Ted's thoughts

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Benji Liebewitz to unpack how a London-born New Yorker ends up building One Club Row and The Knave of Clubs, and why the best restaurants win on relationships not hype. We dig into what makes guests return, how pricing and dining habits are shifting, and why hospitality is an emotional craft beyond perfect service.  • falling into hospitality in New York then choo...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with CMS partner David Roberts to trace his accidental route into hospitality and the deal-making that shaped modern UK restaurant growth. We dig into how founders raise capital without losing control, why some private equity structures now punish management teams, and what trends are actually worth watching.  • moving from Sydney law into London hotel M&A and rest...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Luke Johnson to trace the real path from student nightlife hustles to building some of the best known names in UK hospitality. We talk honestly about why the 1990s felt like a golden age, why the market is harsher now, and what still makes a food and drink business worth backing.  • getting into hospitality by accident through student parties and a nightclub deal ...

Send us Fan Mail What makes a space feel like home before you’ve even set down your bag? We sit with Dylan Murray to chart a rare career that connects five-star rigour, high-growth innovation, and the human heartbeat of hospitality—from running dishes at The Landmark to shaping openings at One Aldwych and Carlisle Bay, from the rocket fuel years at Soho House to reimagining flexible workspace with...

Send us Fan Mail Robbie Barr, founder of Gorgeous Group, shares his journey from humble beginnings in Manchester to becoming a leading hospitality consultant who transforms hotel dining and drinking experiences worldwide. His philosophy of creating "emotion per square foot" has shaped iconic venues from Dishoom to Waldorf Astoria. • Growing up watching classic Hollywood musicals with his...

Send us Fan Mail Tony is the gold standard and Royal Warrant equivalent of both kosher catering and now kosher restaurants. This is one of my shortest episodes ever but definitely not short on quality Hear Tony’s story and journey mastering both skill sets always moving the game on.

Send us Fan Mail David is one of the masters of corporate hospitality. From CEO of Pizza Express to founder of Clapham House Group with restaurants including The Real Greek, Franco Manca and many many others. David shares both pearls of wisdom of finance and growth together with some amusing stories along the way.

Send us Fan Mail Sandwich sandwich is a real family affair starting in Bristol as a better sandwich shop. With Nick’s farthers approval, Richard his brother followed suit. Crucially, Josh , 17 at the time also joined giving the brand some gen Z punch. From Bristol to London, the brand continues to redefine the sandwich shop experience.

Send us Fan Mail Glen gave up his training to be a lawyer as he knew he wanted to be in hospitality. Working as a kitchen porter to bigger roles at Patty&Bun, Bao, Market Halls until post covid, decided to launch the Tamil Crown with his partner, Prince. The pubs are following a trend of high quality restaurant food allied to an old school pub with great drinks and service. Now, only two years...

Send us Fan Mail Marcel, CEO of Fulham Shore, has an extraordinary career in many exceptional brands including Nandos, Five Guys and now Fulham Shore’s Franco Manca and The Real Greek.  What sets Marcel apart is his non conformism and ability to implement colourful strategies keeping the brands relevant and alive. Hot off the press, the Roma pizza spin off, Super Club Roma will deliver a crispy pi...

Send us Fan Mail Itamar and Sarit took the plunge on a shoestring budget and managed to open a twenty seat restaurant on Warren Street. This was so successful, you could hardly get a dinner slot for months. This however was not the dream as they were having to turn guests away. The dream is to accommodate everyone and so the honey and co family of restaurants grew.  Facing clear challenges today i...

Send us Fan Mail Martin had a passion at an early age for hospitality and was even urged by his father to make a career out of it. His Polish discipline along with his Italian flair stood him in good stead.  Working internationally, Martin found his home at Soho House where he helped grow the business from three houses to over 60 as COO. In his own new book part of his life, “difficult name” was b...

Send us Fan Mail Neil is never half hearted and always fully commits to any project he applies himself to. “Frontline Chef” as is known on social media has created many excellent brands including Temper and most recently Simplicity which supplies Dishoom with their vegan sausage and The Ivy with their vegan patty. Hospitality is “I got you” which I find very comforting 

Send us Fan Mail David , CEO of D&D London, had an incredible upbringing with exposure to Hotels all over Europe. This followed with hospitality training leading to senior appointments including the likes of Claridges. David worked with Des in partnership with Sir Terence Conran which ultimately led to a management buyout where D&D London was born.

Send us Fan Mail This is a really important episode facing mental health and well-being head on. Stephen served at the highest operational level in hospitality in institutions such as the Wolsey and the Manderin Oriental however with the challenges he faced, there was a breakdown of wellbeing. Stephen is now a coach to the hospitality sector and supporting CEOs and defines hospitality as making th...

Send us Fan Mail Chris , formerly world famous rockstar turned from finance to operations at Soho House whom he is still close to. Now, White Rabbit (where the name comes from, you’ll have to listen) has flagship brands including Kricket, Island Poke, Lina Stores and other white label operations. Hospitality is a feeling of belonging.

Send us Fan Mail Tim is an entrepreneur having lent his hand to pubs, having carried out extensive research, dedicated himself to competitive socialising covering both the adult and family markets with different approaches. An early entrant but also recognises the sector is still young with a long way to go. Lane7 recently opened in Victoria, cracking the London market

Send us Fan Mail Jonathan Downey aka "JD" has been around as long as the hills. Landmark operations include Match Bar, Milk and Honey and Dinerama to name but a few. He's travelled the world and has a few stories to share along the way. Creating the "hospitality union" WhatsApp groups in lockdown, JD championed hospitalities corner. Now operating and collaborating as being...

Send us Fan Mail Although I am sometimes referred to as the man with the hat, Nick Wallis wears two. He is partner at Gerald Edelman and also jointly heads Shelley Sandzer corporate finance. Deals which Nick has facilitated include Gaucho, Simmons Bars and Bario Bars with many more on the way. Even since recording this on 16th November 2023, Edition capital has just announced its investment into F...

Send us Fan Mail charlie had one of the most notorious and hippest nightclubs in notting hill called Woodys, where no one can quite remember all the stories. time moved on and charlie set up draft house

Send us Fan Mail Will describes finding success through continuous mistakes, ultimately taking a restaurant lease on Commercial Road and cost saving meant using the existing grill and Hawksmoor was born from there. Along the way Hawksmoor reached amazing milestones of attracting investment from Graphite capital to conquering New York and shortly to open in Chicago.

Send us Fan Mail Ben oozes luxury and really has seen the best of the best. Former editor of Square Meal and now writes for Telegraph Luxury, The Evening Standard amongst others. We talk about the prevailing trends in London and the soon to open ultra luxury hotels.

Send us Fan Mail Stefan is the editor of Restaurant magazine , seeing trends come and go. We cover off everything from challenges whilst also relishing the comeback of big names including Jeremy King, Jamie Oliver etc.

Send us Fan Mail Put simply, Guy wanted to creat a hospitality business with everything else wrapped around it. Maslow is the mothership and from that was born Mortimer House followed by 1 Warwick and the acclaimed Nessa restaurant,  both redefining high end hospitality with dining, offices, bars etc.

Send us Fan Mail Olly met Charlie playing rugby on the beach in Thailand. A while later they realised they are perfect partners to pioneer a new way of working, blending the office with hospitality. The Office Group was born long before the competition came to town, however, they were wisely advised that this was coming. Olly and Charlie went from strength to strength still working out how to make...