More than 12,000 pubs have in the UK since 2019 - a rate of around 30 a day. And that’s before you factor in the disastrous effects of the Covid pandemic. 

But even before the big shut-down, it was clear that the days of the traditional boozer were numbered. A new generation of punters wanted sophistication, a varied menu – and pint of keg and bag of peanuts just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

Five years ago Shaun Gardner and Jimmy Little bought the Salutation in Irthington - and having done so, they were determined to take it in a new direction. It was a huge success, but then came COVID – and the closed signs went up again.

NIck Brownlee talks to Shaun about bouncing back from the pandemic, and changing perceptions of what a village pub could and should be.

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot production for the Cumbria Sound & Vision Network.

Follow us on Twitter @CumbriaBizPod

Back for a new season, the Business Podcast welcomes one of the big beasts of the Cumbrian business jungle.

John Coughlan is CEO of TSP Engineering and in six years has turned a £1.5 loss into a £2m profit, secured a £30m contract from Sellafield, and been recognised as one of the county’s – and the country’s – leading business voices and mentors.

So what is the secret of his success? And can you bottle it?

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production for the Cumbria Sound & Vision Network.

@CumbriaBizPod

Not one but two attempts to launch regular flights from Carlisle Airport have crashed and burned in recent years after. Will Lakeland Airways suffer the same fate?

Not according to founder and CEO Jon Davies, who aims to get his new venture into the skies by this time next year. But who is Jon Davies and why does he think Lakeland will fare any better in Cumbria than the ill-fated Stobart Air and LoganAir? 

In this, his first full interview, Jon reveals all to the Cumbria Business Podcast about the latest effort to put Carlisle on the aviation map. 

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production

Twitter: @CumbriaBizPod

Ten years ago Chris Matthews' jet setting lifestyle had seen him balloon to 20st. But a chance meeting with a man who ran a weight loss clinic led to him losing 7st in just 20 weeks. In true Victor Kiam style, Chris was so impressed he bought the company -- well, almost. Now he runs a chain of clinics and counts some of the UK's biggest celebrities among his clients. In this episode of the Cumbria Business Podcast, Chris tells host Nick Brownlee about his dramatic weight loss, his equally dramatic career change, and how expert mentoring from one of Cumbria's favourite sons set him on the right track towards expansion. 

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production.

Follow us on Twitter @CumbriaBizPod

Jane Sedgwick has been making dreams a reality for Cumbrian holidaymakers for over 30 years. But the Brampton-based “travel concierge” has endured a year like no other thanks to the catastrophic impact of Covid on the travel industry.

She joins host Nick Brownlee to discuss her career up and downs, her thoughts on holiday prospects in 2021 – and a traumatic close encounter with some rowdy squirrels.

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production

@CumbriaBizPod

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Behind every business there is a story, and sometimes that story demands to be heard. Nic Hewitt set up West Lakes Hemp to sell medicinal cannabis oil in 2018, three years after being flooded out of her Carlisle flat by Storm Desmond. It’s a business, and a product, that has proved to be a life-saver – literally. In this frank and full-length interview, Nic opens her heart about her lifelong struggle with mental health, and describes how the humble cannabis sativa plant helped her to a better place.

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot production.

Twitter @CumbriaBizPod

West Lakes Hemp: www.lakelandcbd.co.uk

The Networking Queen meets the Godfather of Sole this week, as Michelle Masters and Andrew Marshall join host Nick Brownlee on the Cumbria Business Podcast.

Michelle is the powerhouse behind no fewer than five networking groups, including Carlisle Ambassadors, @CumbriaHour and the Small Business Support Group on Facebook, and has been responsible for bringing together hundreds of local businesses.

Andrew runs the Cockermouth-based Strolling4Shoes chain, which has battled back from two disastrous floods to become a real retail success story.

Together they discuss what it takes to bounce back from the brink, and how the support of the business community is helping Cumbria prepare for the day when lockdown ends.

Follow us on Twitter @CumbriaBizPod or email [email protected]

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production

Judith Wren, founder of Newby Bridge drinks producer Kinvodka, and Nick Turner, co-founder of Carlisle-based PR firm Intro join Nick Brownlee to discuss social media campaigns, pop-up shops, the demise of local newspaper advertising and how a session of apres-ski was the inspiration behind a hugely successful business.

Contact the show on Twitter @CumbriaBizPod or email [email protected]

This episode is supported by Really Clever Business, putting professionalism into your business pitches. Find out more at reallycleverpr.com

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production. 

Blazing a trail for young entrepreneurism in Cumbria are animator Lou Kneath and 17-year-old PR superstar Ollie Hodgson. Both have taken it upon themselves to not only launch their own businesses, but make a huge success of it. Lessons to be learned for the next generation? You bet! 

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production,

Hosted and produced by Nick Brownlee

Sam Lyon, from Cartmell Shepherd solicitors, and Nick Miller of Fine & Country Estate Agents brave the floods to join host Nick Brownlee to discuss all the latest Cumbria business issues. On the agenda this week: dodgy broadband,  why Cumbria's wide-open spaces make for hot properties in a pandemic, and we find out why investing in Eric Yuan's company could have earned you a fortune last year.

This episode is sponsored by Really Clever Business, offering professional presentations to give your business the edge in 2021. Check it out at www.reallycleverpr.com

The Cumbria Business Podcast is a Paperfoot Production.