Claim OwnershipRecipe for Greatness
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© 2026 Recipe for Greatness
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Interviewing the founders behind the best food companies in the UK to deconstruct the skills and knowledge they used to grow their business so you can learn from the best and start-up something yourself.
115 Episodes
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A teenage trader learns to move stock on Romford Market, then builds a clean‑label snack factory that challenges ultra‑processed bars and keeps going through COVID with a private‑label engine. Matt Hunt, co‑founder of The Protein Ball Co, joins us for a candid, high‑energy tour through graft, grit, and the choices that change a business. We dig into margins, manufacturing, pet treats you could eat, and a bold rebrand made to win shelves. • early market lessons shaping sales craft and urgency...
We trace Yusuf’s path from schoolyard hustles to building a functional cold brew that swaps jitters for calm focus. The story spans painful caffeine experiments, tough retail lessons, and the mindset shift from making a product to selling one at a profit. Listen to the story of building Unconform • early ventures and the itch to build • caffeine overload as the spark for a solution • cold brew, adaptogens, and nootropics for a smoother hit • scrappy R&D, 31 iterations, ...
We explore how poker shaped Andrew Macleod's thinking and how those mental models helped him build Emilia’s Crafted Pasta into a debt-free, multi-site brand. From scouting Italy to opening under budget and growing slow, we show how to balance soul with margins. • Poker as a mirror of risk and behaviour • Bootstrapping events and earning trust without capital • Finding the pasta gap and validating with travel and craft • Raising seed from relationships built on delivery and discipline • Secur...
Will Howard shares his journey from hospitality worker to Managing Director of GrowUp Farms, revealing how purpose-driven leadership and vulnerability create stronger businesses and teams. • Started career with a passion for food, working in hospitality before transitioning to FMCG roles at L'Oreal and PepsiCo • Found his authentic leadership style at purpose-driven companies like Red Bull, Innocent and Ella's Kitchen • Practices vulnerability by openly discussing mental health challenges wi...
What does it take to build a thriving food brand that refuses to compromise on values? Karen and Patrick O'Flaherty, founders of Pip Organic, reveal the remarkable journey that transformed their humble market stall selling fresh juices into one of the UK's most trusted organic food and drink brands. The husband-and-wife team share how their backgrounds in marketing and finance, combined with Patrick's family history in organic farming, created the perfect foundation for their business. Their...
Matthew Jones is the founder of Bread Ahead bakery. On this episode, Matthew shares his remarkable journey from sleeping on bakery floors to building a global brand that's reshaping how people experience and understand artisan baking. • Growing up in 1970s Britain surrounded by makers and creators despite the "dire" food scene • Leaving school at 15 to pursue chef training through a Youth Training Scheme • Working under Sir Terence Conran and learning from his visionary approach to restauran...
Dominic Rice, co-founder and CEO of CANS, is on a mission to build a new category of non-sweet, no-sugar, no-sweetener soft drinks. After 16 years at Red Bull, Dom is applying his beverage industry expertise to create a genuinely healthy alternative that doesn't compromise on taste. The idea came over a steak dinner in Prague, where three friends shared the frustration of living sugar- and sweetener-free and finding their only drink options were water, tea, or coffee. CANS is built on radica...
Daniel Cray, an Australian entrepreneur and CEO of Phizz, pivoted from advertising to create a revolutionary three-in-one hydration, vitamin and electrolyte tablet that's now one of the UK's fastest-growing wellness brands. He shares his journey from bootstrapping with three friends to leading a category-defining company used by Premier League teams and travellers worldwide. • After discovering travellers lose up to six litres of water during flights, Dan identified hydration's broader impac...
Suzie Millar shares the inspiring journey of growing The Scottish Bee Company from a purpose-driven venture into a thriving business while introducing over 27 million bees to Scotland and establishing a charity to support pollinators' habitats. • From lawyer to chiropractor to honey entrepreneur, connecting analytical skills with empathy and health interests • Starting a bee company while pregnant and building a family alongside the business • Raising investment to buy beehives for Sco...
Martin Holden-White takes us through his journey of founding Grubby, the UK's first 100% plant-based recipe kit company that has delivered over 2 million meals since launching in 2019. • Starting in kitchens at 16 years old before studying hospitality • Originally conceptualizing Grubby as a smart fridge vending machine for offices • Pivoting the entire business model during COVID lockdown to home delivery • Delivering free meals to NHS workers as a testing ground for their operations • Buil...
Felix James, co-founder and head brewer at Small Beer, takes us through his brewing journey from childhood experiments to pioneering the world's first brewery dedicated to beers under 2.8%. His passion for biology and fermentation forms the foundation of a revolutionary approach to creating full-flavoured beer with less alcohol. • Started brewing at age 4 with a home experiment using a milk bottle and bread yeast • Biology degree led to professional brewing, beginning at Budweiser where he l...
Richard Peake shares his remarkable journey from Mars Graduate Scheme to doubling Merchant Gourmet's revenue as Managing Director and the leadership lessons he learned along the way. His approach to business combines vulnerability with high standards, creating frameworks that empower teams while staying true to brand authenticity. • Early career at Mars provided foundation but entrepreneurial spirit led to Method, Lily's Kitchen and RX Bar UK • Finding opportunities in "unsexy markets" by ma...
Charles Redfern shares his organic food journey from founding Real Foods, Organico, and Fish4ever, revealing how his French roots inspired a mission focused on reviving and expanding organic products with sustainability at the core. • Accidentally entering finance before realising his passion for food entrepreneurship • Starting with French cordial, facing distribution challenges and learning on the job • Expanding into organic juices and becoming an early pioneer in the health food sector •...
Valentijn van Santvoort, co-founder of Holie's cereal, shares how they've disrupted the traditional breakfast category by creating genuinely healthy, sugar-free alternatives that challenge industry giants through transparent, fearless marketing. • Background as a brand strategist for major agencies like Nike and IKEA before getting tired of selling average products with cool stories • Co-founded Wunderbrief, a digital nomad platform, before joining Holies in 2019 • Uncovered how 80% of super...
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 exper...
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 produ...
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 at...
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 i...
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 br...
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 persona...
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