Second Nature

English wine didn’t evolve — it accelerated. And now it’s facing the consequences.

Ed Mansel-Lewis, Head of Viticulture at Knight Frank, joins Rich Stockdale for a wide-ranging conversation about what really determines success in modern wine — and why the industry is quietly shifting from rapid expansion to ruthless consolidation.

From Champagne houses planting vines in Kent, to £30 non-alcoholic wines generating eye-watering margins, to marketing stunts that outperform heritage overnight, this episode pulls back the curtain on the economics, branding, and power dynamics shaping the future of wine.

But this isn’t just an industry conversation. Ed opens up about leadership, emotional intelligence, mentorship, and the personal cost of building under pressure — at work and at home.

Nye Gordon, Director at Guidehouse, joins Rich Stockdale PhD for a conversation that moves fast — from politics to engineering, from nature markets to climate resilience, from imposter syndrome to the dream of working from a lochside in Perthshire.

Nye argues that nature isn’t a backdrop to energy infrastructure — it is infrastructure. A tool for resilience. A shield for assets that are about to face more pressure than ever as the UK electrifies everything.

They dig into the cultural clash between engineers and sustainability teams, the missing incentives for networks to invest in nature, and the massive opportunity for energy companies to become true climate leaders rather than reluctant participants.

It’s practical. It’s provocative. And it’s a glimpse into a future where resilience-as-a-service, bold policy, and ambitious nature projects sit at the centre of how we power a country.

If you care about climate, infrastructure, or the enormous transition already unfolding beneath your feet — you’ll want to hear this one.

Tom Sobey built Origin Coffee long before specialty coffee became a trend — and long before the industry understood what “quality” actually meant. ☕️

This episode goes deep into the real story behind one of Europe’s most respected coffee brands: the early graft, the relentless focus on culture, the obsession with craft, and the uncomfortable decisions needed to scale without selling your soul.

We talk about the defining moments — losing Soho House after years of partnership, watching COVID wipe out wholesale overnight, then rebuilding through a digital surge that reshaped the entire business. We dive into why Tom chose to bring in outside investment for the first time, and how that move was really about unlocking opportunity and protecting Origin’s future in Cornwall.

Tom’s philosophy is disarmingly simple: surround yourself with people smarter than you, stay humble, and let quality lead every decision — even when it hurts. The result? A roastery with global credibility, a culture built on trust, and a brand that refuses to play the “race to the bottom” game.

This isn’t just a coffee story. It’s a blueprint for building something timeless in a world addicted to shortcuts. 🔥

Dryrobe didn’t just invent a product — they created a culture.

In this episode, Rich sits down with Tasmin Chilcott, the unstoppable force behind Dryrobe’s sustainability mission, to unpack how a cold-car-park problem became one of the most influential outdoor brands in the world. From a mum’s homemade prototype to GB Olympic kit, Dryrobe has become the Hoover, Dyson and Google of its category — and Tasmin reveals the real reason why.

They dive into the stories no one sees: the 100% recycled materials, the circular economy push, the packaging trials that cut eight tonnes of waste, and the battles inside a company trying to build gear that lasts forever in a world obsessed with buying again tomorrow. Tasmin opens up about her journey from ocean conservation to carbon accounting to shaping one of the UK’s most values-led brands — and why the climate crisis will force a radical rethink of everything we design and wear.

Community, restoration, wild swimming culture, charity partnerships, algae-based innovation, local hiring, B Corp ethics — it’s all here. And Tasmin doesn’t sugarcoat the challenge ahead.

If you want to understand what real sustainability looks like — and why Dryrobe keeps winning while everyone else greenwashes — this conversation will hit you harder than a winter swim.

What happens when an ecologist stops waiting for government — and builds the system himself?

Professor David Hill CBE, founder of Environment Bank and the architect of biodiversity net gain (BNG), joins Rich Stockdale PhD for a conversation that rewrites the rules of conservation.

From founding the UK’s first environmental consultancy to forcing Westminster to legislate for nature, David’s journey is proof that change doesn’t come from policy papers — it comes from people willing to fight the system.

They go deep on:

• How BNG became law — and why it almost didn’t.
• Why private investment is the only route to large-scale restoration.
• The £45 million surge in biodiversity markets.
• And the creation of The Foundation for Nature — a ratings agency for the planet.

This is not a polite discussion about the environment.

It’s about power, persistence, and the business of saving the natural world.

Neil Beamsley doesn’t just build homes — he builds habitats.

As Group Head of Biodiversity at Bellway Homes, Neil is leading one of the UK’s biggest housebuilders into uncharted territory: a world where development enhances nature, not erases it.

From his early days in archaeology and ecology to shaping national policy on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), Neil’s story is one of balance — between progress and preservation, ambition and accountability.

He talks openly about Bellway’s decision to go beyond the legal minimum for BNG, the rise of off-site habitat banking, and why true sustainability starts with collaboration, not perfection.

This is a conversation about how nature, business, and regulation can finally work together — and what it takes to build a legacy that lasts longer than concrete.

Scotland has just passed one of the most controversial pieces of land legislation in modern history — and we brought the experts into the Shoot Room for our first-ever round table to break it wide open.

Rich Stockdale PhD sits down with Don MacLeod (lawyer and land reform specialist) and Crawford Mackay (partner at Galbraith) to dismantle the real implications of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill — the bureaucracy, the fragmentation, the unintended consequences, and the uncomfortable truths no one else is saying out loud.

They go deep on:

– Why parts of the Bill risk stalling Scotland for years

– How fragmentation could cripple restoration, rural housing, and renewable energy

– What the government got wrong about “big is bad”

– Why land is national infrastructure — and why treating it otherwise is a mistake

– And how Oxygen Conservation’s model is now being written into statute

This episode is incredibly honest — with Don openly challenging key elements of the Bill and Crawford warning that the real and immediate risk is stagnation.

If you want to understand what this Bill really means for communities, climate, investment, and the future of Scotland’s landscapes — start here.

Honest, sharp, and essential. This episode will change the way you see land, power, and the politics shaping the places we all depend on.

Joe Stanley has spent his life on the land, but this conversation isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about the brutal, beautiful, and misunderstood reality of modern farming.

A farmer, writer, and NFU environmental representative, Joe joins Rich Stockdale PhD to dismantle the myths about what it means to feed the nation while fighting climate change. From soil carbon and silvopasture to biochar and bureaucracy, he lays out the uncomfortable truth: the people growing our food are being asked to fix the planet without the training, funding, or time to do it.

Together they dive into the politics of sustainability, the pressure on farmers to become carbon accountants, and why the future of food security depends on honest conversations — not headlines.

This is farming without filters. Policy without spin. Hope without naivety.

They called Knepp reckless. Now it’s the blueprint for Britain’s environmental future.

Molly Biddell, Head of Natural Capital at Knepp, joins Rich Stockdale PhD to talk about what happens when you stop controlling nature — and start trusting it.

From the death of “sustainability” to the birth of new markets for nature, Molly pulls no punches on the realities of rewilding, regulation, and the courage it takes to let go.

They talk systems thinking, privilege, burnout, and why the biggest barrier to saving the planet isn’t money or politics — it’s our fear of change.

Knepp was once mocked for going wild. Now it’s proving that the future belongs to those who do.

What if the future of tech wasn’t about faster chips — but deeper values?

Richard Peers, founder of Responsible Risk and former Microsoft and Accenture leader, has lived through every technological revolution from the birth of the PC to the rise of AI — and he’s seen what we keep getting wrong.

He built alliances without power, sold the future to people terrified of change, and watched as the world’s biggest companies learned that timing, not talent, decides who wins. But now, Richard’s focus is shifting — from performance to purpose, from profit to planet.

We talk about the 1980s wild west of computing, Microsoft’s cultural metamorphosis, and how evangelism built billion-dollar brands — before turning to what comes next: AI, geospatial data, and the urgent need to value natural capital before the planet sends the invoice.

This isn’t nostalgia for the tech that built the world — it’s a call to use technology to rebuild it.