What's Cooking? | A Podcast from Nory

Black Sheep Coffee co-CEO Gabriel Shohet on building a 135-site brand by betting on the bean the specialty industry rejected. In 2013, two university flatmates from St Andrews quit their corporate jobs the same day, moved to London with around £20k between them, and built a coffee company on the bean the entire specialty industry had written off. 13 years later, Black Sheep Coffee runs 135+ locati...

Missed the full episode with Ed Loftus, Global Director of Jamie Oliver Restaurants? Here's the bite-size cut. Keep an eye out for our next episode, featuring Gabriel Shohet, Co-Founder, Black Sheep Coffee. Hosted by Conor Sheridan, CEO of Nory, the AI operating system for hospitality. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-second-act-with-the-global-dir...

Ed Loftus on bringing Jamie's Italian back to the UK, scaling Jamie Oliver Group to 80+ sites in 24 countries, and the discipline behind a real second act. Very few people in UK hospitality ever get to attempt a real second act. Jamie Oliver Group has just done it: Jamie's Italian back in Leicester Square in March 2026, seven years after the 2019 administration that closed the UK estate. The man w...

Missed the full episode with Oliver Rodbard, COO of Creams Cafe? Here's the bite-size cut. Keep an eye out for our next episode, featuring Ed Loftus, Group Director, Jamie Oliver Restaurants. Hosted by Conor Sheridan, CEO of Nory, the AI operating system for hospitality. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebuilding-the-franchise-with-the-coo-of-creams...

Creams Cafe COO Oliver Rodbard on scaling a franchise system, vertical integration as franchisee protection, and what it takes to make every visit count in a discretionary category. Oliver Rodbard, COO of Creams Cafe, sits down with Conor to walk through the operational reality of running a 98%-franchised, ~100-site business through UK family restaurant visits halving, aggregator commissions of 20...

Missed the full episode with Louisa Richards, Restaurant Director, Hawksmoor? Here's the bite-size cut. Keep an eye out for our next episode, featuring Oliver Rodbard, Chief Operating Officer, Creams Cafe Hosted by Conor Sheridan, CEO of Nory, the AI operating system for hospitality. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eight-weeks-to-open-louisa-richard...

Hawksmoor restaurant director Louisa Richards on opening St Pancras in eight weeks at peak Christmas trading, and what it took to do it without breaking the culture that 13 years has built. Louisa Richards has been at Hawksmoor for nearly 13 years, opening Manchester, opening Edinburgh, running Air Street through Covid, and now overseeing the eight-site London estate as Restaurant Director. In thi...

Missed the full episode with Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King UK? Here's the bite-size cut. Keep an eye out for our next episode, featuring Louisa Richards, London Restaurant Director, Hawksmoor. Hosted by Conor Sheridan, CEO of Nory, the AI operating system for hospitality. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discipline-at-scale-alasdair-murdoch-ce...

Burger King UK CEO Alasdair Murdoch on running 600 sites, washing the estate, and the discipline that holds labour flat through a 50% rise in the living wage. After 30 years across KFC, Pizza Hut International, Pizza Express International, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and now eight years at Burger King UK, Alasdair Murdoch sits down with Conor to walk through the operational mechanics of running a 600-s...

Missed the full episode with Gemma Glasson, CEO of Wahaca? Here's a bite-sized version. Keep an eye out for our next episode, featuring Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King UK. Hosted by Conor Sheridan, CEO of Nory, the AI operating system for hospitality. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevating-experience-with-authenticity-gemma-glasson/id182506...

How Wahaca's new CEO rebuilt the guest experience to match the plate — and the partnership campaign that drove £120k of sales without a single discount. Four years ago, newly promoted Wahaca CEO Gemma Glasson launched Wahaca Reimagined: a line-by-line operational rebuild of the guest experience covering bespoke crockery, cutlery weight, chefs on the pass, new uniforms, rebuilt steps of service and...

Missed the full episode? Here’s the highlight reel. In this episode's highlights, Conor Sheridan sits down with Jose Gaytan de Ayala, Investment Manager at Kinnevik, to unpack Nory’s $37m Series B raise - and what it takes to build a category-defining hospitality tech company. From why Kinnevik chose Nory in a competitive round to how AI is shifting from dashboards to decision-making, this is a ca...

In this season one wrap-up of What’s Cooking? , Conor Sheridan reflects on the standout insights from 12 leading voices across hospitality. From tech to team culture, discover what really drives profitability at scale. Learn how operators are solving frontline challenges with AI, operational clarity, and people-first leadership. What you'll learn in this episode >> How operators at scale are...

Short on time? Here’s the essence. In this episode's highlights, Mark McCulloch, CMO of Prezzo Italian and founder of Hospitality Marketing Guru, breaks down why brand is not a logo, a launch, or a one-off campaign - it’s an operating system for the entire business. Drawing on his experience across Pret, YO! Sushi and Prezzo Italian, Mark shares how to diagnose brand problems properly, align cultu...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? , host Conor Sheridan talks with Alison Wong, Chief Financial Officer at House of Gods Hotel, about scaling financial leadership in hospitality. From consultancy to C-suite, Alison shares powerful insights on balancing operational rigour with guest experience, building scalable systems, and leading transformation with empathy. A must-listen for operators navigati...

Pressed for time? Here’s the condensed version. In this episode's highlights, Jonny Bramwell, Regional Head of Operations at Rosa’s Thai, breaks down what operational excellence really looks like when you’re scaling fast - without losing heart, culture, or energy. From rolling out Rosa’s Done Right across 46 locations to redefining success beyond the P&L, Jonny shares how clarity, language, an...

Culture isn’t top-down - it’s built from the ground up. In this episode’s highlights, Blacklock’s Ops Director Maria McCann shares how a people-first approach to training, onboarding and culture has driven real results across their growth. You’ll hear: >> Why off-the-shelf training can’t build brand culture >> How investing in people slashes turnover and boosts profitability >> T...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? , host Conor Sheridan talks with Amy Hom, Chief Operating Officer at Barcelona Wine Bar, about scaling leadership in hospitality. From humble beginnings to the C-suite, Amy shares powerful insights on developing frontline teams, creating real culture, and making operations more human. A must-listen for operators navigating complexity at scale. What you'll learn i...

Giggling Squid didn’t scale by playing it safe. In this episode’s highlights, Ops Director Darko Salaj shares what it really takes to grow a hospitality brand - through delays, chaos, and curveballs. You’ll hear: >> Why resilience, not perfection, is the key to successful openings >> The value of championing individuality (even at 50+ sites) >> How tech should support and never r...

Missed the full conversation? Here’s your shortcut. In this episode’s highlights, Bill’s MD Tom James breaks down what it really takes to lead change in hospitality - from repositioning a legacy brand to launching delivery with precision. You’ll hear: >> Why brand clarity matters more than ever >> How Bill’s doubled down on breakfast, brunch and Gen Z appeal >> The role of system...

In this special episode of What's Cooking, Nory CEO Conor Sheridan sits down with Kate Nicholls OBE, Chair of UKHospitality, to dissect the UK Budget 2025 and what it really means for operators on the ground. The Chancellor promised "root and branch" reform of business rates and a reset that would lower bills for hospitality whilst increasing them for online giants. Instead, operators got the exac...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? host Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, chats with Andrew Maxwell, Operating Partner at Imbiba, about what it really takes to scale and invest in hospitality businesses. From growing Boojum into Ireland’s leading Mexican QSR to guiding high-growth brands like House of Gods, Andrew shares practical insights into the inflection points, red flags, and cultural...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? host Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, chats with Jim Hingston, Digital & Technology Director at Azzurri Group, about what it really takes to make digital transformation stick in hospitality. From integrating across five brands to prioritising projects that actually move the needle, Jim shares practical insights into building tech that delivers operati...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? Neil Remedios, Operations Lead for Dave’s Hot Chicken UK and Ireland, joins Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, live from the 2025 Hospitality Tech Expo to unpack the fast, furious journey of scaling one of the world’s hottest QSR brands, under the Azzurri Group umbrella. From why a copy-and-paste localisation isn’t always possible, to launching 7 sites in u...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? Chris Demery, CTO of Blaze Pizza, joins Conor Sheridan CEO and founder of Nory, to unpack the gritty realities of tech transformation in hospitality. From piloting new systems to navigating franchise complexity, Chris shares how Blaze Pizza balances innovation with profitability. Learn why the best restaurant tech isn’t flashy—it’s functional, scalable, and obses...