Humans of Hospitality

I so loved my first research chat with Thomas about Regenerative Farming & Carbon Credits that when the opportunity came up to record a podcast I took the chance to travel across the country and meet him face to face.  I adore Thomas's idea and the knowledge he has gained as a fourth generational farmer in Cambridgeshire .  In a nutshell Thomas spent a bit of downtime in lockdown pondering how to solve a global problem.  But he did that looking out of his window in a very real, local and achievable way, that could have almost instant and measurable results.   As is all too often the case it's the simple ideas that look like they have the greatest opportunity.  If any of you listening have seen the ‘kissing the ground documentary' on netflix then this is the deep dive podcast equivalent of one way to help with the challenge of what is happening to our soil.  If any of you have listened to my podcast with Guy Singh Watson about organic farming, where we also touch on how many harvests are left in our soil, then this will be a great follow on episode.  For any of you simply interested in offsetting your carbon in your business, Thomas is now providing a measurable, British solution.  A solution where you can potentially visit the farm that is saving the carbon and see what they are doing, why they are doing it and the difference it is making.  And not only will you be saving carbon, you will be helping that farmer on a transition from intensive to regenerative.  Perhaps helping the farmer fall back in love with ecology, and biology and being custodians of the land for a short, but oh so important period of time. And if you are a restauranteur or work in hospitality in general, perhaps just asking questions, and caring more and more about where your food is coming from and who is growing it, is a great start point building momentum to support farmers who really want to be part of a positive movement. I'm utterly confident that Thomas and his Gentle Farming business and carbon credits are going to do well.  I'll be looking into buying some myself and offering support, and I hope you will too. Chat with Thomas on Linked in or follow Gentle Farming on Instagram or Twitter.

We are off to the world of events.  Something I'd perhaps inadvertently neglected in my conversations around the world of hospitality.  Certainly a part of the sector that todays guest Adam Phelps feels like the government has forgotten when it comes to recognition of the pandemics impact and financial support.  Adam has been working at the top end of prestigious events for 22 years.  Chatting through some of the choreography and planning required to deliver for clients who expect perfection, and are happy to pay for it was inspiring.  100 meals delivered to the table in perfect synchronisation by 50 model looking FOH members, immaculately presented is just one that creates a vivid picture in my mind. Adam has looked after famous rock stars, the best jewellery and fashion brands and big festivals, but more recently has had to be exceptionally creative to find a way to navigate the impact of COVID.  Losses have racked up, but Cellar Society are working hard to keep their team employed and ensure their loyal customer base does eventually come back to them when permitted to do so.   It feels fitting to be releasing this episode on the day that the government are once again pushing back full opening from the 21st June and the night club sector and large event companies must not be forgotten.  Restaurant and pub garden trade is currently strong, but many in our sector continue to struggle.  But this is not a covid specific episode and I think you'll enjoy the conversation.  Much of the story is about Adam and his teams adventures and business journey so far.

Many of your will know today's guest Nathan Outlaw from his various TV appearances, Michelin stars, all round love of hospitality and the author of 5 well regarded books.  Chatting to Nathan you can see why he's such a popular hospitality human.  Relaxed, positive, knowledgeable, with no pretentiousness and happy to chat about the challenges, lows and highs of his hospitality adventure. Nathan was generous with his time in this conversation, where we touch on just how tough an impact the pandemic had with Nathan having to close his restaurants in London, but how it created a positive opportunity for him to revaluate his business and his lifestyle.  Nathan is now super excited to be 100% focused on his two restaurants in Port Isaac in Cornwall.   And as you'll hear during this chat Nathan has really worked hard to simplify the business and revaluate  the importance of looking after the customer and keeping his chefs creative, with sustainability high on the agenda, rather than worrying about Michelin stars.  With decades of experience behind him and a far greater understanding of the business element of restaurants compared to his early years, Nathan now gets to create a set menu at a set price for a set number of covers booked out 90 days in advance.  It's a genius model that really gives him and his team the freedom to enjoy simply creating incredible seasonal dishes that vary depending on what has been caught or farmed locally.  A real tale of learning, closing restaurants, opening restaurants and all the time loving the produce and the team around him, I really hope you enjoy this weeks conversation. Check out his business here, find him on instagram, or the business on twitter. 

Stefan Leser is a bit different to my normal guests on this podcast since he is based in Hong Kong and rather than being a little local independent Langham Hospitality has some big backers and a number of properties spread throughout the globe.  It is that global perspective that I was really keen to explore with Stefan.  There are some really interesting things we can learn from people like Stefan and Langham Hotels, who are operating across countries and across borders.   I wanted to understand how different markets across the globe are performing and wether that performance is due to governments taking a different approach on how to manage Covid.  We recorded this show a few weeks ago, but at the time Stefan’s hotels across China, Australia and New Zealand were trading pretty well, whilst London obviously was closed.  Where his hotels were doing ok, they were aimed at the domestic market only.  Many of these countries closed their borders fully very early on in the pandemic.  As a result they seem to have kept variants at bay.  Whilst being sympathetic to airlines and those in the international market I get the sense from many people that I am speaking with that a summer of domestic trade only would be way better than heading into another lockdown.  Certainly with the so called Indian variant now hitting the news, what should we be learning by looking at other countries and seeing how they are managing the situation.  Stefan may help broaden our perspectives with his views. And then there is also how the product of hospitality is evolving and changing globally, as well as the customer and their expectation.  What does it look like when your customer changes from international to national in city hotels and what do you need to change? We explore all of this and much more as we join Stefan very high up in a Hong Kong high rise.  Much as I miss recording these conversations face to face, the ability to hop across the globe in just a few seconds is pretty cool. You can find Stefan on LinkedIn and Langham Hotels and Resorts website here or Instagram.

I think you are going to fall in love with Dan Austin, today’s guest, and the Lake District Farmers, for a whole heap of reasons.  Firstly the Lake District is just an utterly stunning part of the world, so anything we can do to support it, and the way of life that has been going on there for hundreds of years, I personally think is important.  Traditional farming, where animals can roam free on the fells for me is a big part of this.  Not only does it protect a way of life, and lead to happy animals a million miles away from modern intensive production techniques, but clearly it creates nicer animals for the food system too.  Lake District Farmers supply most of the best chefs and best restaurants in the country, as you are about to discover. But more than that this is also a tale of perseverance, of business acumen, of learning and making things up as you go, of responding to business catastrophe and adapting fast to keep the business running.  Dan and his team's perseverance and commitment comes across in so many of the stories he tells.  Wether that’s being found half clothed having slept in the delivery van before meeting an important potential customer, or relocating the entire business over a weekend following a fire or simply realising that if you have a 1 in 100 chance of making something happen, you’ve just got to repeat it 100 times.   We also touch on the ethics of meat consumption, and the carbon impact of our diets so plenty in here for everyone. Find them via the website and make sure you check out the INCREDIBLE videos.  Follow them on instagram 

Less so someone’s journey through hospitality this week, and more of a deep dive into a topic I hope hope you will find useful.  Today I’m chatting to Victoria Searl, founder of Data Hawks. I’m fairly techie and I’ve found it frustrating over the years seeing the potential of data in the hospitality sector.  Cleary unlike for example selling double glazing, we operate in a social space where people often want to hear from us.  Where guests are happy to take photos and share them to social media, where they are happy to check in and arrange to meet friends.  And whereby perhaps sharing data on birthdays, or dietary preferences or working patterns to help fill quieter times of the week are all things the customer is happy to share, since they actually want to hang out with us.  So with a potential positive relationship with data, the consumer and the business I wanted to explore  what is actually possible, is it easy, is it hard, are we doing all we can and what should we do with the information we collate.  Victoria has held a number of senior marketing positions in well known brands, as well as an operational career in hospitality. Find DataHawks online or follow Victoria on twitter, or LinkedIn.  

Phil Haughton has had a great food adventure over many decades.  He has just written a book ‘Food for Thought’ that brings together this journey, combined with recipes and producers he’s met along the way.  Phil’s current business is the Better Food stores and cafes dotted around Bristol.  That combination of combining the hospitality of a cafe drawing people into the building and then hopefully inspiring them to leave with some exceptionally ethical and delicious food and drink is the evolution of a lifetimes learning for Phil, and now his wider team.  Despite Phil’s desire for all organic he is pragmatic enough, particularly after previous insolvency, to recognise you do also have to sell what the customer is willing to buy.  Perhaps rather than seeking ethical perfection, we must take people on a journey in smaller steps. An upgrade to free range may sometimes be more palatable than fully organic for some products. Phil has travelled the country finding the best suppliers, has set up and invested in community farms, has lived in a practical commune in Scotland learning how to live off the land, has set up and closed a veg box delivery business, has found the takings from his business in the bottom of a freezer and has defended the ethics to sell meat in a considered and informed way.  In essence through a lifetime of learning and business Phil no longer has to think about the provision of food and farming and hospitality in the UK, he really knows how it works.  He can see the challenges, but has some great, informed perspectives on what and how we can be better. See Phil on YouTube, or follow Better Food on instagram or twitter

Hamish is a brave soul who at the age of 41, with his own business and a career working around the wine and whisky trade decided that his number one love in the world was plants.  Not only was he brave enough to sell the business, he was crazy enough to have no idea where his next adventure would take him.  He pretty much let the plants decide.  He went off on a learning journey meeting an inspirational medicine man along the way.  A dream and a country walk and soon enough he’d stumbled across a beautiful plot of land not far from the city.  Well, dilapidated and covered in weeds may have been a better description for most, but for Hamish, it was a vision of beauty and he convinced his wife, 4 kids and five dogs to live in a mobile home on the land and create something beautiful. Now he has a distillery, a cafe, a herb garden, an owl, an actual house and an incredible story to tell.  Along with products in M&S, Fortnum and Mason and more. Unlike most in hospitality Hamish sees a herb as medicinal rather than culinary.  His description of a dandelion will make you see the plant and the universe through new eyes.  His willingness to go on a journey with no plan will inspire you to be brave and take risks and follow your heart, perhaps more than your head.  He’s also about to convince you to stop feeling guilty about not mowing your lawn enough, and that alone is a great reason to listen. Whatever you are doing, enjoy the image of Hamish and his owl, in a tree house, overlooking his garden, yet still nailing being yet another wonderful human of hospitality.   Find Hamish on the website or on instagram or twitter. 

Unusually we recorded this one, with my golden retriever 'Jasper' whilst giving him a walk around a 130 acre country estate. But more importantly I was joined by Darren Venables, the Estate Manager at the Chewton Glen Hotel down in the New Forest in Hampshire.  Darren has been working at the Chewton Glen for over 30 years so really has seen a huge amount of change, and as far as the grounds are concerned has curated much of that himself. And our wide ranging conversation typifies the reason for setting up this podcast.  To shine a spotlight on what happens behind the scenes of hospitality.  So much that the public may never get to hear about, or even imagine is fundamentally supported by the hospitality trade.   Developing an orchard of 250 of the rarest trees in the country perhaps, or breeding your own Queen bees, or surveying wildlife on an annual basis, or attracting a wider species of birds into a habit for the first time in decades, to growing food for a cookery school, to planting xmas trees and so so much more.  I just hope conversations like these open your mind as to how much awesomeness the independent hospitality sector is responsible for.  And remember, where you decide to spend your cash, in supporting these genuinely small and hospitable businesses, really makes a difference to the type of world we are all going to live in.  Less dominated by bean counter international chains and more diverse and richer for humanity and the environment.  Find Darren on Instagram, twitter or visit the Chewton Glen website. 

Sarah has been pretty vocal throughout the pandemic in representing the Scottish Hospitality Sector.   I wanted to chat with Sarah in the first instance about how somebody goes from being the MD of a decent sized company in the city of London, to buying an ex Little Chef by the side of an obscure road in rural Scotland. Along the way driving revenue to over £1.7 million per year from a pretty small footprint. And secondly how Sarah had embraced technology to revolutionise how this road side cafe operates.  Motivated by the pandemic, but along the way learning some really interesting things that I think the hospitality sector at large is going through. Probably five years worth of technical evolution in one year as we move from ordering from a human, to ordering on an app.  Not in evening restaurant service, but very much so across the casual daytime sector.  This leads to challenges around the user experience, but some potential big benefits if, as appears to be the case, spend per head increases, whilst labour costs decrease. Sarah also makes some great points about the infrastructure busy tourism destinations are likely to need to have in place if we are to experience the staycation boom most are expecting.  It’s not just about business being ready, but car parks and toilets and roads and so much more. Find the Real Food Cafe online, twitter, or instagram 

Chris Davies is founder and CEO of Harvest London, a couple of vertical farms in the city of London.  Chris is going to help us understand how vertical farms could be part of the solution to feeding the planet.  As Chris puts it, this will be part of the solution and not all food will be, or can be grown this way.  But the benefits of growing food where it is to be consumed, rather than potentially 1000’s of miles away, the benefits of harvesting food and getting it to the restaurant door within four hours, rather than perhaps four weeks.  The benefit of a perfect summers day, every day, no matter the time of year or external weather conditions.  The use of tech and automation and the potential for companies to ship their perfect growing recipe to perhaps tweak just a couple of bits of the growing process to grow the perfect leaf.  A little more water, 1/2 an hour less light, more blue light than pink light, a slight nutritional change.  All of this can effect the flavour of what we grow and eat.  And in Chris’s case much of this learning is being done around basil, but can be applied to so much more.  And it is clearly a recipe that is working.  Chris and Harvest London have just raised over a million pounds of investment, including from the UK governments future fund and demand is fast outstripping supply as they have grand plans for the future. Find Harvest London online or follow them on instagram.

It was quite a few months ago when the opportunity crossed my desk to interview Tim Hall, who is the executive chef at Burgh Island.  It caught my eye because Burgh Island is such a unique location, as a tidal island just off the south coast of Devon.  I was intrigued to understand a bit more around the complexity of running not one, but three restaurants, on an island that for many hours of the day cannot be accessed at all, or certainly not without its challenges.  Add to that Tim’s reputation for excellent food and access to some beautiful foraged ingredients, a new owner of the hotel and a new fish restaurant on the island, and I thought it would make a lovely day out and place to visit.  Alas lockdown got rid of the visit element, but it was still nice to catch up with Tim and and learn all things Tim and Burgh. Visit the hotel website, or find them on twitter and instagram

Lee Cash was always driven to become self employed in the hospitality sector.  He learnt his craft with some of the best, from Robin Sheppard at Bespoke Hotels and chef Raymond Blanc.  But all the time driven and motivated to test himself, to learn all he could and get ready to put into practise the art of perfecting 1000 little details to make his own venues successful.  I always enjoy chatting to people who really have proper hospitality in their soul.  Who understand how spaces feel.  How the lighting, the candles, the music, the team, the furniture, the layout, the space itself and so much more comes together to create somewhere special that people enjoy.   I loved Lee’s perspectives about pubs being a great leveller.  More so perhaps than restaurants, you are likely to have every type and age of person hanging out at a bar, ordering a decent pint of beer.  You’ll get to hear about how Lee and his business partner Hamish bought different skills to the business, and how over the years, at different stages in their growth, these different skills have helped Peach grow into such a fantastic business.  You’ll also laugh at the story of Lee going from being so skint one morning that he had to use his passport as a deposit in an Aussie backpackers, to a few hours later saying yes to his first chef job cooking alone on boat full of divers on the great barrier reef.  That say yes now, work out how later, kind of attitude that so many driven entrepreneurs have. You can read more about Peach Pubs on the website, or find them on twitter and instagram

We’re going big this week, and actually I don’t mean a big podcast, but a big business, chatting to Jonathan Neame, the chief executive of Shepherd Neame Brewers.  With 320 pubs and pre pandemic turnover of £150 million they are bigger than the normal business I chat to on this podcast, but they have a really interesting family history.  Having been around for over 300 years, and maintained family ownership I think they qualify as having had a very inspiring independent hospitality adventure. Topic wise Jonathan is clearly well informed on all that is going on in the pub sector.  We touch on navigating the pandemic and at least seeing some growth in the grocery and off sales side of the business, the responsibility of taking over a multi generational family businesses,  how to navigate out of the pandemic and how different that may be in London compared to a proper community pub.  Changing beer trends, sourcing hops, rents as both a tenant and landlord, future support to enable the sector to bounce back and even Brexit all crops up in our wide ranging chat. Read more on the Shepherd Neame website, or follow Jonathan Neame on twitter, or find the brewery on instagram. 

From honing his skills in hotels on an employed basis, to learning the art of the restauranteur with his own venues, to taking all of that knowledge and finally getting to apply it in his very own hotel with his partner Rob, Tim has been on a great hospitality journey. And the captains club is a special kind of place.  Wether simply attracting the locals for a light lunch, or a few cocktails as the sun sets on the river, or mingling with famous guests such as Hugh Grant or the Gallagher brothers, they’ve really found a way of becoming the heart of their local community.  Tim is very humble and easy to chat to about his journey.  He makes it all sound too easy, with a detail here, and the right team member there.  But Tim and Robert have an attention for detail and a genuine love for their crazy hospitality adventure, no matter how challenging it gets.  And they’ve had their challenges, from planning permission impacting the business model leaving them just £1 million pounds short in enough money to open up.  And then having finally got the doors open wondering if they’d run out of cashflow before they could turn their dream into a success. But 14 years later they are still going strong, or at least they were until the pandemic struck.  But in typical Tim style he’s taking it in his stride and whilst nervous about the future, he and Rob are investing in the property and more than hoping, they are planning on re-opening for a busy summer.  I hope you enjoy this chat about perseverance and the meandering journey life can take sometimes, but how, if you simply take the first step, then the adventure can be pretty rewarding and exciting.

Michel Roux Jr is a true 'Human of Hospitality' who was practically born in a kitchen when his Mum went into labour whilst working in his Dad 'Albert Roux's' restaurant.  Michel is well known, partly simply through the recognition of his Dad and Uncle opening Le Gavroche in 1967 and becoming the first British restaurant to be awarded 3 Michelin stars, but also via his extensive work on television through shows such as Masterchef the professionals, and most recently 'remarkable places to eat'.   Michel has also been on his own impressive culinary adventure working throughout Europe and even Hong Kong before taking over the helm at Le Gavroche in 1991. In this conversation we get to touch on Michel’s family connections and following in the family legacy, we’ll chat about the business side of being a chef and the importance of knowing your numbers and that successful restaurants are rarely only about the quality of the food.  We explore what else it takes and how you need to make a customer 'feel' to really enjoy their visit and want to return regularly.  And we explore some of the cultural differences between France and the UK, as well as the differences in the casual dining sector, and even the street food scene, and wether we’ll ever see Michel in his own street food truck.  And of course we cover the pandemic and Michel’s hopes for the future, both in business, but perhaps more importantly with his daughter and grandson. You can follow Michel Roux Jr on twitter, or visit his online shop and read more about Le Gavroche on the website or via instagram. 

Richard is a great example of a 'Human of Hospitality' having worked in the sector almost all of his working life.  Richard started the business with his Dad and his family, and recognises all that his family risked, even selling grandmas house to purchase a run down manor, covered in vines and a somewhat dilapidated air.  They started small with only 7 bedrooms, but had a vision and a yearning to create something special and to look after people.  That journey was tough in those earlier years and he very nearly lost it all before the adventure had really even properly started.  But the stars aligned and through working hard and never losing site of the vision, and in many ways fulfilling his destiny through partnership, investment, continual improvement and not being in a hurry to expand, Richard and his team have created something beautiful. Regular listeners will know that I have a love of the independent side of the sector.  What Richard has created would not be of interest to the global brands of the world.  It’s too small and eclectic and complicated and challenging to run.  A number of properties, arguably with not enough rooms to make operations easier in the traditional sense of operating hotels and restaurants.  But the properties look stunning and it takes people like Richard to create and operate such miniature beauties.  I hope his story, along with the those of the likes of Robin Hutson and Gerrard Basset sleeping on the sofa in the bar because they could not afford to employ people overnight, will inspire others to know that you don’t have to start a business with unlimited resources to invest. We touch on re-wilding land, the early benefits of naivety, 18% mortgage rates, the dangers of michelin stars, running venues as satellites, wider challenges and opportunities for the sector in 2021 and our mutual hope that people will strive for a more simple, perhaps less luxurious life, where time with other humans is the greatest priority over and above material items. See more on the Calcot website, or on instagram or twitter and find the Sally Beck podcast we mention here. 

Emma has had a fascinating career working in the heart of government in the EU,  in part negotiating trade deals.  Great timing for a chat that starts with Emma’s thoughts on the EU and our opportunities and risks as we hurtle towards departure. You’ll be pleased to hear Emmas is pretty optimistic on post EU trade, particularly where the export of exceptional British beer is concerned of course.   We also chat about Emma’s experience liaising directly with the government on the behalf of the BBPA’s members, representing over half of the pubs in the UK (that’s 20k) and 90% of the brewing industry.  They are an important voice, and we discuss how it felt like as the relationship between government and the sector was very strong in spring, but really broke down over the summer recess period. We also touch on wether a minister for hospitality would make the ear of government better or worse, why on earth the government is being so slow in extending support into next year as is happening in Europe, and some of the longer term issues such as Beer Duty and business rates that have been negatively skewing the sector long before COVID appeared on the scene. You can read more about the BBPA here, follow Emma on twitter or join her community here with LinkedIn.

A very different style of episode this week.  Rather than a detailed conversation with one awesome human of hospitality we have 9 great humans, most of whom have been previous guests.  And we have just one topic of conversation.  Why they are supporting the campaign for a Minister for Hospitality. This campaign was launched by Claire Bosi but had been sat languishing at around 38k signatures on the government petition website.  To be debated in parliament 100k signatures are required.  Robin Hutson, CEO of Home Grown Hotels organised a call last week with over 100 very well connected hospitality professionals, and working with some of his graduate trainees as well as some well known faces of the hospitality sector such as Tom Kerridge and Angela Hartnett,  launched the ‘seat at the table’ campaign.   These nine people, who between them employ tens of thousands of people, but represent an industry of millions, will give you their perspectives on why they want a better seat at the table.  Whilst recognising the great work that Kate Nichols and UK Hospitality have achieved, we’d like someone on the inside, as well as the outside of government.  I hope you’ll enjoy hearing their perspectives and I hope you will be motivated to visit www.seatatthetable.org.uk where you can find a link to the petition and support the other social media accounts around this campaign. Whilst the petition has now exceeded 100k we want to significantly exceed this target to give every chance of this being successful and a senior minister, rather than token gesture being appointed.  4 min 50 sec - Robin Hutson - CEO The Pig Hotel & Limewood Hotel Visit 12 min 20 sec - Simon Potts - CEO The Alchemist Visit 23 min 20 sec - Danny Pecorelli - MD Exclusive Collection Visit  30 min 20 sec - Juliane Caillouette-Noble - Acting MD of Sustainable Restaurant Association Visit 38 min 50 sec - Sally Beck - GM Royal Lancaster London Visit 47 min 10 sec - Andrew Stembridge - Executive Director Iconic Luxury Hotels Visit  56 min 20 sec - Robin Sheppard - President Bespoke Hotels Visit  1hr 5 min 20 sec - Peter Ducker - Chief Executive Institute of Hospitality Visit  1hr 5 min 25 sec - Gary Jones - Executive Head Chef - Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Visit 

Surely schools are the place to improve knowledge on food, on what we should eat, to inspire a life long love for whole food and to understand the difference between real food and processed food.  To understand that food is essential for life, and that in the modern world nobody should be going hungry.  To try and fathom how on earth it is possible for the same areas struck be food poverty and lack of access to food to at the same time be suffering from diabetes and obesity due to the shocking quality of the food that may be available.  It’s just so bloody obvious.  How on earth have we allowed ourselves to have an education system that spends so little time on the one thing we put in our bodies every single day that nourishes us.  That gives us energy, that fuels our bodies and our minds.  We cannot achieve our potential either individually or as a collective unless we fuel ourselves efficiently. Naomi Duncan and the charity Chefs in Schools are right at the beating heart of this debate and trailblazing some of the improvements that can be made.  They will soon be working with over 70 schools, predominantly in London, but with grand plans to work with, or inspire a transformation across thousands, if not tens of thousands of schools. In this chat we dive into understanding what the problem with school food is, how have we ended up here, what should be done, what can be done and what is being done.  The impact that Naomi and the Chefs in Schools team are having is exceptional and very exciting.  Wether helping get fully trained restaurant style chefs into schools, or working with existing teams, they are focused not only on providing better food in canteens, but working with the curriculum in educating children and inspiring them around what good food can look like.  But whatever you do, don’t call the food healthy, since they have learnt the hard hard way, that can turn the average teenager off.  I hope many of you listening will be inspired to speak to your local schools.  If you are a parent perhaps you can ask better questions of your kids school.  But if you work in the sector, why not reach out to your local school and see if you can help.  I’ve personally found working with my local primary school in inspiring and teaching children about real food and seasonality and presentation and the ethics of food has been hugely entertaining and exceptionally rewarding.   Read about the School Food Plan and visit Chefs In Schools online or follow them on instagram or twitter  

I love Carly’s story and her energy and ethos and her general hospitality adventure.  As you will hear Carly went from a small wooden hut, to an expensive hobby, to raising 1/2 a million pounds and building a beautiful cafe in the park.  Along this journey Carly realised that people were the key to all that she was achieving.  Carly, her husband 'Ian' and their team won multiple awards for their cafe.  Particularly around employing disabled team members and looking after the local community, who treated the cafe as their own.  But, Carly is only too aware of how tough a sector hospitality can be, and eventually sold her beloved cafe to start a new life deep in Devon.  But as is too often the case, the hospitality itch kept coming back, and Carly and Ian have been busy developing a new concept OPOP.  One price, one plate, with ethics and people and shared success deep rooted in it’s DNA.  Carly has even become a B-Leader, both for her own business, but also to tell others about the opportunity becoming a B-Corp presents. I learnt a great deal talking to Carly, and really enjoyed her perspectives and positivity.  I can’t wait to continue to watch Carly's hospitality adventure unfold in her new found corner of the country.  Our conversation talks about B- Corps, Carly’s journey, values and how they evolved, eating meat, pay what you can afford, fundraising and so much more.  I’m sure you’ll find some nuggets of wisdom in here and be inspired to continue to care about the type of business you operate, or the type of business you buy from. Follow OPOP on instagram, or read about them on the website, or follow Carly on twitter

Set in 58 acres of parkland at the end of a magnificent sea loch, The Torridon has one of the most spectacular and idyllic locations in the country. What Dan, his wife Rohaise and the team have created in the Torridon is awesome. So remote with the challenges of staffing and weather and access and much more, yet they have an incredible reputation.  As treasurer of the Master Innholders, Chairman of Pride of Britain Hotels and Director of Luxury Scotland Consortium Dan’s also got a pretty broad perspective and some great nuggets of wisdom for all in hospitality.  Not bad for a city trader with no desire to work anywhere near hospitality when he first set off on his career. Dan and I touch on creative thinking when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff in such remote locations, sustainability and kitchen gardens, diversifying styles of accommodation, rapidly switching target markets, the visit from the BBC team and the subsequent incredible exposure, as well as setting up an outdoor pursuits business in a beautiful and remote part of the countryside. I loved chatting with Dan and have a huge amount of respect for his business acumen and generally just being a great example of another awesome Human of Hospitality.  As so many of us do, Dan is working in the industry for the right reasons.  Yes, absolutely a good businessmen, but more than that a good human, with a desire to serve not only his guests, but the industry at large, whilst developing a team that can go off out into the broader world of hospitality. Check out the Torridon on the BBC show via the Iplayer  Learn more via the Torridon website, follow Dan himself on Twitter or see some beautiful photos via their instagram page. And don't forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter via the podcast website.

Zoe is from the 'ecological land cooperative' (ELC) - a 'Not For Profit' trying to solve some of the problems of excessively large farms, often mono-culture dominated and using too many chemicals, having a very detrimental impact on the land and ecosystem. I speak to many people being inspired to enter the world of hospitality, not only to sell better quality more ethical food to the consumer, but also interested in how to grow this food and actually produce it in the first place.  If you're interested in how to have a positive impact on the food you buy, or how it is grown, you will enjoy this weeks conversation. The ELC want to see a living, working countryside where land is valued as a way to enhance the good of community, countryside and the natural world. Revitalising rural economies.   They want to see low-impact, land-based livelihoods flourish. The stewardship of land to create healthful, wholesome and ecologically sound food and land-based products that benefit people and the biosphere. And they do this in a number of ways, that starts with buying land and finding stewards who want to set up their own business.  They help spread the cost of this land over a number of years and help the new stewards with planning to actually be allowed to live on the land whilst they regenerate and farm it. I think ELC is great NFP.  Not only does it have great aspirations, but it already has a number of successful farms up and running and actually making a difference.  But it is early days and so much more can be done.  I hope some of you listening to this conversation will be inspired to want to set up your own small scale business on a piece of land.  But many of you will want to support the incredible work this charity does.  And even more of you will think about where you are buying your food and where you can support a local veg box scheme. For further inspiration check out the movie 'the biggest little farm' or 'kiss the ground'.   Read more about the ELC on the web.  And here are a couple of other great sources of info that crops up in our chat: https://landworkersalliance.org.uk/ https://communitysupportedagriculture.org.uk/

Rocco Bova is living quite the hospitality adventure.  I wanted to catch up with him for a few reasons. Firstly he’s running a health resort in Mexico, a fascinating country.  Sometimes a reputation for drug cartels, kidnapping and more recently a catastrophic impact of COVID-19.  But Rocco loves Mexico, and he’s lived in enough countries to be able to make an objective decision. Secondly, with people maybe questioning why they work in hospitality and wondering what the future might hold, Rocco demonstrates just what an exciting and varied career it can provide.  He’s worked in all the corners of the globe, really getting to know local cultures and people as he lives in, rather than travels through, so many different countries.  It’s one of the great opportunities a career in hospitality can provide.  But I wanted to chat realistically about the pros and cons.  Is a family life still possible, is managing different cultures a challenge, does he miss the comforts of a regular home life.  I won’t spoil the conversation, but safe to say Rocco absolutely LOVES hospitality and all the adventurous opportunities it has created for him. Finally Rocco runs a wellness resort, and has some strong views on the vortex of negative thinking and what we should all be doing, both mentally and physically to maintain a positive outlook and make the most of our limited time on earth. We also chat through some practical tips on social media management, how to make guests feel like they are staying with their mother for their vacations, how excited he is that his kids are following in his footsteps and studying hospitality and the global human values of respect love and trust and so much more. Find out more about Chable resorts on the website or follow Rocco himself on instagram or linkedIn 

If you don’t know his name, you’ll certainly know some of the venues Nicholas has worked and some of the businesses he’s developed.  Nicholas without a doubt is a bona fide 'human of hospitality'.  It’s been his life’s work.  From cutting his teeth at the Chewton Glen working for the likes of Robin Hutson, to becoming the MD at Le Manoir and being Raymond Blanc’s right hand, man whilst working in partnership with Richard Branson and the virgin group.  And having learnt from some of the most inspirational leaders in our sector it was time to go it alone when Nicholas co-founded Luxury Family Hotels.  Along with a few others at the time creating a new genre of hotels that many have replicated.  I’ll let Nicholas tell the story of how the purchase of a hotel in Liverpool led to the need to start considering a sale and how Von Essen’s offer was just too good to turn down.   Now Nicholas has found his happy place back on the coal face of hospitality with just one beautiful country house ‘Congham Hall’.  Nicholas has some strong views around the challenges of the governments approach to COVID in the rural hotel space and how ridiculous the implementation of some of the rules are.  But overall he’s busy, still in love with hospitality, tells the story of his adventures very well and still has ambitions to continue to develop and add rooms to what will be his last hotel. Nicholas was warm and generous with his time and has been good enough to introduce me to some great future guests too.  I hope you’ll enjoy hearing first hand about his interesting career that once again demonstrates just how much fun and how much can be achieved in a life of hospitality. Check the website or twitter or instagram. 

David Begg is one of those hospitality obsessives regular listeners will know I love to meet.  Another one of those humans that has a little tiny seedling of an idea, that turns into an obsession that turns into an utterly awesome product that then enhances all of our worlds of food, drink and hospitality. And this time I’m talking about Kombucha.  But not just any Kombucha, but the sort that is now sitting on the menus of many of the finest Michelin starred restaurants around the country proudly sitting along side Prosecco and champagne as an alcohol free alternative.  You see it transpires that if you ferment some of the finest tea leaves, picked young in some of the worlds best tea gardens, with some Mother cultures, a little bit of magic and a whole heap of David’s obsession, you can create something beautiful and complex and light and delicious. We’ll chat to David about alcohol eating bacteria, DNA tested cultures that could be hundreds of years old, 150 different types of tea, don’t worry, we won’t go into detail on all of them, picking tea leaves whilst their young and different days picks and how rubbing the leaves around a hot wok can transform the end result.  But as well as a great product, this is also a great story of David the businessmen and how a chance over dinner drink with yoga and wellness guru Howard Napper sent David off on a journey.  And David has an entrepreneurial brain having previously been involved in the technology that later became booking.com and selling furniture in over 62 countries through the business ‘Tom Dixon’ that he co-founded. I’m confident you’ll enjoy this chat and by the end of it have a whole heap of knew knowledge, be desperate to try David’s Real Kombucha and be inspired by another business story. Follow them on instagram or twitter or check out the website. 

I love the Pig Hotels and their obsession on the best local produce.  This extends to their beautiful kitchen gardens where group chef James Golding gave me a tour in a previous podcast episode.  After a recent chat with Ollie's Dad and CEO Robin Hutson, I was excited to arrange to go to the Pig nursery in the New Forest and meet Ollie face to face and get to peruse his mother of seed planning spreadsheets. You’re going to learn just how much work goes into creating a kitchen garden for a hotel or restaurant.  The balance between productive space and a show garden space.  How to ensure those spaces always look great, but are genuinely used for a seed to plate menu.  I love Ollie’s annual planning meeting with the chefs, where they are only allowed to say on of four things. ‘More, Less, the same or not at all’.   We also touch on Ollie’s childhood and the pros and cons of living in an entrepreneurial house and his first hand witnessing of Hotel Du Vin being built around family life.  Ollie was generous with his time and an utter gentleman to spend a couple of hours with.  I hope you enjoy the results and next time you wander though a kitchen garden appreciate just how much graft is going on behind the scenes. To follow Ollie's adventures head over to his twitter page or visit the website .

Finally, we are doing a sustainability episode.  And I say finally because regular listeners will know that sustainability comes up alot in my conversations when we think about farming and plant based diets and the impact on the environment of what we eat and drink.  But what I’d not touched on thus far was the sustainability deep rooted into the actual design of venues and the business itself.  Because surely it all starts there.  If the restaurant itself is smashing its way through unnecessary fossil fuels or using poisonous materials, or chopping down virgin rain forest to make the furniture then clearly that would be pretty outrageous.   David Chenery, today’s guest has been deeply buried in cogitating on what sustainable design means for a number of years.  David is not an activist, but wants to find a way to live on planet earth and ideally leave it better, or at the very least not make it worse.  David has spent a number of years as an interior architect and design consultant at Object Space Place and has had a career specialising in commercial interiors in a varied range of international and UK based retail stores, hair salons, restaurant concepts and luxury fashion department stores.  But more recently he's doubled down and focused on sustainable hospitality and what that might mean. David has been working on a RESTORATIVE RESTAURANT FRAMEWORK, built on the principles of a circular economy and designing with end of life in mid.  Within that are some fascinating perspectives and I’m confident you’re going to enjoy this chat and it’s certainly going to get you to think.   We chat about the importance of the stories of sustainability, or the accreditation of sustainability.  And how for me personally, in an industry where we are so use to chatting to customers about the journey their food or drink has been on, who produced it, or caught it, or made it, or how many miles it has travelled, naturally extending that to where the recycled bar top has come from, or how the furniture has been reclaimed from an old church or school rather than ending up in landfill, feels like an easy extension of what we do. You can find David on LinkedIn or check out his website and don't forget you can donate to the podcast via PayPal 

Gregorie, from Blackthorn knows an incredible amount about salt.  His family have been involved in salt for over 140 years.  His Dad’s Dad Dad set up the business, but this latest venture is their first foray into the actual production of salt.  You should probably pause this episode at this point and go to blackthornsalt.co.uk and take a look at this crazy big tower of thorns they have built on the edge of the ocean in Scotland.  It will help you visualise what we are about to chat about. This incredible wooden structure, dribbles sea water through 54 wooden taps releasing the water to trickle down a tower of blackthorn exposed to the Scottish winds and sun, evaporating the water and leaving an ever increasing saline solution.  There is something beautifully romantic and nostalgic about harnessing nature right on the waters edge in Scotland.   I learnt so much chatting to Gregorie.  Not just about salt, but about how to run a business for multiple generations and how being curious and embarking on adventures just because they are fun, rather than financially proven, is such a wonderful part of so many hospitality journeys. But yourself some salt on the website here Follow Blackthorn Salt here instagram and twitter A link to the video we mention here 

José and I recorded this remotely and I really wish I’d gone to actually sit with him in his restaurant since he oozes hospitality out of every pore.  José is famous for his 3 London restaurants and championing Spanish produce for many decades.   José touches on his books and extensive travels through Spain and just how much he loves meeting other great humans and ensuring that their recipes are recorded and handed on to the next generations.  We chat about his upbringing and some lovely memories about the smell of coffee and churros from his mum in the kitchen, who is now 87 years of age and still going strong. We talk about food culture in Spain and the UK and how we can try and improve our connection to food, particularly when you think of things like childhood obesity.  I also find out that Jose’s middle name is Manuel and with a restaurant already called José, Pizzaro and José Pizaro I for one think it’s time he used his middle name for the next one.  Oh yes, and then there is Olive Oil.  We definitely learn a few things about that. Enjoy the chat and please do leave a review and click on subscribe.  You can find out more about Jose on his website or follow him on Instagram or twitter. 

For over 20 years, Hugh Lambert travelled the world as a TV cameraman, director of photography and editor. Often he’d find himself in some of the remotest parts of the world, perhaps living with a local tribe. On each trip he’d try different foods.  Some of them were quite out there, in terms of taste combinations and ingredients. (I’ll let Hugh reveal what the roasted figs he ate one day in the jungle really were.)   With that broad-minded approach, it isn’t surprising that Hugh has created a drink with unusual ingredients: Shanty Spirit, a seaweed botanical vodka.  This isn’t a gimmick. As you’ll hear, Hugh falls into my beloved category of brilliant – and possibly slightly bonkers – obsessive. Someone who describes his spirit as ‘4 years of research driven by a lifetime’s passion for being by the sea’. They really were years of intense focus: macerating countless seaweeds, then working through a long list of botanicals until he got to a point where he could collaborate with a distillery and see his idea bottled up.  As you know, if you’ve listened to Vince Noyce at Portsmouth Distillery and Alex Kammerling at Kamm & Sons, I love these stories of dedication – particularly when they bring something new and authentically different to the market.  Hugh’s venture is still young, but, when it comes to his future success, I’m excited to say that you will have heard it here first, on this podcast.   Follow Hugh on Twitter or Instagram or order a bottle via his Website.

I think most people with a keen interest in incredible food and hospitality are aware of Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir and its reputation.  They’ve churned out over 30 michelin starred chefs, had two Michelin stars themselves since 1981 and their organic certified kitchen gardens are legendary.  I was very excited to finally get to go and visit.  Helped by a sunny day the hotel and grounds looked stunning.  Executive Chef 'Gary Jones' was generous with his time, chatting freely and took the time to take me on a tour of the gardens and poly tunnels where his enthusiasm and knowledge and happiness to share his thoughts and experiences typified the generosity of so many who work in hospitality.  Gary has had a fascinating history, from working at Le Manoir on two separate occasions, most recently for 21 years, to working for Richard Branson on Necker Island and having received Michelin Star accolades from scratch at two other venues.  He’s also a black belt in karate, practises yoga and is a busy Dad to 3 teenage daughters.   Our chat meanders from Gary’s own kitchen garden hunting snails by torch light at 1am, to the symbiotic relationship with his team and the garden team at le Manoir, to the change in diets and using less butter and cream in the kitchens, a great story about how Gary ended up working on Necker Island and even the ‘genius’ of Raymond Blanc, or RB as he’s known, and the contrasting skills they both bring to the kitchen and development of so many of the world’s best chefs. Follow Gary on twitter or instagram Follow Le Manoir on twitter or instagram or via the website

Back to learning this week as we are off to discover the wonderful world of bacon production from someone whose family have been producing it since the early 1990's. Whether you eat meat or not, there is something about bacon. Perhaps it’s the smell as it cooks, or the fact that it’s an integral part of the full English. But has our long-term familiarity of this staple grown a bit of contempt?  Sausages seem to have a higher status: more and more breakfast menus  mention the provenance of their Cumberland and chipolatas.  But all too often, bacon is just categorised as ‘bacon’, so you have no idea where it’s come from, how it’s been produced and whether or not it’s been plumped up with salt and water.  Then there are concerns around nitrites, with the NHS reminding us that ‘eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases your risk of colorectal cancer’ and the market is currently being disrupted by a nitrite-free newcomer.  Ellen Streatfeild is well aware of how bacon falls in and out of favour.  Since 1994 her family’s farm has stuck to their principles of giving bacon the care and attention it deserves, whilst growing their  weekly production from 50-100 kg to 10 to 12 tonnes! This programme explores how you find the sweet spot between maintaining your standards and surviving commercially, in the face of some very tough competition.  Find out more about Denhay via the website or follow them on twitter 

I wanted to chat to Simon because the Alchemist has such an exceptional reputation and I wanted to find out more about what makes them and Simon tick, but also because with 20 cocktail bars and restaurants dotted around the UK I knew he  would be a good barometer of what is happening in different geographical pockets. We touch a little bit on lockdown and the subsequent closure of one of their venues, we discuss some of the fast tracking of initiatives, particularly around technology such as ordering at the table and the nuances of wether that should be app or web based and how it integrates with existing tech. We touch on some of the design elements of their venues since I’m always personally fascinated by spaces that can transition from breakfast to lunch to dinner and then late evening drinkers.  It’s a tough art to get right and Simon explains how much work they put into things such as natural light and street level entrances to try and get this right. With so many landlords Simon also has some useful perspectives on the shared burden of the accrued rental overhead that so many operators now need to either pay, or negotiate fast. Follow the Alchemist on Twitter or Instagram and check out their website.  Or follow Simon himself on Twitter

Although originally from Skegness, Ben is more captivated with Sicily and one day would like to move there.  Sicily has had a huge influence on his favourite style of food and he’s even written an awesome book called ‘moorish'. Ben is actually only a chef because of fellow Skegness buddy Jason Atherton who got Ben his first chef job at the Ritz. We touch on Ben’s time at the Salt Yard and how a big influx of cash that he hoped would sort out his financial and restaurant dreams ended up ruining his love for the business and lead to him planning on heading out on his own.   But now he’s found the best of both worlds.  A good level of investment and the chance to open restaurants serving his style of food.  Including his latest venture into the world of dark kitchens and delivery through Gallio, a Mediterranean pizza idea he’s been working on. Follow Ben on Instagram or Twitter and check our his restaurant Norma

You have to be impressed with today’s guests energy levels.  Adam Handling works hard, has achieved a lot and is not short of an opinion or two that he’s quite happy to share.  Adam joined me just 48 hours after re-opening The Frog, his flagship restaurant in Covent Garden.  He’d been through a particularly traumatic closure period where he’d lost four of his venues and learnt a great deal about the business side of running restaurants. Adam speaks openly and honestly about the financial, physical and mental aspects of what he has been through, but he’s kept a huge number of his team, despite 57% payroll costs on re-opening, and he’s keen to find another venue before the year is out to accommodate his talented crew and try and ensure they keep their jobs. He’s working hard, is thinking about michelin stars and is one of the most driven people I’ve chatted to.  His enthusiasm for all things sustainable and what he learnt through his now closed restaurants the Ugly Butterfly and Bean and Wheat is very infectious.  Personally I wish Adam the very best for the future, and like many of us, he may well end up with a much stronger business as a result of all he has learnt in the past few months. Follow Adam on instagram or twitter and order some dinner from HAME

For my 100th episode I really wanted to get a bit of an industry super star in my eyes.  Robin Hutson has been on my list of people I’ve wanted to chat to since day one of launch.   I live within a pretty easy cycle of two of Robin’s PIG hotels - Pig on the Beach in Studland and Pig in the Forest in Brockenhurst.  I LOVE what Robin has created.   I’ve seen Robin talk at a couple of hotel events and in essence he just knows his stuff.  He oozes common sense and his attention to detail is exemplary.  His venues have plenty of open grounds, an awesome kitchen garden supplying the kitchen with exceptional seasonal produce, relaxed ambience and surroundings, good food and wonderfully designed venues, but not pretentious.  It really is just a great business and his occupancy figures and margins are the envy of many a competitor. They say never meet your heroes, and I was worried having finally organised a meeting I’d be disappointed.  But Robin was generous with his time, enthusiastic with his stories and I felt privileged to get to poke and prod at one of our hospitality greats in his own venue.   So there could not really be a more fitting person for my 100th show.  A genuine human of hospitality. Follow Robin on twitter Follow the Pig on instagram Or check out their website

Robin Shephard is the Chairman and co-founder of Bespoke Hotels.  Bespoke look after over 5000 hotel rooms, 6000 team members and £500 million pounds worth of assets.  But they particularly interested me, because many of you will know I love the independent hospitality sector.  Bespoke are fascinating, because although they’ve become a significant player, they keep their personal brand and business very much behind the scenes.  Most of their venues are independently owned, and bespoke simply provide some of the benefit of brand, with consistency of service, some centralised professional team members and some of the benefits that come at scale.  But at the same time none of the venues are forced into a one size fits all box.  They are genuinely venues that have a hospitality soul, and many of the venues you would know in their own right, purposely having no idea that bespoke are involved.  Robin has a wealth of experience pre-bespoke, from GM positions throughout some fine establishments, to launching a British Bottled water brand and even writing a book about his time being bed bound and paralysed.  Robin is well known in the hospitality sector and I’m sure you will enjoy hearing his views. Robin does not hold back on his political appraisals, we touch on the impact of OTA’s and turning them from foe to friend, Brexit crops up, who the VAT cut is for, which venues have re-opened and why, how that’s going and Robin’s predictions for the future. Follow Robin on Twitter Find out more about Bespoke Hotels Find out more about Blue Badge Access Awards

Exclusive is a superb example of what can be achieved in the genuine world of hospitality when not dominated by venture capitalists or short term city demands.  Exclusive is family owned.  They take a long term view, are not hugely leveraged and as you’ll hear in this conversation Danny is a genuine human with a sincere love of the hospitality sector. Danny has also been very helpful in helping England win the Rugby Wold cup, but I’ll let him tell that story. We touch on Danny’s role as the Chair of Master Innholders and what that has meant to him, UK Hospitality comes up again and we get into the details of the operational changes Exclusive have made in re-opening after Pandemic lockdown.  The customer and team response to those changes has been positive, but Danny and I also chew the fat on our expectations of trade as we flip from leisure to business in autumn.  Even Christmas comes up in this wide ranging and enjoyable conversation with one of the good eggs. Follow Danny on Instagram or Twitter Find out more about Exclusive Collection here 

This episode was recorded just before COVID lockdown, so is not referred to in the episode, but it's a great chat, so I wanted to finally get round to releasing it.  Thanks. By the time Tim Maddams had reached the end of his first year as a professional chef, working in a restaurant kitchen, he came to a crazy realisation:  he had cooked more meals in those 12 months than most people prepare in an entire life time.   For a while, working hard with luminaries like Alastair Little and Marco Pierre White and appearing on TV with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, gave Tim a constant buzz. But after one family holiday, he realised that if he continued on that 70-hour-a-week path, he would find himself in a ‘destructive spiral of doom’.   That is why, in 2012, he turned himself into what he calls a ‘free-range foodie’, offering a variety of services which draw on his life-long love of foraging, game and field sports, as well as his considerable culinary experience.   I’m fascinated by the plethora of jobs and opportunities linked loosely under the ‘hospitality’ genre.  I’ve employed hundreds of chefs over the last 17 years and seen many look for a career change, when the reality of working every weekend starts to have an impact on family life.  So, when the opportunity to interview Tim cropped up, looking at just how diverse his income streams are, I was excited to find out more.   This edition gives you a snapshot of what it’s like to have a varied freelance career, from running a Chef’s Shed, created from old telegraph poles and palettes, to organising ethical, small-bag foodie shoot days and more.  Incidentally, these small days are supporting  a much bigger movement: helping to feed 600,000 people in the last 4 years, through Tim’s work with The Country Food Trust

This episode was recorded just before COVID-19.  At the time we had no idea what was about to come.  During the pandemic I’ve been focusing on time specific conversations, but now as hospitality re-opens I want to release a few great conversations that have been patiently waiting for their time. Tim knows a great deal about coffee, but rather than being a roaster or venue, he’s got a unique slant on trying to get better coffee in the places many of us spend time, but generally have low expectations.  Tim correctly points out that many ‘value led’ businesses have absolutely no idea that the commodity coffee they are supplying their clients is contradicting their ethics, disappointing their clients and costing planet earth and the coffee farmers more than is necessary. In this conversation Tim takes us through his journey.  Starting with a child free Sunday morning, reading the paper and sipping on a cup of Jamaican Blue coffee.  Off then to discover about the volcanic soil, the hand picked beans, losing up to 30% of the crop through the finest hand check standards, through to the blue mist on the mountain slowing down the ripening process.  And then across the globe to the artisan coffee roasters, with so much knowledge and passion, but some spare capacity that Tim and his team can symbiotically help with. I learnt a lot and really enjoyed an hour inside Tim’s head.  And if he can get to the point where every garage, solicitor, accountant and other society touch points serve well informed speciality coffee, then I for one will be happy.

Andrea is a walking philosopher with some very strong opinions on the ethics of business and the community around food and drink. I’ve interviewed Andrea before about his business and journey, but today we focus on the recent opening of his latest venue in an absolutely stunning old church in Mayfair.  I’ll let you listen to andrea’s eloquent description of that stunning space. Andrea stayed open in some guise throughout the lockdown since their business is pretty diverse from a deli, bakery and shop through to street trade units.  Andrea’s philosophy is that entrepreneurship means sometimes you make money and sometimes you lose money, but all the way through you must focus on and serve your community. We touch on the dream incubator campaign that they shifted to online due to coronavirus and how the success of that has motivated Andrea to try and expand it to overseas markets.  And I explore Andreas thoughts on why small is beautiful, and in some ways how that can even be translated to how countries are managing the pandemic, including his home country of Italy. We end on the Agricultural bill and the necessity to at least keep moving forwards with food standards and ethics, and not to see leaving the EU as a chance to make any backward steps. Follow Mercato on Instagram Learn more about Mercato on the website

Now whilst to your average human Restaurant Associates is not particularly a consumer facing brand, you will certainly know many of the venues that David Simms and his team operate, from Somerset House, to Edinburgh zoo, to Michelin starred restaurants like Jason Atherton’s City Social and Michelle Roux’s Parliament Square.   I chat about David’s history in the podcast, so I’m not going to list it here, but fundamentally just be reassured  that I was really excited to get to chat to David because I knew the diversity and depth of his experience across the hospitality sector. We touch on chef development and training, the changes in kitchen culture, both positive and negative, and how to get the best out of a brigade. David has some great advice about the complexity of re-opening the doors, why to keep the offering simple, and some of the operational considerations of having less people to do tasks.  That leads us on to the impact of supply and the need to be clever and efficient to stand any chance of making a post covid profit. David has some great thoughts on sustainability and the supply chain and our obligation as an industry to help educate, but not lecture the consumer on food, where it comes from and its environmental impact.  We may even start a joint campaign to making eating strawberries in December a criminal offence! After a rollercoaster of a chat with many highs and lows, we try to end positively around the nature of such a creative sector and where it may end up on the other side of the pandemic. Connect with David on Instagram Learn more about Restaurant Associates

I first saw Karl speak at an event in March where I was impressed by some of the insights and data that he and the CGA team had collated.  It was nice to see so many of the thoughts and impressions that I had of the sector backed up by some scientific data and commentary. Now seemed like the perfect time to put some data behind the theory of what re-opening may look like. Karl and I go on a bit of a journey in this conversation, and it is worth noting that it was recorded about a week before Boris confirmed the 4th of July opening date. We start with some analysis of what was going on in hospitality pre covid.  As a result of coming out of the period of political stalemate and uncertainty with regards brexit, and a decisive election result, executive confidence levels in hospitality were the highest they had been for many years. Ironically 77 percent of the sector were concerned about labour shortages, not the potential layoff of 2 million colleagues. We then touch on some of the data around consumer behaviour during lockdown and move on to what Karl and his team have seen in both the USA, china and other countries who are starting to re-open their doors. And then it’s post covid and are there any clues as to what we can expect and what we should be focusing on as a sector.  I personally was pleased that the consumer does not seem to be wanting a sterile operating theatre with everyone behind screens and masks. Personally for me that is not hospitality.   Karl gives out some advice on what he thinks operators should focus on and and we agree to touch base again in a few months and see what we’ve all learnt. Sign up to the CGA ezine here  And find out more about CGA here 

Kris is a very experienced operator who has had both a successful corporate, as well as more entrepreneurial career in hospitality.  We briefly touched on Kris’s early career but spent more time chewing the fat on a broad range of hospitality topics.  From EIS funding schemes and some great perspectives on why debt is quite often not the answer.  We also have a great conversation around hospitality as part of the rejuvenation and placemaking of towns and cities.  Quite often they are the vibrancy and life-blood an area needs as a catalyst for investment and regeneration, yet all too often with high rents and taxes such important businesses are often marginally viable.   Kris has some excellent and creative thoughts on rent negotiations and how thinking outside the box and looking for win win opportunities between two parties can often lead to some interesting solutions. Kris is also planning a slow and steady post Covid re-opening, testing and learning as he and the team go with some of their larger, more spacious garden venues. You can follow Kris on LinkedIn or find out more about Brewhouse and Kitchen.

I’ve spoken to Griff Holland from Friska before in episode 47 and I love his love of food and drink and humans.   After a crazy couple of months of lockdown I thought it was a great time for a follow up.  We touch on how trade had been in the 6 months before lockdown and how he’d been navigating Brexit indecision, multiple elections and a stormy winter.  We look at the rollercoaster of shut down itself and how Griff pretty much nailed his plans in one emergency covid meeting, rather than every day.  And then in his ever positive manner we switch to his pivots to deliver Friska at home, why he’s not a huge fan of deliveroo and wether his sweet spot will still be busy lunches near glass fronted office blocks, or if he’s having to rethink his strategy. I’m sure you’ll get a nugget or two and enjoy the conversation. 

This weeks guest is yet another true inspiration of hospitality.  Sally is the General Manager of the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London and the 2019 hotelier of the year, joining some legendary predecessors of the award.   We have a pretty wide ranging conversation all the way from chickens, to my relief that Sally was not actually born in a pub, to how a 40 million pound refurbishment actually turned into an 85 million pound refurbishment, as well as Sally’s desire to create the happiest hotel in London, and what that actually means. Sally is very principled when it comes to the integrity of our industry and how we should be treating apprenticeships, and in-fact all members of our teams.  Sally is much more about the team and asking for opinions, than demanding results.  And with consecutive years in the Times Employer of Choice awards her approach is paying huge dividends, both culturally and financially. Well, it was before the pandemic arrived at least, so we also chat on it’s impact, complexities and Sally’s thoughts on how and when to re-open, as well as some exceptionally creative thoughts on how to come out trading on the other side. Sally’s cv is awesome and she deserves her reputation as one of the best in class.  I’m confident you’re going to enjoy this conversation and learn a few nuggets of wisdom on the way.   For Sally’s Hoteliers Charter that we chat about please do check out the Patreon Page where you can also support the podcast  as well as sign up for our weekly newsletter keeping you informed of our latest guests here.

David from Grind London, a collection of coffee shops, cocktail bars and restaurants, started his hospitality journey by inheriting a mobile phone shop, where he loved the building but not the business. Fast forward and David has managed to walk that tricky operational and design tightrope where his venues are both a great stop off for a daytime coffee, but also a sit down meal, and by night transform into a busy cocktail bar.  Not an easy feat, but something that feels so effortless when right, but in reality is a real challenge.  I personally remember GRIND for some memorable crowd funding videos and how early in its development it managed to attract significant levels of investment and expanded into some high profile sites as a result. We touch on the cycle of raising money and investing that money and how useful it is that they’d just raised funds prior to the pandemic, and had not yet spent them, albeit it is now very frustrating to have to burn through some of that cash just to keep heads above water rather than opening new venues. We also touch on how the diversification into online retail has been helpful in keeping the business and some of the team ticking over. David also touches on his thoughts on TRONC and the furlough scheme, as well as having some great perspectives on when to re-open, rental issues, distancing, blunt instruments, targeted measures and more.

Robert has an MBE, is a Restauranteur, a patron of Hospitality Action, president of the Restaurant Association, founder of the Nth Degree Global, and has even been covered in the FT as a power dresser with his very dapper suit collection.   He’s also got a very active instagram account where he also interviews a number of other great humans of hospitality. We have a fantastic chat about his past experiences in hospitality, which have been many and varied.  Robert gushes about London’s place as the hospitality and tourism world champion, and his enthusiasm is infectious.  We discuss the recently launched young chef young waiter competition and Robert really has done an incredible job of revitalising this event. Some of the best known industry greats have won this award in the past, but it needed a revamp to stay relevant.  Robert, the Restaurant Association and UK Hospitality have really upped the stakes to the point where you can win a Mercedes Benz and a night in a top London hotel, with a much more glitzy award ceremony and competition finals. We also touch on all things pandemic and the wider implications for hospitality.

We are looking to china for some inspiration as they are running a good couple of months ahead of us from a pandemic timeline perspective.  Nat is from London, but has been living in Shanghai for a number of years and runs Homeslice Pizza across 3 local outlets.  He was therefore very well place to discuss the operational aspects of coming out of the other other side of lockdown in the hospitality sector. I found Nat’s descriptions of the challenges of acquiring PPE in china fascinating, in part due to the timing of the crisis around Chinese New Year and everyone being on holiday and factories shut.  I guess if it was hard to get hold of equipment in China, it is no surprise that the international community was also struggling. We also touch on how technology was used to help release lockdown, such as a compulsory app on everyones phone that showed either a green or red qr code that had to be scanned to enter a venue.  Getting a green code depended on where you had been, who you had been with and your temperature.  Nat’s insight into why china has been so good at managing the virus with it’s very big to very small approach to government was fascinating, but you really need to listen to his explanation to get the gist of that one. We also touch on how long it’s taking for any semblance of normality to return to visitor numbers, even 8 weeks since lockdown release, and some interesting comparative KPI’s around employee %, rental charges and VAT, which has been reduced from only 6% to nothing by the Chinese government to help stimulate the economy.  

Charlie sold his group ‘Draft House’ to Brew Dog and now operates as a chairman and investor through his business ‘Bunker Projects’.  Charlie is currently chairman of the Breakfast Club and Butchies fried chicken in London. We chat about 'project pint', what it stands for and how it evolved.  Project Pint is a fun and inclusive way of helping Britain shift from a FOGO, to a FOMO mentality as soon possible, when it is safe, falling back in love with the Great British pint and going out with a mate. I also take the opportunity to get his wider perspective on a few issues including his warm up for the lockdown post the sale of his business and the 3 key things currently effecting hospitality ‘CASH / DISTANCING AND FOGO’ We talk about how anyone in hospitality should probably be seeking the advice of an insolvency lawyer just in case, our thoughts for the future of the industry from both an independent and chain perspective and Charlie even gives me some well needed business advice on not being a purist when it comes to craft beer.