An Hour With An Indie

If you listen to this podcast, it's because you love hospitality, and if you love hospitality, then you need to know that there's a staff crisis at the moment which is threatening the industry. 

Mark McCulloch is the man behind Hospitality Rising. He and his team are raising millions to create the largest recruitment campaign ever seen in the industry. Think of the old 'We Need You' army campaigns and you won't be too far off the idea, only this time on TikTok and Instagram! 

Mark came on to the podcast to talk about how the campaign will work and how we can all get involved to help with the industry we love so much. 

If you enjoy this podcast, please support it by rating the show on the app you're listening. It helps more than you know.

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

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Thom Hetherington is the CEO of Northern Restaurant and Bar, the hospitality conference which takes place in Manchester on 16th and 17th March. After a two year pandemic break, the show is back this year with a bang. 

During the podcast, Thom talks us through what we can expect at NRB this year and why it is a useful spend of time for anyone in hospitality. Thom also shared his thoughts on some interesting industry topics such as 'the north vs south', 'culture within organisations', 'what makes a successful business' and much more. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Nathan Larkin is the Founder of Speak In Code cocktail bar in Manchester. The business has just been voted as the 10th best in the country by Top 50 Cocktail Bar. 

During the podcast, Nathan spoke to use about his creative process, how and his team are able to come up with new and noteworthy cocktails and what's involved in running a bar of this stature. Nathan also provided an overview of the industry and highlighted some of the trends that might set the direction of the sector in recent years. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Peter, along with his wife, Elaine, founded Lunya Spanish restaurant in 2010. Since then the business has gone on to build a reputation as one of the leading restaurants in the area winning North West Restaurant of the Year for two years running (2015 & 2016).

As well as offering a fantastic taste of Spain on their menu and a varied and authentic deli, a big part of Lunya’s success is down to the personal connection that Peter and Elaine have built with their customers. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Mike and Alex are the founders of Sugo Pasta Kitchen in Manchester. The brothers opened their first restaurant in 2015 and have just began the process of opening their third site. 

After building a strong and loyal fanbase, Sugo have utilised crowdfunding to help open this third site. During the podcast, the pair go into detail about the crowdfunding process, including some tips for those who are considering it themselves. However, all of the amazing support (and money) which Sugo have received, wouldn't be possible were it not for the time, dedication and honesty which they put into the business and it's customers - without this the community of Sugo fans would not exist.

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Michelle Langan runs the Papercup Project, a Liverpool based charity which supports local rough sleepers and people experiencing homelessness. For several years, Michelle and her dedicated team have been helping those in need throughout the city.

Now, Michelle is launching Papercup Coffee, a coffee shop in Liverpool city centre which will boost the reach of the charity and provide more resources for the team to carry on their work. Michelle is working with a training provider (The Learning Foundry) to provide hospitality training to homeless in the area and is looking to engage with the local hospitality business community to provide sustainable jobs for those post-training. 

Links:
Papercup Project - https://papercupproject.org/
The Learning Foundry - https://www.thelearningfoundry.co.uk/

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Laura runs Laura's Little Bakery based in Liverpool. Over the last 11 years, she has built a superb business which is very highly regarded throughout the hospitality community in the area.

It all started for Laura baking cakes at home. Over the 11 year period, she has tried many things and tested ways to expand the business in a way which is sustainable and true to the reasons she started.

During the podcast, Laura very honestly shares her experiences so far, both positive and negative. Laura discusses some of the challenges which she has overcome and provides some really thoughtful tips and guidance for anybody getting started. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Omar started Tapas Revolution several years ago with two aims - to bring authentic spanish food to UK restaurants and to encourage people to cook authentic spanish food at home. 

Since then, Omar has worked hard to promote spanish food through restaurant openings, media appearances, cookbook releases and more. 

On the podcast, Omar talks us through his incredible story so far which brought him from Madrid to the UK and he also shares his opinions on some important industry topics sucha s work culture and brexit. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

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Pedro is one of the most well known people in the Liverpool hospitality community. He operates two very popular summer venues in the city's Baltic Triangle area, Sub Rosa and Botanical Garden. 

As well as this he also co-runs a huge facebook for the hospitality industry which over 30k members, many of whom are active. The group has turned out to be an invaluable resource for so many who have gone on to start and run successful hospitality businesses. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free

Ed and Henry started The Gentlemen Baristas in 2014. Fueled by caffeine and a passion to bring a 'well-mannered' and 'decent' brews to the masses, the pair have since created a coffee house brand with 10 venues and a roastery which supplies over 100 hospitality businesses. 

During the podcast, the pair spoke to us about their journey so far, reflecting on the differences they bring to the coffee industry and some of the challenges along the way. 

An Hour With An Indie is created by Pilla - the app where retail and hospitality work happens.

Scheduling shifts is just the start - Pilla's automation and work templates make sure teams get the right work done, at the right time, in the right way.

Try Free