The Top Table

Kim Teo is passionate about business and technology. The Singapore-born entrepreneur is CEO and co-founder of Mr Yum [https://www.mryum.com/], the young digital enterprise that’s making waves around the hospitality sector from Australia to the UK and now in the US.She says that her excitement, drive and enthusiasm come from the opportunity to work on big ideas with amazing people. But she also knows that getting hospitality to engage with tech is not without its challenges. Overcoming operational resistance is one of them.She also points to differences in business culture around the globe that influence decision-making. While Australians are generally open to early adoption and Americans usually know exactly what they want, Brits often need a little more reassurance.But Kim is clear – the intelligent deployment of tech offers great opportunities for restaurant and bar businesses to enhance the experience for customers and teams alike and drive real efficiencies. As she told Peach founder Peter Martin, she’s committed to the cause.The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT]Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

Wahaca’s co-founder Thomasina Miers is passionate about many things - not least the need for a sustainable future for restaurants. But the MasterChef winner and now food writer, who is still intimately involved in developing Wahaca’s menus, knows that the issues and solutions are never straightforward. Peach’s Peter Martin caught up with her in front of a live audience on stage at this year’s Casual Dining Show, where the conversation soon turned to the practicalities of going green - from Wahaca becoming a carbon neutral restaurant group to putting carbon impact labels on its menus, all with a mission to do their bit for the planet. So, it’s perhaps not surprising that Wahaca has just won the acclaim of its fellow operators by picking up the inaugural Sustainability Award at the Peach Hero & Icon Awards.This podcast is produced in association with the Casual Dining Show [https://www.casualdiningshow.co.uk/].The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT]Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

Boxpark’s [https://www.boxpark.co.uk/] founder, Roger Wade, is no wallflower. The street fashion brand entrepreneur turned street food trend-spotter has built and exited two highly successful businesses and enjoyed a colourful career along the way. Wade’s passion and energy are infectious, his story is inspiring; but behind the flamboyance is a driven man, focussed on the quality of his product. As he says: “Sometimes we over-complicate things when we should be focusing on doing a few things really well… you live and die by your content, and if it’s no good then you won’t exist.”With the ink barely dry on his earn-out deal, Roger joined Peter Martin at the Peach Summer Meet Up for a conversation about business, success, ‘giving back’ and more. Listen in for robust views on everything from dark kitchens to delivery and enjoy a frank, funny (and a little bit sweary) chat with one of our industry greats. This series of podcasts is sponsored by Chapman Ventilation [https://www.chapmanventilation.co.uk/], Freeths [https://www.freeths.co.uk/], QSR Automation [https://qsrautomations.com/], RSM [https://www.rsmuk.com/]The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT]Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

Whether we like it or not we inhabit a digital world.But do we understand what our customers really want from tech when they are out to eat and drink? Digitally savvy consumers have got used to Amazon-like, always-on, joined-up customer journeys in every facet of their lives. How does that expectation translate to the analogue world of hospitality?  A company that been at the heart of the tech revolution in hospitality is Zonal, so how does it see the present and future digital age? Peter Martin speaks to Olivia Fitzgerald, chief sales and marketing officer at Zonal for her take on the sector’s new digital frontiers. This series of podcasts is sponsored by Chapman Ventilation [https://www.chapmanventilation.co.uk/], QSR Automation [https://qsrautomations.com/], Yumpingo [https://yumpingo.com/en-gb/] & Zonal [https://www.zonal.co.uk/]The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT]Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

Commercial directors are in the forefront of the finding solutions to the most pressing issues on every board agenda: cost inflation, supply chain disruption and staffing levels. The pre-pandemic ‘playbook’ is no longer fit for purpose and tough questions face commercial teams, from pricing to sustainable sourcing - all while delivering a rival-beating, jaw-dropping guest experience in a brutal labour market. Fiona Hall, in the hot seat at one our most ambitious and exciting operators, Revolution Bars Group [http://www.revolutionbarsgroup.com/], talks menu engineering, real-time product substitutions and launching not one but two brand new concepts – Founders and Playhouse – straight out of lockdown. Fiona is bullish, tackling market headwinds head on, remains passionate about seeking out new ideas and experiences and relentlessly prioritises the customer journey. Reinventing what is ‘normal’ is her superpower and thinking fast and responding to constant change are vital skills. To paraphrase Darwin; it’s the species that are most adaptable that survive. On that basis alone we’re backing Revs. Buckle up and listen in. This series of podcasts is sponsored by Access [https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/], Freeths [https://www.freeths.co.uk/] and RSM [https://www.rsmuk.com/].The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

The Alchemist was a gamechanger when it launched in Spinningfields 12 years ago. Tim Bacon’s upscale, theatrical, hand-made cocktails concept combined his signature high-end glamour with a steam punk vibe – and the punters couldn’t get enough. Now 21 venues strong, the UK consumers’ love of a cocktail shows no sign of abating and the new site pipeline – including internationally - is testament to a robust, relevant brand, beloved of its customer base. Jenny McPhee, The Alchemist’s first Brand Director talks to Peter Martin about the evolution of the business, a new ‘cosmic’ brand identity, a new younger consumer, ensuring they deliver ‘return on experience’ throughout the guest journey and more. The UK’s first cocktail bar brand is in great hands for the next part of the journey. Theatre served – and then some. This series of podcasts is sponsored by Access [https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/], Chapman Ventilation [https://www.chapmanventilation.co.uk/], RSM [https://www.rsmuk.com/] and Yumpingo [https://yumpingo.com/en-gb/].The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

The last two years have compressed issues that would have taken a decade to play out, not least in relation to staffing, training and leadership. Hospitality urgently needs a new framework to scale high quality leaders to ensure their brands and businesses can return to growth.Peter Martin talks to internationally renowned hospitality management guru Jim Sullivan about what leadership looks like in a world where the old workplace rules of engagement have fundamentally changed and the pressures on frontline leaders have never been more challenging.“Employees want a healthy, modern, flexible way of working” says Jim. “Those companies who listen, respond and act will reap the benefits in the competition for both talent and customers.” Looking for powerful, real-world insights on how to scale your leadership team and create a replicable talent pipeline to support your growth plan? Listen in and enjoy. ----------This series of podcasts is sponsored by Access [https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/], Freeths [https://www.freeths.co.uk/], QSR Automations [https://qsrautomations.com/] and Yumpingo [https://yumpingo.com/en-gb/].The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

Covid-19 profoundly changed consumer behaviour. So far, so obvious. But what trends will stick round? What does the ‘next normal’ look like? Peter Martin speaks to Phil Tate, hospitality data guru and Global CEO of CGA [https://cgastrategy.com/] to dig into their vast research reserves to uncover the key trends driving growth for the sector. Tate is optimistic. The headline numbers are positive and full of promise for an industry that was brutalised by lockdown. Consumers are back and craving emotional connection and social stimulation outside of their immediate households. But they want more. Experience is paramount. Loyalty is diminishing. And apparently romance is dead…(listen in for full details!). The huge shift in working patterns looks like it’s here to stay and the demand for ‘premium locals’ as well as bigger experiential incentives to hit the city centres are all in the mix. And that’s just for starters. And Phil should know. CGA now collects sales data in over 30 countries and consumer research in 20 and is a leading provider of strategic insight for the global eating and drinking out (on-premise) industry.  We promise some rich pickings for your next board meeting.----------ABOUT OUR GUESTPhil TateAs Group Chief Executive of CGA, Phil is responsible for all CGA businesses across the 27 markets where we have established our leading On Premise data & research services.Previously serving as our Head of Insight & Chief Operating Officer, Phil brings more than 20 years of data consultancy & analytics expertise, technical leadership & out-of-home food & drink market knowledge to his role in the company.Since joining CGA, Phil has worked to share his passion for the out-of-home market as well as CGA’s strategy & vision with clients, data partners & employees alike.__________This series of podcasts is sponsored by Bidfood, Fourth, Stint and Zonal. The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!__________LINKS:Bidfood: www.bidfood.comFourth: www.fourth.comStint: www.stint.coZonal: www.zonal.co.uk

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Peach 20/20 founder Peter Martin speaks to three high profile women on a mission: to get women into the boardrooms of the hospitality industry. And fast. The Plan B mentoring programme was launched five years ago by Ann Elliott, Emma Causer and Holly Addison “out of frustration’. Its impact was immediate. The three founders reflect on what’s changed in the five years since launch, celebrate the 500+ mentees they have welcomed on the programme and salute the wide and deep industry support. But their work is not done.“Balanced boards are a commercial imperative” argues Ann Elliott. With a growing body of evidence linking diverse boards with high performance and a huge talent shortage in the sector - it’s hard to disagree.So how do we accelerate change? Can we ever get to gender parity? What does it take to become a mentor? Which companies are leading the way on equality? Listen to this special Top Table podcast to find out.----------ABOUT OUR GUESTSEmma CauserEmma is Head of Strategic Partnerships UK at the RICS. She joined the hospitality industry from an early age, she went on to work for M&B and Café Rouge as a general manager, before moving into the lease and tenanted pub sector for Enterprise and Punch Taverns. She moved to Sky TV in 2006, focusing on the leased sector of the pub industry and then moved to BT Sport in 2013 to build (from scratch) the Group Sales division where she eventually overtook the leader in the market.Emma is hugely passionate about supporting women in their roles, and supporting them to have successful careers, she previously founded Athena Mentoring, the predecessor to Plan B.Holly AddisonHolly is a Co-Founder of Plan B Mentoring and a Senior Partner at leading global executive search firm, Korn Ferry, where she specialises in board-level appointments in Consumer and Technology, and Co-Chairs the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Committee for UK & Ireland.Holly has 25 years’ experience in executive search and consulting, advising clients from global corporations to start-ups, on how to attract, source and retain exceptional and diverse talent for leadership teams and boards.Holly previously ran her own consulting firm and spent five years at the Walt Disney organisation in the USA, London and Paris.A former Acorn Award Winner, Holly went on to chair The Acorn Club for 13 years and was one of the founders of The Acorn Scholarship.Holly is a passionate supporter of diversity and inclusion; she is a Director and Trustee of the PM Trust charity, a member of the UK Hospitality DE&I committee and is an active member of the Business Leaders Group for Disability Confident.Holly was educated in the UK, Switzerland and the USA, holds a degree in Modern Languages and a Level 5 Certificate in Coaching & Mentoring from Leeds University.Ann ElliottAnn has over 30 years’ experience of living and breathing hospitality. She works with businesses to solve strategic questions by focussing on customer needs, cutting through the noise and getting to the crux of an operator challenge. Ann understands and loves the industry bringing insight, people and creative solutions together. Supporting and connecting industry leaders and giving them a chance to grow, network and most importantly have a voice is incredibly important to her. She is a NED, a speaker and facilitator, a co-founder of Plan B mentoring, a founder of the Hartwell Dinner Group, an Arena board member, a member of both the UKH events and casual dining committees, and a regular contributor to Propel events.----------The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or...

An established, proven delivery model was a lifesaver for Tortilla [www.tortillagroup.co.uk] when the pandemic struck but far from resting on his laurels, ceo Richard Morris galvanised his team to grasp the opportunity to scale and grow, leveraging the brand’s reputation for super fresh, fast, product at a great price point. But there’s more. Off the back of one of the biggest global economic shocks, the Tortilla board knew they had a great investor story to tell and launched a highly successful IPO in October 2021.So what next for Tortilla? Peter Martin speaks to Richard Morris ceo, and Emma Woods the brand’s chair about future plans and how balancing both a highly successful delivery channel with a great in-restaurant dining experience is very much at the heart of their strategy. Cloud kitchens, international roll out and opening 10 new sites in UK for 2022 are all on the board agenda. Listen up for some great insights on turbo-charging your brand. ----------ABOUT OUR GUESTSRichard Morris, CEORichard Morris joined as Chief Executive Officer in February 2014 30 years’ experience in the food sector, having previously been part of the original management team at Loch Fyne, becoming MD in 2005 and successfully exiting the business to Greene King in 2008. Began his career in the US with TGI Fridays__________This series of podcasts is sponsored by Bidfood, Fourth, Stint and Zonal. The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!__________LINKS:Bidfood: www.bidfood.comFourth: www.fourth.comStint: www.stint.coZonal: www.zonal.co.ukThe Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!

The hospitality sector has changed forever. The global pandemic has accelerated our digital, online and e-commerce capabilities beyond recognition, creating new revenue streams and allowing regional brands to reach new, bigger and national audiences. One such digital pioneer is Rockfish [https://therockfish.co.uk/], the nine strong seafood restaurant group based down in the southwest. In the teeth of lockdown, founder and CEO Mitch Tonks grasped the opportunity to go beyond the immediate need to shore up revenues and totally disrupt the way that Britain buys its seafood. And it’s working. Mitch’s passion is palpable and his story of building both the restaurant business and its digital transformation into sustainable, fresh seafood supplier to the nation is inspiring. We are joined by John Barnes, Rockfish board member, brand marketer, restaurant entrepreneur, author, industry icon and mentor to many of our leading operators – as we talk digital disruption, building culture and community and the small matter of bringing fresh seafood back to the tables of our island nation. __________ABOUT OUR GUESTSMitch Tonks:Mitch’s career in seafood spans nearly 30 years from fishmonger to chef, author and restaurateur. He originally founded the award winning FishWorks chain in 2001 and subsequently the seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth and the 9 strong and growing Rockfish seafood restaurants. The business now controls its own supply chain with its own fishing boat, processing facilities which supplies fresh seafood to the restaurants daily as well as launching a Seafood at home service which is set to disrupt the way people in Britain buy their seafood.John Barnes:John spent the first 17 years of his working life in large international companies like Procter and Gamble Playtex and Pepsi including periods working in the US and France..After 4 years as CEO of KFC in the UK in the early 1980’s , John “ altered course” ( the title of his new book ) and with colleagues set up his own company. In 1988 they bought the one Harry Ramsden’s fish and chip restaurant in Yorkshire..After an IPO in 1989 and 11 years of expansion in the UK and internationally , the company was sold in 1999..From 2001 until its sale in 2007 , John was Executive Chairman of La Tasca Plc . He has also been a Non Executive Director or Chairman of a number of different small private and public companies in hospitality including Yates, Hardys and Hanson’s, Thwaites, Novus Leisure and Caffè Nero . He has been an NED of Treats ice cream , Chairman of Galaxy Radio 105 and Zoo Digital Plc and on the board of horse race course owner Arena Leisure and Sportech Plc. He co wrote a book called “Marketing Judo , building your business using brains not budget” with former colleague Richard Richardson and has just co authored another with Laura Cowan of Rockfish called Altering Course, the Covid Chronicles with all proceeds going to the charity Mind. For 20 years John owned, with his wife Pat, The Orchard Counselling Centre in North Leeds. He is a former Catey Winner , Peach Icon, and was voted Non Executive Director of the Year in the Peel Hunt/ Sunday Times Awards in 2006. Married with two children and five grandchildren John describes himself now as a Grandad and Entrepreneur.He is a Director of and investor in Rockfish , the West Country and Dorset based seafood restaurant and direct to consumer Seafood at Home businesses. __________This series of podcasts is sponsored by Bidfood, Fourth, Stint and Zonal. The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel...

Hospitality businesses have been hit hard over the past two years, and those based in our urban centres have, in the main, been hit hardest. But what’s allowed some to survive while others have fallen by the wayside. Strong foundations, the ability to adapt?One restaurant business that falls into the survivor category is Hawksmoor (https://thehawksmoor.com/). The steak specialist has diversified, becoming a leader in the meal kit business, and towards the end of last year opening new sites again – in London and New York. Co-founder and CEO Will Beckett talks about staying optimistic, while still having robust views about the industry’s image and the quality of marketing.__________ABOUT OUR GUESTWill Beckett is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hawksmoor. Having set up the first restaurant in 2006 with best friend Huw Gott, the pair have grown the business into one of the most admired restaurant brands in the UK. With restaurants in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and New York, Hawksmoor has a reputation as one of the best steak restaurants in the world. Hawksmoor has been ranked amongst the best companies to work for by Best Companies for 10 years in a row, and amongst the most sustainable restaurant groups by the Sustainable Restaurant Association for 12 years in a row. As of late 2021 Hawksmoor is a carbon neutral company.Will is also Chairman of Rockfish, another sustainability-focussed restaurant group in the South West of England, is on the City Harvest Food Council, and is a founding trustee of A Good Dinner, a charity he helped set up to connect charities working to alleviate food and water poverty in the UK and abroad with potential fundraisers and donors in the Hospitality Industry.https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-beckett-hawksmoor/https://twitter.com/HawksmoorLondon__________This series of podcasts is sponsored by Bidfood, Fourth, Stint and Zonal. The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!__________LINKS:Bidfood: www.bidfood.comFourth: www.fourth.comStint: www.stint.coZonal: www.zonal.co.uk

One of the biggest concerns for hospitality leaders right now is the future shape, strength and resilience of the supply chain – the network of food and drink producers and suppliers that keep the UK’s pubs, bars and restaurants stocked and able to trade. In the first of a new series of Peach 20/20 Top Table podcasts, Peter Martin speaks to the boss of one of the most important cogs in the UK’s foodservice logistics chain, the CEO of Bidfood Andrew Selley.Bidfood (https://www.bidfood.co.uk/) operates from 24 sites across Britain, from Inverness to Cornwall, employing over 4,500 people supplying 45,000 businesses from pubs and restaurants to fast food chains and contract caters, to hospitals and schools. Its fortunes are a barometer for the health of the out-of-home sector as a whole.In their conversation, Andrew Selley, talks about a whole host of issues: from the driver shortage, and how his business is tackling it, to food price inflation, and how long it will last; from the future of British agriculture to embracing Net Zero targets; from automation and operational efficiencies to developing food trends and product switching.__________This series of podcasts is sponsored by Bidfood, Fourth, Stint and Zonal. The Peach podcast is always free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 The Top Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or in any app that supports podcasts! All of our podcasts will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/Peach2020_YT)Now don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes!__________LINKS:Bidfood: www.bidfood.comFourth: www.fourth.comStint: www.stint.coZonal: www.zonal.co.uk

Peach 20/20, the International network for senior executives, entrepreneurs and influencers from the hospitality sector. This Top Table series of podcasts will see our host, Peter Martin, speaking to some of the biggest names in the out of home food and drink business; the industry’s movers and shakers picking up on the topics shaping the market today.This series of podcasts is sponsored by Bidfood, CGA, Fourth, Stint and Zonal.The Peach 20/20 podcast will be released on the last Monday of every month with possible bonus episodes if we have exciting topics or a really incredible speaker to interview. Each of the podcasts will be a brief interview and discussion around one of the burning topics of the day.The Peach podcast will always be free to listen to. To find us search Peach 20/20 – The Top Table on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or any app that supports podcasts. And don’t forget all our podcasts will be uploaded to our Peach 20/20 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChfyQhy_rNqj7TsUm0fHQmw.