The FoodTalk Show

In this episode of the Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd talks to Clara Latham about creating category-smashing start-ups and her new venture, Deeply . Clara Latham has built her career in some quite radical startups, including Bounce protein balls and Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits . Today, she is focused on what she sees as the most significant consumer health gap: fibre. Like protein 15–20 years...

In this episode of the Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd talks all things oil with Sarah Vachon , an olive oil sommelier and the founder of Citizens of Soil . Her company is dedicated to sourcing and promoting high-quality, sustainably produced olive oil. Sarah’s journey into the world of olive oil began with her fascination for its complexities and nuances, similar to fine wine. As she explains, o...

In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd talks to Philip Teverow , co-founder and CEO of Yolélé , a brand pioneering the development of fonio, a grain that you might not have heard of but has tremendous potential. Fonio is not just any grain; it's a “gluten-free ancient grain that cooks in five minutes and is drought tolerant," emphasises Philip. Women in West Africa tradition...

In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, Ollie Lloyd hosts Amelia Christie Miller , the founder of Bold Beans , a brand transforming the bean market.  Amelia initially disliked beans until an unexpected experience, inspired by Nigel Slater during her Erasmus exchange in Madrid, altered her perspective. "I spooned one straight from the jar, and it was this mesmerising moment," Amelia recalls. I...

In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show , host Ollie Lloyd is joined by Imme Ermgassen , a co-founder of Botivo , a brand reshaping the non-alcoholic drinks landscape. Imme shares the intriguing backstory of Botivo, which diverges from the typical narratives surrounding alcohol-free drinks. “Botivo was born from pleasure and hedonism, not from the world of moderation,” she explains. This comes...

Ella Harland , co-founder of Griddle , joins Ollie Lloyd on The Food Talk Show to discuss how Griddle challenges the status quo in the bakery aisle. If you have ever looked at the back of the pack of pre-made bread, croissants or waffles, you know what the baseline is (and it's not good). Griddle produces products that are as close to homemade as possible, focusing on simple, wholesome ingredients...

In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, Ollie Lloyd dives into a conversation with Richard Peake , CEO of Merchant Gourmet . The brand is revitalising the grain and pulse category by offering flavoursome, convenient products for time-strapped consumers that want something a bit more interesting. Historically known for its premium chestnuts and puy lentils, Merchant Gourmet is one of the brand...

Can one revolutionise the frozen treats category? Zara Godfrey , the founder of Pukpip , thinks so and explains it all to Ollie Lloyd in this latest episode, as his new puppy (Enola) occasionally makes a racket in the background! Pukpip launched in 2023 to shake up the ice cream industry by integrating more fruit into consumers' diets in fun and innovative ways. At the core of Pukpip's offering ar...

In this latest episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd welcomes Ed Morrison, the CEO of Roots Allotment . This membership-based business aims to empower communities across the UK to grow their food and become part of a vibrant local community. From the germ of an idea during lockdown, the company is pursuing a bold vision for sustainable self-reliance. Ed Morrison's journey with Roots Allo...

In this episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd , interviews Paul Turton , the CEO of PACT Coffee , to discuss the company's mission-driven journey, the complexities of the coffee supply chain, and the direct-to-consumer (DTC) business model that continues to drive their success.  Paul talks about the way that coffee prices are often manipulated by markets, leaving farmers squeezed and str...

In this episode of The Food Talk Show , host Ollie Lloyd interviews Johnny Shimmin , co-founder of Spoon Cereal and discusses the highly competitive cereal category and some of the cynical behaviour of some of the more prominent brands. Spoon began as a fun idea after a discussion with his future sister-in-law at a family barbecue over ten years ago and has evolved into a classic challenger brand...

Over the last ten years, Chef Paul Ainsworth has build a very special business in Cornwall that has expanded far beyond his eponymous Michelin stared restaurant in Padstow. Initially he took over a local restaurant that had been through many incarnations, creating an family Italian called Caffe Rojano . He went on take over a much loved local pub, The Mariners across the other side of the Camel Es...

Ollie Lloyd talks to Eoin Keenan , founder of Goodrays , one of the UK's first CBD brands offering drinks. Eoin shares his journey of discovering CBD in university whilst dealing with anxiety and sleep issues. After working on CBD farms in the US and Canada, Eoin returned to the UK to advocate for CBD legalisation.  He founded Goodrays because he believed there was an opportunity to offer high-qua...

Danni Malone, the Chief Network Officer of the Trussell Trust , an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of food banks across the UK, joins Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warran-Smith to explain the challenges they face. The Trussell Trust is campaigning and working towards a vision where we no longer see food banks in communities. Their network of 1,400 food banks, all run by independent charities,...

Dr Duncan Robertson , from Dogtooth , joins Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warren-Smith , to talk about a new way to address the labour shortages that are impacting seasonal fruit and vegetables, a problem that Susie has seen first hand in her role as Chair and Executive Director, Produced in Kent. Dogtooth , are working on a revolutionary plan, which involves bringing robotics to farming. This isn't a far...

Freddie Webb , is the founding partner of Father , a creative music and sound design studio. In this episode he explains to Ollie Lloyd why he passionately believes that many brands are missing a trick when it comes to the way they use sound. He thinks that sound should be an integral part of brand design and used strategically. Father have worked with brands like EE, Aston Martin and The Modern H...

Scott Davies, the founder of Hill Top Honey has built an incredible business with the combination of tenacity and a £5,000 bank loan. He was a bricklayer who hurt his back and decided to change tact and set up a honey business. He came on the Food Talk Show with Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warran-Smith many years ago, but alot has happened in the last 8 years. Hill Top Honey, based in Newtown Wales, now...

Harriet Lamb , the CEO of WRAP (the climate action NGO behind Love Food Hate Waste and Food Waste Action Week), strikes a positive note about tackling food waste and how so many people from different sectors are trying to tackle this seemingly intractable challenge.  In her chat with Ollie Lloyd , she talks about innovative businesses like Dizzie , which is creating reusable packaging for grocerie...

Ben Branson is a true pioneer in the non-alcoholic drinks space. He created Seedlip , the first of the major brands in this sector, thus sparking an arms race and setting the stage for a new exciting era in the industry. He chats with Ollie Lloyd on the FoodTalk Show about his home experimentation with herbs and how a £50 home distilling kit purchased online led to something bigger. Sometimes, thi...

Tom Hunt is an eco-chef who has been championing the right food for years. He is passionate about inspiring people to think creatively about cooking and eating.  He writes a column for the Guardian on Food waste , founded a zero-waste restaurant in Bristol, has lived off-grid with his family and recently created a genuinely Happy Meal with the Soil Association . He catches up with Ollie Lloyd and...

Toby Hopkinson co-founded All Things Butter with chef / social media phenomenon Thomas Straker , who went viral on TikTok and Instagram with a series of recipes that incorporated flavoured butter and owns a highly regarded restaurant in Notting Hill. Their business is taking a somewhat different approach to many challenger food brands. It tackles an incredibly old-fashioned category, having been i...

Robert Thompson MBE  is one of the youngest chefs in the UK to receive a Michelin star and has helped put the Isle of Wight on the culinary map. At ten, he became interested in food, designing his own restaurant/club as part of a school project. He has worked at several top rated restaurants, from Winteringham Fields to Cliveden, before establishing Thompson's on the Isle of Wight. He was one of t...

Orlando Murrin has one of those careers in food that makes anyone who loves food jealous. He edited BBC goodfood, helped create Olive magazine and has also run highly successful hotel / restaurants in France and Britain. He has now embarked on another career branch by writing a murder mystery novel about a chef who has an unexpected experience running a cooking school in Belgravia. Edited by Stell...

  Ben Davies  is the founder of  VYPR , a consumer research business that is designed to metaphorically put the consumer on the shoulder of brand leaders as they optimise their mix or launch new products.  Ben is a serial entrepreneur and an ex-supermarket buyer who passionately believes that most innovation processes are designed to produce sub-optimal products (and this is backed up data, as 85%...

Elin Roberts is the CMO and one of the Co-Founders of Better Nature, a tempeh company. She is leading the charge to inspire more people to embrace the world of tempeh and eat a little bit more sustainably. Tempeh is a weirdly neglected Indonesian product that is made from fermented soybeans. Whilst it is a stable of Indonesian cuisine it hasn't been embraced around the world even though it has a h...