The Unfounders

Today's guest is Luke Byrne , Innovation & Sustainability Director at THIS . THIS have been leading the way for plant-based meat in the UK with their range of meat alternatives from bacon to chicken to pork. And more recently they've stepped into the veg-lead and whole food space with their new super superfood range. If you want to build a brand consumers love, you NEED to speak with m...

Today's guest is the effervescent Hannah Page - Social Media Manager at OLLY'S OLLY'S are an incredible snacking brand known for their delicious olives and pretzel thins. Their content has always been top notch, and I wanted to dig into how it's created, and how Hannah got into this role in the first place. It's a cracker of an episode, enjoy! As always thanks to our fantastic...

Today's guest is the lovely Ailis Anderson - Head of Brand & Marketing at Honestly Tasty . Now Honestly Tasty make absolutely DELICIOUS fermented, mould-ripened, natural, plant-based cheeses like blue, brie, camembert and more. Recently they acquired La Fauxmagerie - a brand who I worked for in the past and had the pleasure of seeing behind the scenes the care, passion and craft the Honest...

Jack Rutherfood is the UK Managing Director at Italian food powerhouse Crosta Mollica They have been dominating in the UK over recent years, and it was great chatting to Jack to try and understand some of the reasons why that is. I also loved digging into Jack's background from his first role as a Junior Buyer at Sainsburys, to moving brand side and working at the likes of Diageo, Lily's K...

Oi, FATSO . Yeah, you heard that right... No, I'm not insulting you - I'm talking about the unapologetically FAT and delicious chocolate brand FATSO as this week I sit down with the lovely Poppy Dionian Smith - National Account Manager and Maja Turner - Brand & Content Manager. I LOVED this conversation. From the playful name and branding - which when unwrapped has so much more to shar...

In this episode, Becki Hawkins , the Senior Nutritionist at Champneys , shares her extensive experience in the wellness and nutrition industry. She discusses the philosophy behind Champneys' approach to food, emphasising moderation, balance, and variety. Becki highlights the importance of innovation in menu development, the impact of their cookbook, and the evolving landscape of nutrition scie...

In this episode, Ellie-Mae Healy , Head of Growth at Marna Iced Tea , shares her journey from sports to the startup world, discussing the unique approach Marna takes in brewing iced tea with real loose leaf tea. She highlights the challenges and successes of the brand, the importance of utilising AI for operational efficiency in such a small team. It was also great to hear about her time at Perfec...

This weeks guest are Harry Ford and Eve Rodway of HIP POP - functional drinks brand offering a wide range of delicious kombucha’s, fibre rich soda’s and CBD drinks. We discuss the brand's origins, marketing strategies, festival activations, and the importance of team culture. I loved digging into both Harry and Eve’s backgrounds and to understanding what makes them both love what they do, day...

Allora, let me welcome you to apertivo hour with this weeks guest Jacob Wood . Jacob is the Sales & Activation Manager at Allora - a brand reinventing the spritz with their unique, delicious lemon based spirit. He discusses his journey from field sales to joining Allora, the challenges faced in building the brand, and the strategies employed to engage with customers and bars and getting 'l...

Sarah Warman was the first marketing hire at Brewdog back in 2013...From a small craft brewery brand, to an international beer powerhouse. But what has it actually been like working in a business where marketing and PR stunts has been a huge part of their growth? What are the key lessons and learnings along the way? What is it really like working with James Watt ? I loved this chat so much. Sarah...

Today I speak with the wonderful 'neuro-spicy' Lois Mills - Senior Content Lead at Yonder , who very much finds her work 'rewarding' to say the least. Yonder is a new way of banking, rewarding customers with points for debit and credit card spending. Rather than stuffy and corporate, they do things much more creative, playful and know how to get eyeballs on the brand. Lois discusse...

⁠Holie's⁠ are on a mission to shake up the breakfast aisle with their high protein, low sugar range and in this episode, I speak to UK Commercial Director to ⁠Bina Edwards⁠ . Bina has a fantastic background working for brands like Red Bull, Ugly, and Liquid Death. Unpicking all these lessons and learnings throughout her journey was fantastic. It's raw, honest and there's so much value...

This week's guest is an absolute powerhouse in the drinks world - Ben Dando , Managing Director at Goodrays , In their words, Goodrays provide premium, natural, great-tasting wellbeing products, all born from the power of the sun - in a range of CBD drinks, oils, and edibles. Following on from a delicious rebrand, it was great to dive into this with Ben to hear all about his background working...

5 Years ago, Katie Edmunds joined her brother as employee number 1 at Trip . In that time the business has gone from strength to strength, becoming a household name in the functional drinks space and Katie has just been promoted to USA Director of Sales. In this episode we dig into the importance of team dynamics, company culture, and employee wellness initiatives in how to build a high functionin...

This episode is a fantastic conversation digging into the real, honest and unfiltered ways of raising, saving and spending money in business - Where the hell does all the money go? Recorded live at ⁠Bread & Jam⁠ (Thanks to ⁠Aztec⁠ ) this panel was with: 🌾 Thiviyan Umapathysarma - Oat Avenue 🍫 Charlotte Miller - Caroboo 🍺 Jacob Liddle - Jiddler's Tipple Sharing the lessons and learnings...

Today's guest is a marketing legend - Rory McEntee Rory is now the Chief Marketing (/Mischief) Officer at GymNation - a mega gym taking over the UAE with their huge well equipped offering. He's already causing a stir with ' The Coolest Class in Dubai ' and other fantastic initiatives, but I wanted to dig into his background, and what it's like moving to Dubai whilst raising a y...

This episode is a raw & honest look at what it takes to build, and then exit your business. Recorded live at Bread & Jam (Thanks to Aztec) this panel was with: 🐣 Anna Richey - Two Chicks   🍲 John B Stapleton - Ex New Covent Garden Soup Co / Little Dish   👨‍⚖️ Phil Hails-Smith - Joelson | B Corp Sharing the highs, lows, ins and outs of building and finally existing a brand. I’d love to h...

In this episode, I talk all thing operations with Phil Peters - Director of Supply Chain Services at YF . YF are a consultancy designed to help innovative, high-growth consumer businesses achieve mainstream scale. They provide advice and a wide range of services to retailers, investors and the brands themselves - one of which includes operations, and that's where Phil comes in! He shares insig...

Today I have the honour and privilege of sitting down to talk with Laura Mimoun - Chief Marketing Officer at The Fulham Shore , looking after both The Real Greek and Franco Manca . Laura's background is fantastic, having worked at Mondalez and PepsiCo, looking after brands such as Mini Eggs, Creme Egg, Green and Blacks and so many more. Laura also had experience of being an entrepreneur hersel...

Today's guest is the brilliant Shane Stewart - Brand Director at XOXO Soda . XOXO are a stunning prebiotic soda brand taking over Europe and The UK - and Shane is taking the helm leading all things brand. I loved digging into his background and past journey, working at brands like Northern Bloc ice cream and Moju. Shane also shares the work he's doing to remove stigma around grief, with hi...

In this conversation, Will Orchard , the sales lead at Shandy Shack , shares insights into the unique offerings of the brand, which specialises in low-alcohol craft beer shandies.  He discusses the journey of Shandy Shack, its collaborations, customer demographics, and the challenges faced during rapid growth and acquisition.  Will also reflects on his unconventional career path, lessons learned f...

Today's guest is the wonderful Katie Arabella Ward - Senior National Account Manager at Pimentae Pimentae make delicious Margaritas - Spicy, Tommy, Cucumber and my favourite - Grapefruit, which was also just named the best canned margarita by BBC Good Food Katie swapped a career in beer into the world of tequila and I loved digging into all things drinks, managing customers and activations - a...

In this weeks episode, I chat to Emily Churchill - Head of Marketing at Nice Wine. She shares insights into the brand's innovative approach to the wine industry. We discuss the company's mission to make wine more approachable and fun, the strategic positioning that has led to its widespread acceptance, and the creative marketing campaigns that have captured consumer attention. Emily also r...

Today's guest is the fantastic Katie Jewett , Chief Operating Officer at Momo Kombucha. Katie shares insights into the journey of Momo, a brand known for its high-quality, authentic kombucha. We discuss the challenges of scaling a business, innovative collaborations, and the importance of maintaining product quality amongst rapid growth. Katie also reflects on her career path, team dynamics, a...

Today's guest Rudi McGuinness is one of the most passionate, energetic and engaging young people I've ever spoken to. Rudi is Head of Partnerships at Dig In , a company who provide boxes of essential items for students on their first day of university, and how this create meaningful connections between brands and young consumers in a time they are most receptive. We touch on her vibrant jo...