Untold: Behind the Scenes in the UK Food & Drink Industry

Live episode recorded from Bread and Jam 2023. We go behind the scenes with three unbelievable business leaders in the FMCG space. We speak about:

A must attend event for food and drink founders whatever stage of the journey! Use code Untold30 for 30% off tickets. Bread and Jam is a feast of information. An electric buzz, a room filled with belief and opportunity! Some of the greatest heads in the FMCG startup world all together in festival over 2 days. it really is not to be missed.

Join me in a captivating conversation with Nick, where he shares the remarkable tale of his entrepreneurial journey with Teo, co-founder. It all started when they met at the White Rabbit Pub in Oxford. Nick worked as a barman, and Teo's exceptional pizza-making skills caught his attention. Together, they saw an untapped market for vegan and free-from versions of Teo's irresistible pizzas. Scaling their idea rapidly, Nick and Teo faced the monumental task of establishing and managing their own factory. Overcoming numerous obstacles, their unwavering commitment and determination drove them forward. Nick reveals the daunting challenge of competing against major brands for shelf space. Their story exemplifies the importance of resilience in navigating the evolving FMCG landscape, while remaining true to your values. Throughout the conversation, Nick discusses the challenges of being a founder and the difficulty of switching off from the demands of running a business. He stresses the benefits of staying deeply connected to the brand, in enabling proactive problem-solving, while acknowledging the toll this can take on personal well-being.

Discrimination and determination, confronting inequality in the world of FMCG Listen to an eye-opening episode of *Untold podcast with the remarkable Segun Akinwoleola, founder of The Gym Kitchen. Segun's story shed light on the discrimination he's faced as a black entrepreneur, both in meetings with supermarkets and while seeking funding for his business. He emphasised the urgent need for a level playing field in the FMCG industry. Segun's journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and the challenges that black entrepreneurs navigate daily. By sharing his experiences, Segun sparked a crucial dialogue about the inequalities in the entrepreneurial world. He's pushing for change, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all, regardless of background. You won't want to miss this eye-opening and inspiring episode of the *Untold podcast. Segun's story will inspire you to take action in working towards a more equitable future for all entrepreneurs.

Join us as we delve into the world of wine and entrepreneurship with the incredible Jeremy May, co-founder of Nice Wine. Jeremy shares his invaluable insights on how to overcome obstacles, including the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Discover the power of honesty in effectively communicating with investors during uncertain times. Jeremy also emphasises the importance of embracing feedback as a love language for growth. Find out how this unique approach has played a pivotal role in Nice Wine's success and discover how you can apply it to your own entrepreneurial journey. You won't want to miss Jeremy's discussion on their recent fundraising round. He shares how Nice Wine, as an 80% female-run and 40% female-owned company, actively encouraged women to become their next investors.

This episode of Untold was an extraordinary challenge, as I had the opportunity to interview an exceptional founder who also happens to be a dear friend of mine. David's candidness during our conversation was truly remarkable, as he openly shared how the unwavering determination to keep his business thriving during trying times, was deeply rooted in the profound grief he experienced during his young adult life. I am immensely grateful to David for bringing such raw and genuine emotion to our discussion, making it a truly powerful experience that I know will resonate with others.

Leaving his secure job as an electrician, Adam Lyons pursued his passion for food, setting up a restaurant in York that specialised in mouth-watering vegan fried chicken. His plans were derailed by the pandemic, forcing the closure of his restaurant and placing his staff on furlough. However, Adam saw an opportunity amidst the challenges. Recognising the unwavering demand for his vegan fried chicken, Adam transformed the restaurant into a factory to deliver his creations directly to customers. Partnering with Matthew Glover, they embarked on a journey to build an activist Vegan brand with a mission to make a real impact. By embracing change, and with the support of his team, Adam’s grit and determination enabled him to learn on the job and build a brilliant company in an industry he knew nothing about when he started out.

Stu, the founder of ManiLife, escaped his accountancy job and moved to Argentina where he discovered his love for peanut butter. He took a leap of faith and started his own peanut butter business, ManiLife, which still uses peanuts sourced from the same estate today! Stu speaks openly about how his drive and passion soon became an overwhelming compulsion, ultimately leading to burn-out. He reflects on the warning signs that we often ignore and how he was able to take time out to reset.

Carl started Wholegood wholesale from an old disused bakery bootstrapped to 32 million. Carl opens up about his journey, why he stepped down from the CEO role, how the business doubled during covid and how he continues to find it difficult to switch off!

Meenesh took an idea from a food trolley to being stocked in major retail distribution in the UK. We discuss the Multiple challenges that hit at once, how you actually close a business, dealing with a crippling health diagnosis and the magic of meditation! It's brave, inspiring and I was honoured to have a friend and fellow business owner on Untold.

You have briefed your agency for a brand new pack design, had the over excited meeting speaking through it with them and then you wait.... Ever wondered what happens next, inside the room with the creatives! Faraz gets straight to it explaining the process from start to finish of packaging design and how to get the best out of agencies!

James has worked with some of the biggest brands going and has built a social media following of over 565,000 followers. He has his own clothing range in Next, has featured in Men’s Health and GQ magazines, all whilst running the fitness app, The PWER. James shares his top tips for working with influencers, the strategy for success and how to build your social media community. He also goes into detail about his mental health journey and how his fitness routine has changed to support his mental health goals.

*Untold live podcast to raise money for Movember! We go behind the scenes with Josh White co-founder of canO water, Harry Corin founder of Corin&Co and Teddie Levenfiche co-founder of Perfect Ted. Incredibly open and honest conversations about times that have had a real effect on their mental health, and unbelievably open chats about how they got through it.

GLOBALLY WE LOSE A MAN TO SUICIDE EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY. What a horrific stat. LET'S TALK METAL HEALTH. Next week I would love for you to Join The Savourists LTD for our first ever *Untold Podcast live event. Doing our little bit to support Movember whose aim is to tackle head on Mental health and Suicide Prevention, Prostate and testicular cancer. we will be having an open and honest conversation around #mentalhealth and how it fits in to the culture in the workplace. Help us raise money for this wonderful charity! . Teddie Levenfiche - Perfect ted Josh White - CanO water Harry Corin - Corin & Co - mental Health consultancy. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-talk-about-mental-health-tickets-452713958637 Game on! All ticket sales go to Movember.

Lottie Unwin founder of The Copy Club... Traditional FMCG marketing doesn't work for startups. A great episode where we hear from Lottie on all sorts of topics but the headline and key learning is that traditional FMCG marketing is very different to what is needed in the startup world.

Buying Director Planet Organic to Partner at Wonderland Ventures. Al has had a wonderful career in the health, wellbeing and sustainability space. 19 years at planet organic working his way to buying director. He has now set up Wonderland Ventures - A growth and change consultancy for businesses whose brands operate in the health, wellbeing and sustainability spaces. A fascinating episode that touches on: Trends, how to contact a buyer, the steps to getting a product on shelf and so much more!

George Kruis has played 185 games for Saracens rugby team, won 45 England caps and is a British and Irish lion. An unbelievable career took him to Japan where alongside playing rugby he co-founded FourFive - Premium quality, independently tested CBD & Vitamin supplements. A wicked episode where George opens up about his experience playing rugby, retiring from rugby and running a business alongside. use code Pod20 for 20% off fourfive products direct from their website.

Sara speaks openly about the experience of setting up her fantastic business Healthy Nibbles. The importance of setting Non Negotiable Values from the off - experience that was learnt the hard way. From toxic employees, to the phenomenal growth they have seen and everything in-between!

Jack opens up and speaks about the incredible growth Dash have seen over the last 5 years. Taking the business to 16 Million in retail sales over 5 years is remarkable growth. Jack opens up about the challenges of leading a high growth business on a personal level. Of course we couldn't not talk about the recent above the line campaign, Mr Nobergine taking a leading role in aiding the brand to go viral! Some tangible takeaways as always.

This week, we have a very exciting guest in Sam Akinluyi. Amongst being the UK&I MD for Innocent drinks, an advisor to Young Foodies and a veteran of the FMCG industry, Sam is a founding partner of the non-profit Psalt. Psalt works within retail to increase the uptake of talent from different backgrounds and under-represented communities. Sam shared anecdotes from the Add Psalt incubator programme which he’s co-founded for black-owned brands, and hearing his perspective of how any size business can genuinely embrace diversity was fantastic to learn from. We can’t wait for you to hear the hope and ambitions he has for the future - so go on, give it a listen and let us know what you think!