Alana and Lisa MacFarlane are the dynamic twins behind ‘The Gut Stuff’, the award-winning brand bringing gut health into the mainstream and educating us about the importance of our body’s 'second brain'.

Emerging from their Scottish roots, with (self admittedly) less-than-ideal dietary habits, the sisters have gone on to become champions for the power of gut health, redefining what it means to eat well. Their journey began with a landmark twin study in the UK, supervised by none other than  Professor Tim Spector, which was instrumental in uncovering the gut's critical role and its unique intricacies in each and every individual. This episode unpacks their path from unexpected findings about microbiomes to creating a brand that captures the attention of both consumers and industry alike.

Alana joins us to discuss the transformation of gut health from a niche scientific topic to a mainstream necessity, emphasising the fundamental role of fibre and how simple dietary tweaks can lead to substantial health benefits. The Gut Stuff have built a community of the world’s leading scientists in gut health, dieticians and nutritionists, bringing together their knowledge and disseminating it to the public in digestible and fun formats. 

Fresh from a global research conference and deep in the throes of gut health research, Alana shares her insights on the future of probiotics and upcoming innovations in gut health.

Whether you're a health enthusiast or just curious about the intersection of science and diet, this episode is brimming with insights, engaging stories, and practical tips from one of the twins spearheading the gut health revolution.

Find more from The Gut Stuff on their app, their website and their prime-time TV show, ‘Know your Sh*t” on Channel 4. 

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.

Follow Brandt and Micah:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/ 

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more

Follow Alana and Lisa: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-macfarlane-931777112/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-macfarlane-kempner-5904b4173/ 

The Gut Stuff 

https://thegutstuff.com/ 

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/the-gut-stuff/id6444077201 

Brands Mentioned: 

JKR - https://jkrglobal.com/ 

Dram and Smoke - https://dramandsmoke.com/ 

Flo App - https://flo.health/ 

Peloton - https://www.onepeloton.co.uk/ 

Gut - Guilia Enders – https://www.waterstones.com/book/gut/giulia-enders/david-shaw/9781911344773 

The Diet Myth – Tim Spector - https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-diet-myth/professor-tim-spector/9781474619301 

Sophie Medlin - https://www.citydietitians.co.uk/team/sophie-medlin

Segun Akinwoleola, the brain (and muscles) behind The Gym Kitchen, joins Brandt and Micah to spill the beans on crafting meals that pack a tasty and protein-filled punch. 

Segun is on a mission to reinvent the face of British ready meals, providing consumers with first and foremost a delicious and convenient meal, that is *actually* nutritious and filling. 

From the early days of the brand concept and trademarking to the strategic manoeuvres that landed The Gym Kitchen in the nation’s major retailers, this episode covers it all. Segun reveals the strategies behind building a brand before launch, the importance of community, and how staying true to your vision—even when it means reimagining your product based on feedback—can lead to success in a crowded market.

But it's not just about the food. Segun opens up about the broader implications of being a black founder in the food and beverage industry, shedding light on the hurdles and highlighting the need for more representation and support. From confronting stereotypes to pushing for change, his insights offer a candid look at the landscape of entrepreneurship through a diverse lens.
 
Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a health-conscious eater, or someone interested in the intersection of diversity and business, this episode is packed with valuable lessons, inspirational stories, and the inside scoop on what it takes to build a brand that stands out and stands for something more.




If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.

If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]

Follow Brandt and Micah:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more

Follow Segun:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/segun-akinwoleola-a0941530/  

https://thegymkitchen.com 

https://www.instagram.com/thegymkitchen/ 

Brands Mentioned:
The Mind Collective

Liquid Studio 

Liquid Death

The Black Farmer 

Rory Sutherland - The Ikea Effect

Tesco Black Action Plan

Sainsbury’s Thrive 

Strong Roots

Gym Shark

Hawksmoor

Brand Growth Heroes

Diary of a CEO

High Performance Podcast

Will it Make the Boat go Faster?

A cookie to die for? Certainly a project to die for!

Fortunately, no one was ACTUALLY harmed in the making or consuming of these Squid Game Dalgona cookies, as Brandt and the Tastehead team talk us through one of the most exciting, and challenging development projects yet. As the biggest trending show on Netflix of 2023, you can imagine the excitement in the team opening the email brief - to develop and make the actual dalgona cookies to be used in the biggest reality game show ever made, Squid Game: The Challenge. 

In this episode, Brandt is joined by the team behind bringing the dalgona cookies to the contestant's hands and your screens; Lucy, Tastehead project manager, Eaman, senior development chef and Paddy, junior development chef. Lifting the veil on why the brief was not as straight forward as you might imagine, from the ‘ticking time bomb’ of air exposure to the incredible precision required to achieve the desired pass rate for the challenge, the whole show hinged on the honeycomb breaking (or not) right on queue.  

With $4.56 million at stake, each of the shapes had to be equally possible to successfully complete to give all of the show’s 456 contestants a fair chance to get through.  
Having spent months on the project, the Tastehead team left the kitchen smelling of caramel, sugar coated and making honeycomb in their sleep, but at least there was a honeycomb old fashioned waiting for them at the end of it all.  

We hope you enjoy this behind the scenes dive in to what it takes to make TV magic happen!

 
If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing. 

If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected] 

Follow Brandt and Micah: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/ 

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more 

To watch the Dalgona Squid Game Episode and see more of Behind the Scenes: 

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81734609 

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81615540 

William Kendall, the mastermind behind some of Britain's most iconic household food and beverage brands (New Covent Garden Soup Company, Green & Black's, Cawston Press) has a talent for turning small beginnings into remarkable success stories.  


Starting out on his family farm in Suffolk, through to studying law, qualifying as a barrister, moving into investment banking then completing an MBA in France, he surprisingly found himself ‘rather unemployable’.   


Discovering this, he went full circle, back to his roots in working with food and joined the team at New Covent Garden Soup Company when they were still in their infancy. Building the brand up to a supermarket mainstay, his next mission was to make organic chocolate irresistibly appealing at the pioneering British fair-trade brand, Green & Black's.  


Amongst the plethora of roles he holds, he serves as an investor and consultant to a variety of emerging brands as well as chairman of Cawston Press, the British soft drink brand. In this conversation, Micah and William chat through what William sees as key to his success, how he approaches leadership and valuable insights for small brands seeking funding from investors. 


One thing is for sure, William has a knack for building great brands on the foundations of great products. Join us for this episode where long-time colleagues William and Micah discuss the excitement of launching first-of-their-kind brands defining the industry standards to follow. 

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing. 

If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected] 

Follow Brandt and Micah: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/ 

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more 

Follow William:
https://www.grosvenor.com/about-us/our-people-2e99a4c93c49100fe0bb82bdea5d432a/william-kendall



Brands Mentioned  

New Covent Garden Soup Company - https://www.newcoventgardensoup.com/  

Green & Black’s - https://www.greenandblacks.co.uk/  

Cawston Press - https://cawstonpress.com/  

Bold Bean - https://boldbeanco.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAh8OtBhCQARIsAIkWb6-pg_UwFGEYpTibof_TWr4iAEaR9OV-oKI5zet33uES2Fribm8qZ9kaAqqZEALw_wcB  

Purdy and Figg - https://purdyandfigg.com/  

The Greyhound - https://www.greyhoundpettistree.co.uk/  

The Suffolk - https://the-suffolk.co.uk/restaurant/  

The Canteen - https://www.oldhospitalhub.co.uk/canteen  

Pinch - https://eatpinch.com/ 

While a product's taste may be amazing, if its packaging doesn't grab its target audience, it risks staying unnoticed on the shelf.

So, how can you ensure that your packaging is as enticing to the eyes as your product is to the taste buds? The challenge lies in effectively translating the taste and narrative of a product into its visual identity, and often, this connection is overlooked, resulting in lacklustre packaging not speaking to its target consumer.  

To address this, we're excited to introduce you to the brand creation experts at BuxtonThreeTwo, Hal Tyler and James Bettinson, also known as the Tastehead brand design partners. With a wealth of experience creating challenger brands from the ground up, they talk us through how to bring truly disruptive brands to life. 


In order to nail your packaging, first we discuss how critical it is to spend time positioning your brand, carefully understanding who your target consumer is and how they want to be communicated to. 

Join us as we explore the importance of precise product positioning before diving into the creative process, how working with the development chef allows for design work that pulls taste into the visual realm, and the pivotal role of storytelling in crafting a successful brand.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.


If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]


Follow Brandt and Micah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more


Follow BuxtonThreeTwo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hal-tyler-683a3387/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bettinson-937630158/

https://buxtonthreetwo.com/


Links Mentioned:

David Ogilvy - https://www.ogilvy.com/#work

Marty Neumeier - https://www.martyneumeier.com/

Rory Sutherland - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/

Black and Decker - https://www.blackanddecker.co.uk/

DeWalt - https://www.dewalt.co.uk/

Seabrook crisps - https://www.seabrookcrisps.com/

When approaching a rebrand, understanding your core values and how to communicate them to your consumer is vital. For Isle of Wight Tomatoes, all the amazing work they were doing from pioneering the growth of new, taste-driven tomato varieties to their inherent sustainability credentials was being overlooked. They worked with B&B Studios to look inwards and evolve the former ‘Tomato Stall’ brand to the new ‘Isle of Wight Tomatoes’, in doing so becoming recognisable as an iconic British producer and supplier that we can now see today.



If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.


If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]


Follow Brandt and Micah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more


Follow Paul and Isle of Wight Tomatoes:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-thomas-41b65338/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://iowtomatoes.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/iowtomatoes/?hl=en

Mark Palmer has an incredibly impressive CV in food & beverage, heading up the marketing teams at Burger King, Pret, Green & Black’s and now Cawston Press. His journey through the food and beverage industry is a masterclass in adaptability and innovation. From his tenure at the globally renowned quick-service café, Pret A Manger, to founding the UK's fastest-growing ambient juice brand, Cawston Press, and now as an investor nurturing start-up concepts, Mark has accumulated a wealth of wisdom along the way. 🌟 

Having experienced the industry from both sides of the table—supplier and consumer—Mark offers invaluable insights. At the helm of Pret, he learned the art of agility and innovation, understanding that small tweaks can lead to seismic shifts. Mark also emphasises the critical importance of truly knowing your consumer and how their lifestyles dictate their interaction with your brand, providing a roadmap for adaptation to better meet their needs. 🛋️ 

Unsurprisingly, Mark knows a thing or two about leadership. As a seasoned marketing director for various brands, he's also built teams for the companies he's founded. His leadership philosophy centres on empowering individuals to shine, leveraging their expertise, and allowing them the freedom to excel in their roles. He believes in the strength of a well-rounded team, emphasizing collaboration over the myth of a one-person show. 💼💡 

Now, as an investor, Mark sits through countless pitches from hopeful start-ups. In this episode, we dive into what it takes to convince him to invest and how to persuade an investor that your venture has the potential to be the next success story. Mark's insights into the world of investment are a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs. 💰🚀



If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.


If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]


Follow Brandt and Micah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more


Follow Mark:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpalmermarketing/


Links Mentioned:
Brands Mentioned 

United Biscuits (Hula Hoops, Skips, McCoys) - http://www.unitedbiscuitsfoods.com/ 

Burger King - https://www.burgerking.co.uk/

LA Brewery - https://labrewery.co.uk/

Forest Feast - https://forestfeast.com/

Pret a Manger - https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB

Guinness - https://www.guinness.com/en-gb

Bold Beans - https://boldbeanco.com/

Lego - https://www.lego.com/en-gb?age-gate=grown_up

Baileys - https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/

This sh*t will never sell - David Gluckman - https://www.thatshitwillneversell.com/book.html

David Gluckman LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/englishauthor/?originalSubdomain=uk

With such an iconic name, it’s no surprise that James Cadbury is obsessed with chocolate.  As you have probably guessed, James’ great-great-Grandfather was one of the brothers that founded the now illustrious Cadbury’s brand. 

Growing up just down the road from the legendary Bournville site, James had an early fascination with chocolate from a young age. Despite beginning his journey in finance after university, he soon realized that his heart was elsewhere—immersed in the world of chocolate. With a desire to make his mark on the industry and having supported several start ups, James took the plunge, investing his hard-earned savings into his first chocolate venture, Love Cocoa. 

While navigating the rollercoaster of start-up life and having great success with his first brand, it also became clear that the nation’s growing love for plant-based milk chocolate was growing. With an opportunity to be the first chocolate in the UK market with oat milk, James launched his second brand, HIP. His team developed a product that was a true game-changer to the category, a great-tasting, dairy-free chocolate like the UK had never seen before. It skyrocketed to success and hasn't looked back since. 

In this episode, James takes us behind the scenes, sharing the challenges of running two start-up brands, along with the dilemmas of whether to put his name on the packaging and the pros and cons that came with it. He also dives into the critical focus on sustainability for both of his brands, drawing inspiration from his pioneering ancestors. James explains why it was imperative for Hip to breathe new life into the plant-based chocolate category and stand out on the store shelves.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.


If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]


Follow Brandt and Micah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more


Follow James:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadbury/?originalSubdomain=uk

Love Cocoa
Instagram

HIP
Instagram

Links Mentioned:
Cadbury - https://www.cadbury.co.uk/

Property Moose - https://propertymoose.co.uk/

Hotel Chocolat - https://www.hotelchocolat.com

Tony's - https://tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en

Dragons Den (James Cadbury Episode) - YouTube

Midday Squares - https://www.middaysquares.com/

Shoe Dog - https://www.waterstones.com/book/shoe-dog/phil-knight/

Kind Bag -  https://www.kindbag.co

Starting a new food or beverage brand can be a daunting task, especially if you have limited experience in the industry. For Zara, founder of Pukpip, this was very much the case, with a background in marketing, she had to quickly pivot into sales to get Pukpip through the door of some of the UK's iconic high street retailers. In this clip, Zara talks us through why actually, knowing what she does now, she sees her then narrow insight as a good thing.

If you enjoy this best bite, please consider listening to the full episode.


If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]


Follow Brandt and Micah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more



Follow Zara:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-godfrey-n%C3%A9e-gugen-%F0%9F%8D%8C%F0%9F%8D%AB-26051723/

https://pukpip.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hellopukpip/

Transforming a commodity food item into a thriving brand is no easy feat, so to see the success that Isle of Wight Tomatoes has had starting from their humble beginnings is all the more impressive 🍅

The UK’s island paradise is headed by Paul Thomas, Co-founder and Managing Director. Starting in the food industry cooking up a storm in Australia, upon returning home, he found himself at London’s iconic Borough Market flogging his tomatoes to the public, surprised to discover tomatoes came in any other colour than red. 

His initial offering of six tomato varieties quickly became a sensation, and the buzz around his produce grew steadily. Fast forward to today, and Isle of Wight Tomatoes boasts a staggering 150+ tomato varieties, with plans to keep that number growing. They've become a go-to destination for fresh British produce, including (the occasional fiery) Padron peppers, heirloom aubergines, and more. 🌶️🍆

In this discussion, Paul explains the importance of crafting Isle of Wight Tomatoes into a comprehensive brand experience, a crucial element behind their remarkable success. He also shares how their pivot from business-to-business (B2B) to direct-to-consumer (D2C) during the pandemic turned out to be a game-changer for the brand.

We are always delighted to see any of Paul’s tomatoes come through our doors at Tastehead, so would enthusiastically urge you to taste some for yourself! 🍽️👩‍🍳




If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.


If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to [email protected]


Follow Brandt and Micah:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/

Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more


Follow Paul and Isle of Wight Tomatoes:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-thomas-41b65338/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://iowtomatoes.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/iowtomatoes/?hl=en


Links Mentioned:
Great Taste Awards - https://gff.co.uk/directory/?type=product&awards-scheme=1

Great British Food Awards - https://www.greatbritishfoodawards.com/

Good Housekeeping Awards - https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/about/a35310620/good-housekeeping-awards/

Borough Market - https://boroughmarket.org.uk/

Koffmann's Potatoes - https://thefoodheroes.com/koffmanns/  

Belazu - https://belazu.com/

Tony's - https://tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en

Quay, Syndey - https://www.quay.com.au/