What's Cooking? | A Podcast from Nory

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...

In this special episode of What’s Cooking? , host Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, is joined by Jose Gaytan de Ayala, Investment Manager at Kinnevik, to unpack Nory’s recent $37 million Series B raise. They dive into what attracted Kinnevik to Nory, how AI is revolutionising restaurant operations, and what it takes for a hospitality tech company to win in a legacy industry. This is a candi...

What does it take to align brand, culture, and operations in hospitality? Mark McCulloch, Founder of Hospitality Marketing Guru and CMO of Prezzo Italian, joins Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, on the latest episode of What’s Cooking? to share how he led a successful brand repositioning at national scale. From Pret to Prezzo Italian, Mark dives into building brand DNA, strategic marketing...

What does operational excellence really look like in the real world of hospitality? In this episode of What’s Cooking? Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, sits down with Jonny Bramwell, Regional Head of Operations at Rosa’s Thai, to explore how the brand scaled a transformative internal programme—Rosa’s Done Right. Jonny shares leadership lessons, key challenges, and how to balance beautiful...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, sits down with Maria McCann, Operations Director at Blacklock, to uncover how the brand has grown without compromising its people-first ethos. From retaining team culture across regions to transforming chef training, Maria shares tactical insights that have helped Blacklock scale smartly and sustainably.  Discover the role...

In this episode of What’s Cooking? Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, sits down with Darko Salaj, Operations Director at Giggling Squid, to uncover the unconventional strategies behind the brand's rapid expansion.  From thriving amid Covid to rejecting corporate rigidity, Darko shares his unique approach to operations, leadership, and scaling sustainably. Tune in to discover how embracing in...

Tom James, Managing Director at Bill’s Restaurants, joins Conor Sheridan, CEO and founder of Nory, to share how he led the brand through record-breaking growth over the past 4 years by doubling down on guest experience, change management, and technology.  With decades of experience and a deep operational background, Tom shares how he’s led Bill’s Restaurants through significant transformation, bal...

What's Cooking? is the podcast for hospitality operators scaling smart. Hosted by Conor Sheridan – CEO and co-founder of Nory, and a former operator who built and ran multi-site restaurant brands himself – each episode goes behind the scenes of fast-growing restaurant groups to explore the operational challenges that actually matter - like disconnected systems, staffing chaos, and margin pressure....