All Episodes

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 uncove...

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...

As a plant-based food advocate, Chantelle Nicholson grew up in New Zealand surrounded by seasonal produce and her love for plants. She is a multi-award winning chef, owner of Apricity Restaurant (Michelin Green Star 2023) in Mayfair, former chef-owner of now-closed and much-loved Covent Garden restaurant Tredwells (the recipient of a green Michelin star in 2021) and All’s Well, a ‘pandemic pop-up’. This was a fascinating conversation where Chantelle talks candidly about food education, building...

HUNGRY is disrupting the $100 billion business food and events industry with a food-tech marketplace and logistics platform. It provides food and engagement solutions for businesses, powered by top local chefs and entrepreneurs. Today we’re joined by the CEO, Jeff Grass, to learn more about corporate catering in the 21s century. We delve into how to scale a culture, a system for feedback loops, providing food experiences, and storytelling through new technologies. Links: HUNGRY: https://tryhu...

Dan Hudson is the CEO and Founder of GiGL, the anti-CV tech startup making recruitment less boring. Featured in the Startups100 list of top startups of 2023, they are re-shaping the recruitment market with their video-based recruitment platform by delivering a fast, efficient, friendly and fun process for everyone. In this conversation, Dan unpacks more about his background and how he founded the business. We also explore why volatility is an opportunity, the need to change the way we hire Gen ...

If you want to improve your profits in your restaurant, Pilar is your go-to expert. She is the Founder of Pendulo, which supports independent restaurants, pubs and cafes to be more profitable with our software, consultancy and tailor-made solutions. In this interview, we explore why so many businesses operate on losses, Pilar’s experience of “starting from scratch” after losing all of her customers’ data, the power of building strong relationships, and the importance of supporting your local co...

Hotel owner and author of the book ‘A Bridge Not Too Far’, Deepak Ohri, joins the show for the second time. He is the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer at lebua Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok-based luxury hotels and restaurants company with locations in Thailand, India, and New Zealand. We reflect on how he came to run a hotel and discusses the importance of balancing material desires with principles. Deepak also talks about his new book and how he applies these principles in his everyday life, and th...

Today I’m joined by a fellow Dane – Rie Kattrup Lorentzen. She is currently the UK Head of Food at Ole & Steen, and has previously worked for some amazing brands like Wagamama, Whitebread and Bills Restaurants. It’s fascinating to learn about her incredible journey as a chef and working in a male-dominated industry. The conversation sheds light on the challenges that women face in the culinary industry and the impact that they can still make despite the obstacles. Tune in as we unpack more abou...

Matt Tebbit is spearheading the University of Reading’s emphasis on human and planetary health by using the Menus of Change guiding principles and by supporting cross-institutional collaborations for both learning and research. He is currently the university’s Head of Bars and Dining. We delve into the university's approach to food and menus, particularly the Menus of Change, a ground-breaking initiative by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The con...

Polly Robinson is a coach who specialises in leadership coaching for hospitality businesses. She joins the show to share her story and explain how she works with clients, including running leadership development workshops and participating in a government-funded program. Find out about the impact of leadership coaching for business growth, working in a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) environment, and the importance of challenging oneself and others to reach their potent...

Today we get an insight into what can be achieved when a business is used as a force for good and makes significant changes in their food supply chain – through cage-free eggs. We are joined by expert two guests: Yulia Bolotina, the Global Head of ESG at Gategroup – a global leader in airline catering, and Hannah Surowinski, the Global Corporate Relations Manager at The Humane League, an international nonprofit that is ending the abuse of animals raised for food. In this episode, we touch on th...

Time is a concept many of us are obsessed with, but it’s totally subjective. Jacob Dahl joins me to unpack the nature and experience of time for a better life. He was, until recently, a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, after spending 26 years at the global consulting firm. Today, he is a board member of a leading international bank and continues to be a serious student of science. We find out about his journey and how he became obsessed with time. Jacob shares insights about time managemen...

Today we explore the role of food in physical and mental performance. We are joined by Eleanor Rees, a nutritionist whose goal is to help everyone improve their overall health and lifestyle. Her areas of expertise include assisting with weight loss, helping with muscle gain or guiding those transitioning from amateur to professional sport. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of scratch cooking, the importance of plant-based foods, and how nutrition impacts mood and brain function. Eleanor ...

Based in Staffordshire, Parogon pub group is a privately owned, independent company started in 2007 and led by 5 local friends with a wealth of industry and business knowledge. It’s their mission to provide fabulous restaurants for local and surrounding communities to visit, enjoy and receive excellent customer service. We are joined by Richard Coldlough, the MD of the business, to learn how they have been expanding over the years. In this conversation, Richard talks about creating a winning bu...

The Irish start-up rezexe helps operators who want full capacity by reducing the number of no-shows. Through their technology and data, they can enable trade in places on reservation and on waiting lists. It saves restaurants lost revenue and a lot of frustration. Ross joins the show to talk about the marketplace of reservations that benefits everyone. In this episode, we discuss the impact of no-shows, the need to be transparent with data, the psychology behind paying a premium, the importance...

Today we explore actionable business intelligence and forecasting for restaurants. We are joined by Christian Mouysset, Co-Founder of Tenzo, who is currently revolutionizing restaurant operations. The restaurant management and sales forecasting app works with leading brands such as The Breakfast Club, Pizza Pilgrims, and Nando’s. In this episode we discuss Tenzo’s goals for long-term growth, addressing the major industry issue with food waste, using AI to experiment, how Christian gets comforta...

Stoicism, the ancient Greek school of philosophy, resonates today more than ever. It maintains that your thoughts and beliefs create the world you inhabit, not external circumstances, so you need to take responsibility for your mind. Find out in this episode how this can be applied directly to hospitality. We are joined by Jamie Ryder, Founder Of Stoic Athenaeum, who has a philosophy-led approach to his content marketing business. Tune in as we discuss learning to suffer less, three practices a...

Welcome to the 200th episode of the Hospitality Mavericks podcast! Today’s episode is a timely conversation, as we are joined by Kate Nicholls, CEO at UKHospitality, a trade group that represents the UK hospitality and tourism industry. With all the big issues that we’re facing – debt, energy, inflation, and so on – how can we not just survive, but thrive? Kate answers this question and so much more as we reflect on the impact of global economic pressures. We also discuss strategies for hiring ...

There is a massive business case and social responsibility to ensure that your digital presence is accessible for all. Denise Pane joins the show to run through what you can do to help 25% of the worldwide population who require better digital accessibility – from ADHD, trembling hand, epilepsy, and more. She is the Founder and CEO of Access Design Studio, a web development agency that knows how to create websites that convert to people of all abilities. In this episode we explore some of the l...

Today we’re joined by the first ever guests of Hospitality Mavericks – Ed Brown and Griff Holland, Founders of Zedible. There was a lot to catch up on since I interviewed them in 2018, and it was fascinating to learn more about their platform Zedible, which helps food and hospitality businesses map and track their carbon footprint from the supply chain. Find out how you can make carbon reduction a hard-core KPI in your business. We also explore setting up businesses as a force for change, their...

Ludovica De Pieri is a Public Health Nutritionist and the Founder of Reveal My Food. Her speciality is in Behaviour Change applied to food allergies management and weight loss intervention in the adult population. With Reveal My Food, it’s Ludovica’s mission to measure the impact that the hospitality sector can have in shaping healthier lives. In this discussion we explore the trends around how important allergens and nutritional information are when making a restaurant decision. We also talk a...

The hospitality industry is in a state of reinvention. Today we unpack how with Co-Founder and Managing Director Corbonate, Candace MacDonald. The brand communications and creative services agency specialises in food, beverage and hospitality, and for the last 15 years, have been producing free trend reports for the industry, which we delve into in this episode. Tune in as we also explore solving some of the biggest challenges in our industry, the future of plant-based and what it means for the...

Gavin Rothwell is a food retail analyst who specialises in the food-to-go market. He supports businesses in creating better food experiences and has a passion for traveling the world to see the different food and retail aspects of different countries. Gavin joins the show to talk about the food-to-go market and some of the opportunities that lie in the future. Tune in as explore overall trends in the UK food retail industry, what Gavin has learnt from his food safari programs, the power of rest...

Breezeway is a leading property operations and services platform for short-term rentals. The CEO and Founder, Jeremy Gall, shares his entrepreneurial journey and how it led him to launching Breezeway. It’s an interesting conversation about why property management is at the beginning of a massive shift, and how all businesses can learn from the vacation rental industry. In this episode we discuss our relationship with technology, what we can learn from the most successful operators, understandin...