Food Service Matters

The Sustainable Operator: Why Visibility Comes Before Sustainability | Future Perspectives Ep. 2 Food Service Matters presents Future Perspectives – a special mini-series exploring how changing expectations are reshaping the future operating model of food service. In Episode 2, Patrick McDermott challenges one of the biggest assumptions surrounding sustainability: What if sustainability doesn'...

Season 4, Episode 5: Michael Hales, CEO of Juniper Ventures In this episode of Food Service Matters, Patrick McDermott sits down with Michael Hales, CEO of Juniper Ventures, one of London's largest school catering providers, serving approximately 26,000 meals every day across primary schools in the Borough of Newham. With more than 40 years of experience in hospitality and school food, Michael...

Food Service Matters presents Future Perspectives – a special mini-series exploring how changing generational expectations are reshaping the future operating model of food service. In Episode 1, Patrick McDermott explores a simple but important question: Has convenience become more important than hospitality? From QR ordering and mobile apps to self-service technology and frictionless customer jou...

Who are the real heroes of food service? In this special bonus episode of Food Service Matters, Patrick McDermott looks back on one question that has produced some of the most insightful, human and revealing moments across the podcast so far: “Who is your food service hero?” Featuring reflections and stories from guests across the industry, this episode explores the people who continue to inspire...

Season 4, Episode 4 - Nico Prinsloo In this episode of Food Service Matters, Patrick sits down with Nico Prinsloo, an experienced food service commercial leader with a strong track record in business development, client retention and strategic growth. Nico shares his journey into the sector - from starting out as a barista after moving to the UK, to building a successful career in commercial leade...

Season 4, Episode 3 - John Murphie, Former COO, ISBA In this episode of Food Service Matters, Patrick sits down with John Murphie, former Chief Operating Officer at the Independent Schools Bursars Association (ISBA). John brings decades of operational experience to his work supporting more than 1,300 independent schools across the UK. One of the key themes throughout the conversation is the challe...

Season 4, Episode 2 — Lynn Daily, Thomas Cuisine In this episode of Food Service Matters, Patrick is joined by Lynn Daily, Senior Vice President of Operations at Thomas Cuisine — and the podcast’s first guest from the United States. Based in Boise, Idaho, and with a team of more than 2,000 employees, Thomas Cuisine has built its reputation around two core pillars: a caring, people-first culture an...

In the opening episode of Season 4, Patrick sits down with David Anderson, Founder and Managing Director of Fuelling Minds, to explore leadership, sustainability and what it takes to build a purpose-led food service business from the ground up. David shares his journey from kitchen porter to industry leader, reflecting on the experiences that shaped his approach to people, culture and values-drive...

In this special end-of-year episode of Food Service Matters, host Patrick McDermott, CEO of DigiTally, is joined by an exceptional group of food service leaders to reflect on the year that was — and to look ahead to the year to come. Across this conversation, guests share: - The moments and insights that defined 2025 - What surprised them most over the past year - How AI and technology are startin...

Season 3, Episode 9 — “Food, Artistry & People: Inside Dinner Ladies with Emily Plunket”. In this episode, Patrick speaks with Emily Plunket, Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Dinner Ladies, a London-based catering and events company where food, artistry, and people come together to create unforgettable experiences. Emily shares the story of how she and co-founder Lily Cai met at university, mo...

Season 3, Episode 8 – Scott Morley on Food Education, Care, and Culture at Holroyd Howe This week on Food Service Matters, Patrick McDermott is joined by Scott Morley, Managing Director at Holroyd Howe — a company dedicated to serving fresh, nutritious food to independent schools across the UK. Scott’s career journey — from chef to MD — is built on a simple ethos: food education and care. In this...

Season 3, Episode 7 – People First: Blain Shepherd on Culture, Tech and Transparency at Thomas Franks. This week on Food Service Matters, host Patrick McDermott sits down with Blain Shepherd, UK Managing Director at Thomas Franks Ltd — an independent caterer known for its client-first culture and commitment to chef creativity. Blain shares a candid look at how Thomas Franks is evolving, from onboa...

Season 3, Episode 6 – Built to Flex: Thomas & Tate on Culture, Tech and Doing Things Differently This week on Food Service Matters, host Patrick McDermott is joined by Thomas Pass and Sam Tate, the dynamic duo behind Thomas & Tate — one of the UK’s most agile and values-driven contract catering businesses. Known for their distinctive strengths — Tom in sales and client growth, Sam in culin...

Season 3, Episode 5 of Food Service Matters. This week on Food Service Matters, Patrick McDermott is joined by award-winning nutritionist and author Christine Bailey, trustee of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and two-time Catey Award winner. Christine shares timely and powerful insights into the state of nutrition across the UK — from the worrying prevalence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to...

In Season 3, Episode 4 of Food Service Matters, Patrick McDermott sits down with Tracey Fairclough, Managing Director of TAF Catering Consultancy, to unpack the major forces shaping the food service industry in 2025 and beyond. Drawing on her TAF Talks report, where she surveys over 50 business leaders annually, Tracey shares the five key factors driving growth in the sector: • Health & wellne...

In Episode 3 of Food Service Matters Season 3, host Patrick McDermott sits down with Ed Walker, Founder of Fika, to explore how a food service business with purpose can drive real change in the industry. With a strong commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and community support, Ed shares how he built Fika and Bloom Coffee Academy to challenge traditional supplier models and create a posi...

In Episode 2 of Food Service Matters Season 3, host Patrick McDermott sits down with Katy Thompson, Managing Director of PINCH, to explore how a small company with big ideas is making waves in the food service industry. Katy founded PINCH in 2022 at a pivotal moment in her life, demonstrating resilience and a relentless passion for food and hospitality. In this episode, she shares her approach to...

Episode One of Food Service Matters Season Three sees host Patrick McDermott sit down with Julian Fris, Founder and Principal Consultant at Neller Davies, to discuss his career and insights into the evolving food service industry. Julian’s career highlights include managing catering for the BBC, serving as Business Development Director for Marriott Management Services, and founding Neller Davies i...

In this special end-of-year episode of the Food Service Matters podcast, host Patrick McDermott, CEO of DigiTally, is joined by an extraordinary panel of industry leaders to reflect on the defining moments of 2024 and share their expert predictions for 2025. Welcoming back some of the most respected and forward thinking voices in food service, Patrick’s guests include: Vojtech Végh, a ground-break...

In episode Nine of the Food Service Matters Season Two podcast, host Patrick McDermott sits down with Angus Brydon, Joint Managing Director of BM Caterers, to explore his journey in the food service industry. With over 11 years at BM and a wealth of experience from leading food service businesses, Angus shares his ethos of “always exceeding expectations” and how this has shaped BM's success.  Patr...

In episode number eight of the Food Service Matters season two podcast, host Patrick McDermott interviews Simon Esner, a food service industry veteran with over 50 years’ experience, including as former director of Westbury Street Holdings and as a current trustee of Hospitality Action. Patrick talks to Simon about his remarkable journey from kitchen porter to director of a billion-pound business,...

In Episode Seven of the  Food Service Matters  Season Two podcast, host Patrick McDermott interviews Rebecca Stevenson, a seasoned food service consultant with over a decade of experience in hotel management and workplace catering for major companies.  Patrick talks to Rebecca about the evolving landscape of food service tenders and the critical role of client-supplier relationships. He also disco...

In Season Two, Episode Six of the  Food Service Matters  podcast, host Patrick McDermott interviews Katie Harel, Global Vice President of Marketing at Rhubarb Hospitality, an international hospitality company specialising in luxury event catering and creative dining experiences at iconic restaurants and venues. Patrick discovers more about Katie’s background growing up around luxury hotels and her...

In this episode, host Patrick McDermott interviews Chris Stern, founder and managing director of Stern Consultancy, a specialist catering consultancy helping a wide range of clients in the UK and Europe improve their workplace food service operations and offerings.  Patrick discovers more about Chris’ perspective on how client expectations in the industry have evolved over the decades, including t...

In this episode of Food Service Matters , host Patrick McDermott interviews Candice Finn, Commercial Development Director for Litmus, a specialist consultancy firm working with organisations in the food service and facilities management sectors.  Patrick discovers more about Candice’s role at Litmus, advising clients on getting the best value from their service contracts. They also discuss the big...