Alana and Lisa MacFarlane are the dynamic twins behind ‘The Gut Stuff’, the award-winning brand bringing gut health into the mainstream and educating us about the importance of our body’s 'second brain'. Emerging from their Scottish roots, with (self admittedly) less-than-ideal dietary habits, the sisters have gone on to become champions for the power of gut health, redefining what it means to eat well. Their journey began with a landmark twin study in the UK, supervised by none other than  Professor Tim Spector, which was instrumental in uncovering the gut's critical role and its unique ..read more

Segun Akinwoleola, the brain (and muscles) behind The Gym Kitchen, joins Brandt and Micah to spill the beans on crafting meals that pack a tasty and protein-filled punch.  Segun is on a mission to reinvent the face of British ready meals, providing consumers with first and foremost a delicious and convenient meal, that is *actually* nutritious and filling.  From the early days of the brand concept and trademarking to the strategic manoeuvres that landed The Gym Kitchen in the nation’s major retailers, this episode covers it all. Segun reveals the strategies behind building a brand ..read more

William Kendall, the mastermind behind some of Britain's most iconic household food and beverage brands (New Covent Garden Soup Company, Green & Black's, Cawston Press) has a talent for turning small beginnings into remarkable success stories.   Starting out on his family farm in Suffolk, through to studying law, qualifying as a barrister, moving into investment banking then completing an MBA in France, he surprisingly found himself ‘rather unemployable’.    Discovering this, he went full circle, back to his roots in working with food and joined the team at New Covent Ga ..read more

While a product's taste may be amazing, if its packaging doesn't grab its target audience, it risks staying unnoticed on the shelf. So, how can you ensure that your packaging is as enticing to the eyes as your product is to the taste buds? The challenge lies in effectively translating the taste and narrative of a product into its visual identity, and often, this connection is overlooked, resulting in lacklustre packaging not speaking to its target consumer.   To address this, we're excited to introduce you to the brand creation experts at BuxtonThreeTwo, Hal Tyler and James Bettinson, al ..read more

When approaching a rebrand, understanding your core values and how to communicate them to your consumer is vital. For Isle of Wight Tomatoes, all the amazing work they were doing from pioneering the growth of new, taste-driven tomato varieties to their inherent sustainability credentials was being overlooked. They worked with B&B Studios to look inwards and evolve the former ‘Tomato Stall’ brand to the new ‘Isle of Wight Tomatoes’, in doing so becoming recognisable as an iconic British producer and supplier that we can now see today. If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribin ..read more

Mark Palmer has an incredibly impressive CV in food & beverage, heading up the marketing teams at Burger King, Pret, Green & Black’s and now Cawston Press. His journey through the food and beverage industry is a masterclass in adaptability and innovation. From his tenure at the globally renowned quick-service café, Pret A Manger, to founding the UK's fastest-growing ambient juice brand, Cawston Press, and now as an investor nurturing start-up concepts, Mark has accumulated a wealth of wisdom along the way. ?    Having experienced the industry from both sides of the table—supp ..read more

With such an iconic name, it’s no surprise that James Cadbury is obsessed with chocolate.  As you have probably guessed, James’ great-great-Grandfather was one of the brothers that founded the now illustrious Cadbury’s brand.    Growing up just down the road from the legendary Bournville site, James had an early fascination with chocolate from a young age. Despite beginning his journey in finance after university, he soon realized that his heart was elsewhere—immersed in the world of chocolate. With a desire to make his mark on the industry and having supported several start ups ..read more

With such an iconic name, it’s no surprise that James Cadbury is obsessed with chocolate.  As you have probably guessed, James’ great-great-Grandfather was one of the brothers that founded the now illustrious Cadbury’s brand.    Growing up just down the road from the legendary Bournville site, James had an early fascination with chocolate from a young age. Despite beginning his journey in finance after university, he soon realized that his heart was elsewhere—immersed in the world of chocolate. With a desire to make his mark on the industry and having supported several start ups ..read more

Starting a new food or beverage brand can be a daunting task, especially if you have limited experience in the industry. For Zara, founder of Pukpip, this was very much the case, with a background in marketing, she had to quickly pivot into sales to get Pukpip through the door of some of the UK's iconic high street retailers. In this clip, Zara talks us through why actually, knowing what she does now, she sees her then narrow insight as a good thing. If you enjoy this best bite, please consider listening to the full episode. If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please emai ..read more

Transforming a commodity food item into a thriving brand is no easy feat, so to see the success that Isle of Wight Tomatoes has had starting from their humble beginnings is all the more impressive ?   The UK’s island paradise is headed by Paul Thomas, Co-founder and Managing Director. Starting in the food industry cooking up a storm in Australia, upon returning home, he found himself at London’s iconic Borough Market flogging his tomatoes to the public, surprised to discover tomatoes came in any other colour than red.    His initial offering of six tomato varieties quickly becam ..read more