How to find a manufacturer - some great hacks
How to run a successful trial at a major retailer
Getting other retailers on board
Importance of DTC and how to do it well
Gut health - trend analysis with data

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Today's guest is Sameer Vaswani who is the founder of Prodigy Snacks.

Sameer has been an entrepreneur from the age of 22, setting up his first restaurant in Nottinghill. After that, he moved to West Africa and ran a successful confectionary business that he later sold. While he was there his eyes were opened to how damaging the practices were going on in the confectionery & manufacturing world so his mission began to change that with Prodigy Snacks.

In this chat, we talk about Sameer's journey into entrepreneurship, his challenges in creating a product that challenges the status quo of chocolate. Sameer dives into ingredients and explains what is really going into some of the foods we are eating and the impact they can have on our body and the planet. This is a great listen and really opened my eyes to certain issues in food. Now, Please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Sameer from Prodigy Snacks.

IN THIS CHAT:
1:00: Parents influence and journey into entrepreneurship
5:30: Opening up a restaurant at 22 and the lessons learned
10:30: Learning lessons and moving past failures
16:30: How and why West Africa influenced him
20:30: Why some ingredients are evil
25:30: Plastic Negative - what it really means and Repurpose Global.
28:30: Manufacturing challenges of creating a new product
33:30: Online vs retail and the change over the years
26:30: DTC challenges and opportunity

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Today's guest is Jens Knoop who is the founder of Knoops - the world-famous artisan hot chocolate shop.

Jens is a chocolate master and has been obsessed with it from a young age. After a career detour in photography, he came back to his passion in 2013 and opened up his first brick and mortar shop.

I love this conversation because Jens is so passionate about what he does and also self-aware of what his skill set is, and leans it to what he is best at. This story is all about patience, building slowly and then pushing the accelerator when the time is right, and learning from your customers along the journey.

I learned so much in this conversation and so will you.

So please enjoy my conversation with Jens.

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