All Episodes

Jeremy became one of London’s most successful restaurateurs after meeting partner Chris Corbin at Langan’s Brasserie. Jeremy King shares his journey into the world of hospitality, his beliefs about putting people first, and his perspective on the role of intuition in decision-making. He shares reflections on the early days of his career, Jeremy highlights the key role mentoring had in his development. He also explores how the hospitality industry has evolved, emphasizing the importance of adapta...

This week we cover cultivating culture and sustainability in the hospitality industry with Denise Dupré. In this discussion, we focus on the crucial role of culture in the hospitality industry, the method to get the right people in the right positions, and how businesses can tackle global challenges such as climate change. Denise discusses her family background in the hospitality industry, her love for champagne and the philosophies and strategies of her company. She also shares the impact of cl...

This week we speak with David Lund about his new book THe Prosperous Hotelier - a guide to hotel financial literacy. David Lund discusses the concept of 'Hospitality Financial Leadership', advocating for those in the industry to have not just monetary prosperity, but also more time for family, friends and communities. He explains how by seeking help, being curious and understanding financial reports, leaders and businesses can change their financials, connecting their finance strategy to their w...

In this comprehensive conversation, Herman Koppe, a former executive at Nestle and a social selling expert, discusses the significance of social selling in building meaningful relationships in the professional world, especially on LinkedIn. He highlights how its use shouldn't just revolve around promotional content but about sharing value-adding and relevant content. He stresses how social selling isn't a one-time activity but a consistent long-term plan of nurturing relationships for predictabl...

Stefano shares his journey and how it is to lead a 6th-generation family business as CEO of Macknade. Stefano breaks down his mission to successfully carry on the legacy of his parents and cultivate community with food and drink within Macknade. We also discuss his goals of human environment harmony and his philosophy on culture and people. Lastly, Stefano talks about his role as CEO in his generational family company and shares his business advice for leaders in the space. Connect with Stefano...

Meet Hamish Cook - Head of Group Food Services at ISS. ISS is a leading global workplace experience and facility management company. In this week's conversation, we speak with Hamish about his start in the food industry, ISS' mission to reduce waste and carbon, encouraging plant-rich eating and the power of pulses/beans. We also discuss challenges in the industry, including why hospitality and catering is a true professional career. Lastly, Hamish also covers adapting the business model for the...

Shawn Askinosie Founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate returns to the podcast. On Episode #169, we talked about why he started the business and his book Meaningful Work. In this conversation, Shawn shares his experiences with his origin trips and his mission to give back to the communities. He also talks about his Chocolate University Foundation which gives young students the opportunity to share in his non-traditional chocolate business as they travel world. Lastly, Shawn discusses the meaningf...

This week we hear from Director of People & Training Victoria Freeman and HR & Training Manager Holly Norrington from the award-winning catering company Thomas Franks. In this week's conversation, Vicky and Holly cover their business model, how they were able to build upon their values through feeding initiatives during COVID-19, the beliefs they stand by in Thomas Franks and designing a team culture for longevity. They also discuss how they successfully grow as a company, how their top leaders ...

Klaudia Mitura, podcast host, for The Happiness Challenges, comes back on the show to discuss how she test drives happiness hacks for when times are tougher through the science of happiness. Klaudia explains how she researches happiness and how she encourages people to create more happiness rather than relying on the brain to dish out those emotions for us. She also covers her definition of happiness, misconceptions around happiness, if genetics play a role, state of happiness now with increased...

This is Frederick Szydlowski, Co-Founder of Embargo, a CRM & loyalty data engine platform helping coffee shops, bakeries & quick-service restaurants connect with their key customers to drive repeat business across every customer journey. This week, we speak with Frederick on how he founded Embargo, key takeaways for businesses to build relationships with customers, understanding the consumer on a deeper level through data, and thinking outside the box to develop consumer loyalty. Connect with F...

Fergus Navaratnam-Blair Research Director at National Research Group, a research agency that focuses on the intersection of media, culture, and technology. In this conversation, Fergus breaks down AI; how AI can improve technologies, transform tasks in the travel industry, if consumers can truly trust where AI is now, human accountability through AI, and key points to think about when using AI in your organization. Connect with Ferugs https://www.linkedin.com/in/fergus-navaratnam-blair-aa0a72a1/...

This week's guest is Reiner Kraft, PhD founder of The Mindful Leader. The Mindful Leader focuses on mindful leadership methodologies to help leaders reach new levels of awareness, performance, energy, and resilience. In this conversation, Reiner shares his story of where mindfulness first played a role in his life, the importance of operationalizing mindful knowledge into daily life, and tracking your mind vs. body KPIs. Through this understanding leaders will be able to stay present and stay in...

Jensen Cummings, 5th generation chef, 22+ years in the restaurant industry and recorded over 400 podcast episodes at the Best Served Podcast. This week's conversation with Jensen takes a look at the restaurant industry and Jensen's viewpoints on how the industry is surviving, improvements he suggests, and actionable steps that can be done to improve the restaurant business model. He also shares how his experience has helped him see different vantage points in the industry to produce better chef...

Paul Newnham is the Network Lead SDG2 Advocacy Hub, Chefs' Manifesto, and BeansisHow. This week's conversation covers the current state of the food industry systems, and how we in food service can play a vital role in making it better for people and the planet. Paul shares how he is taking action with food operators and chefs to tackle challenges in the food industry. Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulnewnham/ https://www.instagram.com/paulnewnham/ https://twitter.com/paulnewnha...

Jonatan Rasmussen, Co-Founder of All Gravy, shares his passion for better employee engagement and how financial wellness plays a large role in retention and performance. This conversation covers the importance of building employee experience through financial wellness, challenges businesses face and how mindset can affect performance, the benefit of tech within a business, and being self-aware as an operator. Connect with Jonatan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonatanmarc/ https://www.allgravy.com...

Third time guest, Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, sits down to discuss the importance of knowing and understanding beliefs in the workplace. Do you know what you believe and do you know what you don't believe? This week's conversation encourages self-reflection of your beliefs and how everyone fundamentally comes from a set of beliefs. Ari shares how knowing a company's set of beliefs aids in employee positivity and productivity. Connect with Ari: Ari Weinzweig:...

This episode we connect with Julian Fris, Founder and Principal Consultant at Neller Davies. Through his experience in the food industry, Julian has made it his mission to prioritize what people want in the most cost effective way. This conversation dives into the state of food in hospitals today, and Julian shares the strategies and tactics they have implemented to improve the quality of food in the NHS. Connect with Julian https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianfris/ https://nellerdavies.com/ This...

Mike Hohnen found his start in the hospitality industry at a young age and through many trials and errors of being in business, he gained experience with about everything. After reflecting on his business ventures, he found that what he was most passionate about was the growth of leadership and how you get to become a good leader. Mike's emphasis on catering to the "little people" and caring about the relationships of others has truly proven successful in the workplace. He shares the questions ...

This week we talk with Chris Hughes, expert on marketing and branding. Chris has worked with some of the most significant companies and mastered marketing by learning and teaching others what he is most passionate about - how to scale the story and culture. In this discussion, Chris breaks down his formula for the best company vision and mission, owning your brand's purpose and bringing these alive through a book of culture. Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishughes102/ This po...

Oliver Winter, Founder and CEO at a&o Hostels, went from travelling the world with his friends in cheap hostels to founding and running his own affordable yet safe, hostel chain. In this episode, you will also hear how Oliver and his team have goals to go net zero by 2025, the plans they have implemented, and how their employees have participated in achieving and offering solutions to accomplish net zero emissions. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-winter-berlin/ A big thank you to our s...

An expert in the food and beverage industry, Julian Melletin, Director of New Nutrition Business, shares his views and gives advice to any businesses looking to scale. In this conversation, we discuss food data studies. We also cover food fads and trends and how these trends have changed the food industry throughout the years. Julian gives deep insight into New Nutrition's annual report 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition & Health and discuss how the power of the internet has greatly impacted cons...

In today's episode, we talk with Kat Parsons, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at ISS Facility Services UK and Ireland. Kat makes waves in her workplace by ensuring that each employee feels represented, heard and cared for. We cover initiatives and programs that she's implemented in ISS, advice she would give to organizations to execute within their own business, and the overall importance of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the workplace. Connect with Kat: www.iss.co.uk https://w...

In today’s episode, we welcome guest Patrick McDermott, founder of DigiTally, a business that helps retail and hospitality businesses reduce waste and increase margins through digital stock-taking services. Patrick believes that the food waste problem in the developed parts of the world is a serious issue and that it is time for the industry to take responsibility. We delve into the importance of understanding margins, reducing food waste, and training employees for success. Patrick also uncover...

In this episode, we are joined by Ashley Godfrey, a hospitality industry expert. After working at Westgate Resorts for six years, she achieved her goal of becoming the director of the recreation department. She then went on to work at Walt Disney World as a management intern, where she quickly climbed the ladder to become a resort duty manager. Unfortunately, COVID-19 led to Ashley's furlough from her job, but ultimately led her to her dream job of teaching hospitality management courses at Esco...