Breaking Bread

What does it take to build a food or drink brand that stands the test of time? To mark a decade of Bread & Jam, founders Cemal Ezel of Change Please, Annie Morris of Spoon Cereals and Segun Akinwoleola of The Gym Kitchen look back on their entrepreneurial journeys, from their early days at Bread & Jam to the milestones, setbacks and pivotal decisions that shaped their businesses. Chaired by Eugene Patterson, co-founder of Revibed Drinks, this live recording from Bread & Jam Festival 2026 looks back on a decade of entrepreneurship, exploring the lessons learned, mistakes made and pivotal moments along the way, as well as how the food and drink retail landscape has evolved. From early challenges to hard-won achievements, discover what it takes to adapt, persevere and build a brand that lasts.

Recorded live at the 10th edition of the Bread & Jam Festival, this panel brings together three founders to explore what it really takes to scale food and drink production. Gulrez Arora of Gymkhana Fine Foods, Tom Partridge of HOLOS Kombucha and Riya Patel of All The Aunties share the decisions, trade-offs and challenges behind growing their brands, from bringing restaurant-quality Indian sauces to supermarket shelves to scaling small-batch kombucha and putting better paneer on shelves. Chaired by Zoe Fox, Head of Business Development at The Coconut Collab and host of the Getting to Grow podcast, the discussion gets into the practicalities of finding the right manufacturing partner, maintaining quality as demand grows, and convincing manufacturers to take a chance on an emerging brand. From the pros and cons of in-house production versus working with a co-packer to managing costs and meeting retailer requirements, this is an honest look at the realities of scaling without compromise.

Through years of working closely with entrepreneurs, Charlie Walker has realised one main thing: behind most struggling startups isn’t a marketing problem, it’s a people problem. Charlie has spent his career at Harmonic helping founders build teams, structure equity schemes, and navigate the messy realities of scaling. He’s seen what works, but more importantly, has seen what quietly breaks companies from the inside. In this episode, he explains why founders chase “messiah hires” that don’t exist, how to reference-check properly before making senior hires, and breaks down the real mechanics of building a high-performing team. This is a masterclass for anyone who is moving beyond founder-led hustle into structured growth and wants to avoid the costly team mistakes that stall so many businesses.

Learn from Charlie Walker as he pulls back the curtain on why most startups struggle, and gives us some real advice on building high-performing teams, avoiding costly hiring mistakes, and navigating the people challenges that quietly break companies from the inside. A lesson in what it really takes to move from founder-led hustle to structured growth.

Most founders believe raising money is the milestone. Guy Blaskey disagrees. After building Pooch & Mutt largely on his own terms, Guy exited for £12 million — while still owning 95% of the company. In this episode, Guy breaks down the uncomfortable realities of scaling: why you can’t optimise growth, profitability and cash flow all at once; why investors want you to “fly or die”; and why slow, controlled growth often wins in the long run. He shares the mindset he believes founders should adopt, the operational lessons that changed everything for him, and what selling a business is really like behind the scenes. If you’re building for the long term (and care more about control than vanity metrics), this is an episode you’ll want to tune into.

Tune in for a candid conversation that challenges everything you think you knew about fundraising and scale, as Guy Blaskey leads us through the real story behind building and exiting Pooch & Mutt on his own terms. From the hard trade-offs between growth, profit and cash flow to the pressure to “fly or die,” Guy shares the uncomfortable truths founders rarely hear, and what selling a business is actually like behind the scenes. A must-listen for anyone building for the long term and determined to do it their way.

From experimenting with mushroom bars and launching the UK’s first keto shop to leading the grocery range at Planet Organic, Pinar Guven has spent over a decade shaping the health and wellness food scene. As Planet Organic’s Grocery Buyer, she decides which emerging brands get their shot in one of the UK’s most influential organic retailers. In this episode, Pinar reveals how she turns trends into commercial reality, navigates high-pressure decisions, and rebuilds a retailer after administration. She shares what makes a product or brand succeed, the human side of buying, and why smaller independent retailers like Planet Organic are the perfect launchpad for Challenger brands. Whether you’re a founder trying to get your product onto shelves, or simply curious about the journey from "cool concept" to commercial success, Pinar’s story is full of insight, practical tips, and lessons that can save you costly mistakes.

Get ready for a must-listen episode uncovering the secrets of Planet Organic, as Pinar Guven takes us inside the world of grocery buying. From experimenting with mushroom bars and launching the UK’s first keto shop to leading Planet Organic's grocery range, Pinar reveals how she turns trends into commercial reality. Unmissable for founders looking to get stocked — and searching for the right launchpad for their brand.

A first-time founder with no food-industry experience or retail contacts, Riya Patel managed to transform a supper club in her own kitchen into one of the UK’s most talked-about paneer brands, All The Aunties - all in just six months. She relied on curiosity, resourcefulness, and relentless conversations to navigate an industry that can feel impossible to break into. Her journey is a masterclass in spotting opportunities, avoiding costly mistakes, and building a brand with heart. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of Riya’s rise. She shares how she found the right people to talk to, how early conversations shaped her strategy, and how a passion project became a nationwide success. Her story shows exactly how the right conversations can save you from costly mistakes and unlock opportunities most founders only dream of.

How do you break into food retail with no experience, no contacts, and no safety net? Get ready for one of our most inspiring episodes yet as Riya Patel from All The Aunties shares exactly how she did it. From hosting a supper club in her own kitchen to building one of the UK’s most talked-about paneer brands in just six months, Riya shows how curiosity, resourcefulness, and the right conversations can unlock opportunities others never even see.