Rory Laffan is the founder of Bee Hospitality, a specialist recruitment agency with 24 years embedded in the UK hospitality sector. He has placed talent at some of the best-known restaurant brands in the country, from Blacklock and Pizza Pilgrims to international groups expanding into the UK market.

In this episode, you will hear how Rory learned to stop chasing volume and start choosing clients with the same care he gives candidates, why recruitment done properly has nothing in common with the reputation the industry carries, and what 24 years of hard lessons actually looks like when someone is honest about them.

Connect with Rory Laffan:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rory-laffan-51b86110
Bee Hospitality: https://www.youfoundbee.com/

Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy: https://embraceai.co.uk

The London Food Network:
Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com

Guest Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 The Industry That Hooks You and Won't Let Go
00:54 Why Most Operators Never Listen to a 26-Year-Old Recruiter
03:12 He Started at 25 and Still Regrets Not Wanting More
06:01 The Mistake That Almost Cost Sebastian Everything
09:04 What You Lose When You Chase Volume Over Relationships
11:35 The Moment Fewer Clients Made Them More Money
15:22 Why Recruitment Done Wrong Destroys Trust
18:30 90 Percent of Business Is Referrals for This Reason
22:06 What Happens When You Put Money First in Recruitment
25:09 The Industry Where You Can Outgrow a University Degree
29:44 What Running a Business Does to You When Your Family Gets Sick
33:16 Late Payments Almost Destroyed Both of Their Businesses
36:01 What You Actually Lose When You Stop Appreciating What You Have

If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it.
#HospitalityRecruitment #FoodIndustry #UKHospitality #RestaurantBusiness #Entrepreneurship #FoodFounders #LondonFood #Recruitment

Food wholesale software changed how thousands of fresh food distributors work. Fresho co-founder Huw Birrell explains how they built it from a wrong idea into a $50M platform operating across 5 countries.

Sebastian nearly lost his seafood business. Fresho automation is part of what saved it.

Guest Links:
Website: https://www.fresho.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huw-birrell-2365aa3a/

Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy Helping food and hospitality businesses grow through smarter automation, better lead generation, and systems that remove admin without losing the human touch. https://embraceai.co.uk

Connect with The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com

Guest Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 He Nearly Walked Away From Subscriptions. Here's Why. (teaser clip opens)
00:33 Why a Photographer With No Plan Ended Up Running a 16-Year Agency
04:15 How a Phone Camera Can Destroy Your Brand Without You Knowing
07:17 What Nobody Tells You Before Hiring a Food Photographer
08:44 Why the Best Shoots Happen the Day After You Call
09:46 The Client Who Came Back After 4 Years. No Contract. No Retainer.
10:05 How an Industry That Never Stops Changing Keeps Catching People Off Guard
13:43 The Unwritten Rule That Stops Photographers Stealing Your Clients
18:36 Why Tight Margins Make Hospitality Cut the Wrong Thing First
20:15 The Referral Model He Refuses to Use (And Why It Works Anyway)
21:24 Why Subscriptions Sound Smart But Almost Never Get Signed
25:33 What the Next 12 Months Look Like When AI Is Coming for Your Job
27:51 Where to Find Hospitality Media

—

Most food distributors still take orders by voicemail at 11pm. One supplier we spoke to gets 150 faxes a day. Another had a full-time staff member whose entire job was re-entering orders from customer spreadsheets into their system, then passing them to ops, then generating invoices. Every handoff was a chance for a mistake. Every mistake meant credits, disputes, and lost hours.

Huw Birrell co-founded Fresho in 2015 with his business partner James Andronis, a 20-year veteran of the fresh seafood industry. Together they built a fresh food order management platform that now handles billions of dollars in wholesale orders each month for suppliers across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

In this episode, Huw and Sebastian dig into the real story behind building Fresho. What the wrong original idea was, and why Huw almost pursued it anyway. How they survived launching in the UK just as COVID hit and borders were closing. Why Fresho's policy has always been to raise funding before you ever need it. And why the average food distributor grows 20% year on year after adopting the platform.

Know an operator still running orders by voicemail at midnight? Send them this.
#FoodWholesale #FoodDistribution #FoodTech #Fresho #FoodBusiness #FoodFounders #UKFood #Entrepreneurship

The hospitality industry is shrinking its teams, cutting sponsorship visas, and watching its best talent walk out the door for remote jobs. David Dawson has been recruiting for it since 2009 and has a front-row seat to all of it.

David is the founder of DS Hospitality, a specialist hospitality recruitment agency placing front and back of house talent across the UK for independent hotels and high-end chains.

In this episode, you will hear why the best candidates never apply to job boards, what AI gets wrong in recruitment, and what it actually takes to build a business that lasts in one of the hardest industries in the world.

Connect with David: https://dshospitality.co.uk

Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy: https://embraceai.co.uk

Connect with The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com

Guest application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform

If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it.

#hospitality #recruitment #londonrestaurants #foodindustry #entrepreneurship #embraceai #thelondonfoodnetwork #hospitalityrecruitment

She was told she would never have children naturally. She started her law degree seven months pregnant. Then had four kids in five years. Built a catering company, ran 80 weddings a year, and somewhere in there launched an artisan ice cream brand.

Then a functional food company backed by clinical trials. Then a franchise model. All while Brexit wiped out her exports overnight and cocoa prices quadrupled.

Sally Newall is the founder of Simply Ice Cream and My Doctor's Recipe. She has never compromised the product.

In this episode you will hear what it actually costs to stay clean-label through a decade of rising ingredient prices, why she says she would never go into frozen if she started again, and how she is thinking about AI and growth for what comes next.

Connect with Sally: Simply Ice Cream: https://simplyicecream.co.uk/

Proudly sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy, helping food and hospitality businesses scale smarter with automation and AI: https://embraceai.co.uk

Connect with The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com

Apply to be a guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1

TIMESTAMPS:
00:01:59 Training as a chef at school and living in Sydney
00:02:39 Running a pub, beauty clinic, catering, and an advertising business simultaneously
00:03:00 Told she could never have children naturally. Then had four.
00:04:13 How Simply Ice Cream started from 80 weddings a year
00:10:04 Why she would never go into frozen if she started again
00:11:08 What large food manufacturers actually put in your food and why
00:14:02 The Ozempic parallel: things hidden in food for decades
00:16:50 Why chocolate bars are no longer legally called chocolate
00:19:37 Why supermarkets are the wrong battlefield for an artisan brand
00:21:50 Farm shops, delis, and zoos: how Simply Ice Cream chose its market
00:23:13 The franchise model and what a franchisee actually does
00:26:03 The brutal economics of frozen delivery: a 4% margin and dry ice at £24 a box
00:29:31 My Doctor's Recipe: founded by an oncologist who lost his wife to cancer
00:32:26 How a production unit at home turned into four Airbnbs
00:37:10 What Brexit did to food businesses overnight: costs up 30% with no warning
00:38:36 Cocoa from £3.56 to £15.60 a kilo. Vanilla at £220 a litre.
00:41:42 Why Sally always works with consultants and never compromises on quality
00:44:57 Sebastian on why AI is a hybrid model, not a magic pill
00:47:05 Imposter syndrome, the entrepreneurial grind, and why she does it all for her family
00:49:06 Why the food industry is harder than almost any other, and why people stay anyway

If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it.

#FoodIndustry #Entrepreneurship #LondonFood #ArtisanIceCream #FoodBusiness #FoodFounder #CleanLabel

Most hospitality businesses think their phone camera is good enough. Adrian Franklin has spent 16 years proving otherwise and the results speak for themselves. One client came back after four years without a single reminder. That's not luck. That's what quality builds.

Adrian is the founder of Hospitality Media, a photography and videography agency serving restaurants, hotels, chefs, and food brands across the UK for over 16 years.

If you've ever wondered whether professional visuals are worth the investment, this episode will settle that question for good.

Hospitality Media Website: https://hospitalitymedia.co.uk Social: @hospitalitymedia

This episode is sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy Helping food and hospitality businesses streamline marketing, lead generation, and operations through AI-powered systems. Website: https://embraceai.co.uk

The London Food Network Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-london-food-network-podcast

Apply to be a guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform

Timestamps
00:00:00 - Why he turned down the subscription model after 16 years
00:00:33 - Introduction
00:01:43 - How a photography student ended up building a hospitality empire
00:04:15 - How every phone owner became a "photographer" and what that actually means
00:07:17 - What the briefing process looks like before a single shot is taken
00:08:44 - How fast can you actually turn around a shoot
00:09:46 - How the business has changed across 16 years
00:11:29 - Why clients come direct instead of through agencies
00:14:29 - How he protects the business when subcontractors meet clients face to face
00:18:32 - How a struggling hospitality industry hits a creative agency
00:19:32 - The new service quietly changing how venues present themselves
00:20:55 - Why the subscription model sounds appealing but rarely holds
00:25:33 - What the next 12 to 18 months look like for Hospitality Media
00:27:04 - The real threat - and it is not AI
00:27:51 - Where to find Adrian and Hospitality Media

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone in hospitality who's still on the fence about investing in their visual brand.

#londonfoodnetwork #HospitalityMedia #FoodPhotography #HospitalityBusiness #ContentMarketing #FoodBusiness #VisualStorytelling #RestaurantMarketing #UKHospitality #Entrepreneurship

Most people assume vodka is the purest spirit on the shelf. It's clear, it's simple, it's just distilled grain and water. Tina Karras found out that's completely wrong, and it changed everything she built next.

Tina is the founder of Tina's Organic Vodka, the only non-GMO verified vodka owned by a woman in the US, made from organic corn with a full ingredients list printed on the bottle.

This conversation will make you rethink every drink you've ever ordered and why what's in your glass matters far beyond the hangover.

Guest Links Website: https://tinasvodka.com

Sponsor Embrace AI Consultancy: helping food and drink businesses streamline sales, marketing, and operations using smart automated systems. https://embraceai.co.uk

Connect with The London Food Network Website: https://www.thelondonfoodnetwork.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-london-food-network-podcast

Apply to be a guest: https://www.thelondonfoodnetwork.com/apply

00:00 - Why she built a vodka brand three weeks before the pandemic shut everything down
01:29 - Tell me your story, why vodka?
02:42 - The hidden additives your alcohol brand doesn't have to declare
06:36 - Why the UK McDonald's fries have 4 ingredients and the US version has 11
08:47 - The fake chemical grape juice hiding in your $80 red wine
09:56 - Why glyphosate survives the distillation process
14:33 - Is there actual science behind all of this?
20:22 - The all-or-nothing trap we've built around alcohol
25:04 - Why alcohol was medicine before big pharma made everything a pill
29:56 - Why she chose vodka over every other spirit
39:01 - How 30% of US corn goes into spirits and what that means for the environment
44:58 - Using a vodka bottle as a megaphone for a much bigger mission
47:04 - Where to find Tina's Vodka and what's next

If this episode opened your eyes, share it with someone who still thinks their vodka is just vodka.

#OrganicVodka #FoodIndustry #LondonFoodNetwork #CleanSpirits #FoodTransparency #NonGMO #FoodAndDrink

James Passafaro walked into his first executive chef role at 26, drowning in binders, clipboards, and a team playing a constant game of telephone. He looked for a solution. There wasn't one. So he built it.

James is the founder of Opsi, the restaurant cost control platform helping kitchens, production sites, and multi-site groups get their arms around food cost, inventory, and operations without needing to buy tools they'll only use 30% of.

In this episode, you'll learn exactly where most food businesses are leaking profit, and the surprisingly simple fix most operators overlook.

Connect with James and Opsi:
Website: https://opsi.io
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/opsi-io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opsi.io/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opsi.io/

Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy We help food and wholesale businesses automate sales, marketing, and operations using AI. https://embraceai.co.uk

Connect with The London Food Network:
Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com
YouTube (subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1
Guest Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform

-

TIMESTAMPS:
00:01:19 The exact background of a Michelin trained chef.
00:01:59 The kitchen frustrations that forced a massive career shift.
00:05:06 The true purpose behind the Opsi platform.
00:12:09 The hidden layers inside this cost control system.
00:15:48 The exact types of restaurants using this technology.
00:18:10 The truth about business performance reporting.
00:19:45 The massive journey of a ten year tech founder.
00:24:36 The real reason he entered the hospitality industry.
00:32:43 The shocking reason for expanding to Australia first.
00:36:18 The exact place to connect with the founder.

If this resonated, share it with a chef or operator you know who's still running things the old way.

#restaurantbusiness #foodindustry #hospitality #restauranttech #foodentrepreneur #londonfoodnework #operationsmanagement

Betty Lu is the founder of Confetti Snacks. Her brand focuses on sustainability and health. She has visited sixty countries. She uses her global perspective to create unique flavors that fight food waste.

Website: https://us.confettisnacks.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betty-lu-994681176/

SPONSOR.

This episode is sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy. They help food and hospitality businesses grow through automation and smart systems.

Link. https://www.embraceaiconsultancy.com

Join The London Food Network. We connect founders, operators, and leaders across the food and hospitality sector.

TIMESTAMPS.

00:01:39 How the Confetti Snacks story began.

00:03:36 The exact timeline of building a global brand.

00:04:59 Why finding healthy snacks is incredibly difficult.

00:06:21 The secret to making children crave vegetables.

00:07:15 Where to find Confetti Snacks in the UK.

00:08:30 The real reason Betty Lou retired at 27.

00:11:32 The exact moment she chose entrepreneurship.

00:14:27 How her family reacted to her massive leap.

00:15:30 The hidden challenges of expanding production.

00:19:15 The truth about launching in multiple countries.

00:23:40 The most difficult lesson in the food business.

00:28:10 What happens next for the Confetti Snacks brand.

00:32:45 The direct advice every new founder needs.

00:35:09 Why burning out is sometimes part of the process.

If you enjoyed this episode.

Like and subscribe.

Share with a founder or operator.

Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway.

FoodWaste, SustainableSnacking, UpcycledFood, ConfettiSnacks, GlobalDistribution, Entrepreneurship, FoodIndustry, BrandBuilding, FounderJourney, LondonFoodNetwork, BusinessPodcast, StartupGrowth.

What if the creator economy is quietly replacing retail for food brands?

In this episode of The London Food Network Podcast, host Sebastian Candelon sits down with Kirsten Maitland, Co-founder of Rebel Cheese, to explore how creator-led brands are reshaping the future of food, community, and direct to consumer growth.

As traditional retail becomes more competitive and less predictable, founders are turning to audience ownership, brand authority, and content-driven distribution to scale faster and more sustainably. Kirsten shares how Rebel Cheese navigated this shift and what food operators must understand about the new creator economy.

🔑 KEY TOPICS COVERED:

• Why retail is no longer the only path to scale
• How creator-led brands build stronger communities
• The power of direct to consumer in food
• Owning attention versus renting shelf space
• Why audience matters more than distribution
• The shift from product-first to brand-first strategy
• How Rebel Cheese positioned itself in a changing market

👤 GUEST BIO:
Kirsten Maitland is the Co-founder of Rebel Cheese, a plant-based artisan cheese brand redefining premium dairy alternatives. With a background in hospitality and brand building, Kirsten has helped position Rebel Cheese as a standout direct to consumer brand in a highly competitive market.

🌐 Website: https://rebelcheese.com
🔗 Email: [email protected]

🤝 SPONSOR:
This episode is sponsored by @EmbraceAIConsultancy, helping food and hospitality businesses scale through AI, automation, and smart systems.
👉 https://www.embraceaiconsultancy.com

Join The London Food Network — connecting founders, operators, and leaders across the food and hospitality sector.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:02:07 – How did Rebel Cheese first get started?
00:06:45 – What challenges did you face building a plant based cheese brand early on?
00:12:30 – How did The New York Times feature change your business?
00:18:10 – What did you learn from not being ready for sudden visibility?
00:23:55 – How did that experience prepare you for Shark Tank?
00:29:40 – What actually happens behind the scenes after Shark Tank airs?
00:35:15 – Why is capturing traffic more important than just getting it?
00:41:05 – How do you build systems to handle sudden growth spikes?
00:47:20 – What makes scaling a food brand so complex?
00:54:10 – What advice would you give founders chasing big media exposure?

If you enjoyed this episode:
✔️ Like and subscribe
✔️ Share with a founder or operator
✔️ Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway

CreatorEconomy, FoodBrands, DirectToConsumer, RebelCheese, HospitalityLeadership, Entrepreneurship, FoodIndustry, BrandBuilding, FounderJourney, LondonFoodNetwork, BusinessPodcast, FoodInnovation

In this episode of the London Food Network Podcast, I sit down with Gareth Evans, founder of Gareth Evans & Co Accountants, to talk about what really happens when the sh*t hits the fan in business.

We dive into:
💼 The hidden financial pressures SME owners face
📊 Why ignoring the numbers is the quickest route to trouble
⚖️ Practical steps to regain control when cashflow is tight
🚀 Building resilience and growth in uncertain times

Gareth brings a refreshingly honest and straight-talking perspective on the realities behind the balance sheet, sharing both warnings and solutions that every entrepreneur needs to hear.

👉 Tune in if you’re a business owner who wants to face the tough truths, take control, and come out stronger.

#LondonFoodNetwork #Podcast #SMEs #BusinessResilience #Entrepreneurship #FinanceTips #Accountancy #BusinessGrowth