Breaking Bread powered by Harmonic

Through years of working closely with entrepreneurs, Charlie Walker has realised one main thing: behind most struggling startups isn’t a marketing problem, it’s a people problem. Charlie has spent his career at Harmonic helping founders build teams, structure equity schemes, and navigate the messy realities of scaling. He’s seen what works, but more importantly, has seen what quietly breaks compan...

Learn from Charlie Walker as he pulls back the curtain on why most startups struggle, and gives us some real advice on building high-performing teams, avoiding costly hiring mistakes, and navigating the people challenges that quietly break companies from the inside. A lesson in what it really takes to move from founder-led hustle to structured growth.

Most founders believe raising money is the milestone. Guy Blaskey disagrees. After building Pooch & Mutt largely on his own terms, Guy exited for £12 million — while still owning 95% of the company. In this episode, Guy breaks down the uncomfortable realities of scaling: why you can’t optimise growth, profitability and cash flow all at once; why investors want you to “fly or die”; and why slow...

Tune in for a candid conversation that challenges everything you think you knew about fundraising and scale, as Guy Blaskey leads us through the real story behind building and exiting Pooch & Mutt on his own terms. From the hard trade-offs between growth, profit and cash flow to the pressure to “fly or die,” Guy shares the uncomfortable truths founders rarely hear, and what selling a business...

From experimenting with mushroom bars and launching the UK’s first keto shop to leading the grocery range at Planet Organic, Pinar Guven has spent over a decade shaping the health and wellness food scene. As Planet Organic’s Grocery Buyer, she decides which emerging brands get their shot in one of the UK’s most influential organic retailers. In this episode, Pinar reveals how she turns trends into...

Get ready for a must-listen episode uncovering the secrets of Planet Organic, as Pinar Guven takes us inside the world of grocery buying. From experimenting with mushroom bars and launching the UK’s first keto shop to leading Planet Organic's grocery range, Pinar reveals how she turns trends into commercial reality. Unmissable for founders looking to get stocked — and searching for the right l...

A first-time founder with no food-industry experience or retail contacts, Riya Patel managed to transform a supper club in her own kitchen into one of the UK’s most talked-about paneer brands, All The Aunties - all in just six months. She relied on curiosity, resourcefulness, and relentless conversations to navigate an industry that can feel impossible to break into. Her journey is a masterclass i...

How do you break into food retail with no experience, no contacts, and no safety net? Get ready for one of our most inspiring episodes yet as Riya Patel from All The Aunties shares exactly how she did it. From hosting a supper club in her own kitchen to building one of the UK’s most talked-about paneer brands in just six months, Riya shows how curiosity, resourcefulness, and the right conversation...

Through his career, Nick Green has experienced the startup world from both sides of the table: first as an operator helping fast-growing businesses scale, and now as an investor backing early-stage founders. Having helped build fast-growth businesses like Deliveroo, Zebra Fuel, and Weezy, he knows firsthand what it takes to grow a company from nothing, and what pitfalls to avoid. As an angel inves...

What makes an investor say yes? Nick Green knows exactly what investors look for — because he’s been on both sides. From scaling Deliveroo, Zebra Fuel and Weezy to backing early-stage founders as an angel investor, he has reviewed thousands of pitch decks and knows what truly makes a business investable. A must-listen for founders preparing to raise capital.

Few people see as much of the UK food industry as Lucy Silver. Over 20 years across Tesco, Compleat Group, and now Ocado, she has navigated every twist and turn of supermarket buying, from spotting products that soar off shelves to recognising one that will flop. Lucy has built her career on understanding what works in retail, what founders often overlook, and how the buyer-supplier relationship t...

Get ready for an inside look at the UK food industry from someone who has seen it all! Lucy Silver has spent over 20 years across Tesco, Compleat Group, and now Ocado; spotting the products that fly, the ones that fail, and the founders who truly understand retail. If you are a food or drink founder aiming for supermarket shelves, Lucy’s insights are the playbook you have been waiting for.

Get ready for the Breaking Bread podcast! Hosted by Jason Gibb, co-founder of Bread & Jam, and powered by Harmonic. Together, we'll lift the lid on what it really takes to build a successful food or drink brand. Expect raw founder stories, insider insights, and the honest conversations the industry usually avoids. First episode dropping soon - subscribe now!