Nick Kleiner, founder of Sandwich Sandwich, joins us to share how a tiny sandwich shop turned into one of the UK’s fastest-growing food brands.This didn’t start as a big plan.It started during the credit crunch, when a struggling restaurant needed a new revenue stream. A 60 square foot shop next door became the testing ground.In this episode we cover:◼️ Starting Sandwich Sandwich from a tiny shop in Bristol◼️ Why product matters more than personality in building a brand◼️ Lessons from early businesses and learning not to rely on others◼️ Surviving the credit crunch and pivoting into sandwiches◼️ Growing steadily before everything changed during COVID◼️ Using delivery platforms and social media to rebuild demand◼️ The role of community and why Bristol was key to their success◼️ How moving into a bigger site doubled revenue overnight ◼️ Building a viral brand through influencers and organic reach◼️ Winning Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year and scaling into London◼️ Expanding towards 20+ sites and £40M+ turnover ambitionsToday, Sandwich Sandwich is known for its oversized, high-quality sandwiches, with queues out the door and a loyal following across the UK.

Jen Davidson, founder of Sleek Events, joins us to share how she built a £34 million events business, starting from a desk in her spare room.This isn’t a typical growth story.Jen didn’t build Sleek to sell it.She didn’t build it around numbers.She built it around people.From struggling with self-belief at school to navigating toxic workplaces early in her career, Jen’s journey is shaped by one thing: proving there was more to her than people expected.In this episode we cover:◼️ Starting Sleek Events from a spare room with no clear roadmap◼️ Building a £34M business without chasing money or external investment◼️ The early career moment that changed everything◼️ Why culture is the foundation of the entire business◼️ Rewarding the whole team, not individuals◼️ Hiring based on values, not qualifications◼️ Turning down significant revenue to protect the team◼️ Rebuilding the business after COVID nearly wiped it out◼️ Growing 465% in six months after restarting◼️ Trusting your gut instinct in business decisions◼️ Why you don’t need to be ruthless to succeedSleek Events is now one of the UK’s leading independent event agencies, delivering large-scale experiences for global brands.

Bethan Higson, founder of Mother Root, joins us to share how she built one of the UK’s most exciting modern drinks brands, redefining what it means to have a drink without alcohol.After a decade working in wine and spirits, Bethan saw a gap.When she stopped drinking, she realised something was missing.Not just an alternative, but a proper drinking experience.Something bold. Something complex. Something worth having.So she started experimenting in her kitchen.What followed was Mother Root. A completely new kind of drink, built around bold flavour, natural ingredients and a totally different approach to modern drinking.In this episode we cover:◼️ Building a drinks brand from scratch with no prior business experience◼️ Creating a completely new category and educating customers from day one◼️ Starting with market stalls and learning what actually sells◼️ Leveraging early restaurant listings, including Michelin-star venues◼️ Growing a loyal fanbase through DTC and community◼️ Raising over £1m while maintaining control of the business◼️ The reality of launching into retail and what it actually takes to succeed◼️ Becoming a top-performing product in Waitrose and Ocado◼️ Pitching on Dragons’ Den and securing investmentMother Root isn’t just a product.It’s a brand built on taste, community and a new way of thinking about drinking.

Jake and Naynesh Karia, founders of Jake & Nayns, join us to share how they built one of the UK’s fastest-growing food-to-go brands.Founded in Leicester, Jake & Nayns was created to solve a simple problem: finding high-quality, flavour-packed food that’s easy to eat on the move.Inspired by their mother’s cooking and their passion for bold Indian flavours, the brothers developed their now-signature product, Loaded Naans (formerly known as Naansters): soft-baked naan breads filled with curries, rice and chutney, designed to be eaten hot or cold.What started as a small idea has grown into an award-winning British food-to-go brand, now stocked across major UK retailers including Tesco, Asda and Boots, often featured in meal deals and travel locations across the country.In this episode we cover:◼️ The story behind Jake & Nayns and how the brand started◼️ Creating their flagship Loaded Naan concept◼️ Building a scalable food-to-go brand◼️ Expanding into burritos, samosas and toasted snacks◼️ Getting listed in major UK supermarkets◼️ Designing products that are convenient without sacrificing flavour◼️ The realities of growing a modern food brandToday Jake & Nayns continues to push the food-to-go category forward, combining authentic Indian-inspired flavours with convenience, creating products that are bold, satisfying and built for life on the move.

Brothers Simmy and Jhai built Simmer from £10 of a student loan into a £30 million+ meal prep business, without raising a penny.It started in a university kitchen.What began as selling meals to students instead of ordering Domino’s became a nine-year grind of obsession, resilience and doing more with less.In this episode we cover:◼️ Starting with £10 and reinvesting every penny◼️ Scaling to £30m+ turnover with a five-person office team◼️ Why they’ve never raised investment and never wanted to◼️ The crackhead analogy for urgency◼️ Hiring people with something to prove◼️ Living and working together as brothers◼️ Burnout, obsession and operating in “boiling water”◼️ Doing over £100m lifetime revenue without business training◼️ Why most people are softer than they think◼️ Building a personal brand through real storytellingSimmer isn’t just meal prep.It’s proof that relentless execution beats flashy ideas,and that sometimes the best businesses start by solving your own problem.The following link will apply a huge 50% off your first Simmer order: https://simmereats.com?code=febe50

Jack Smith, founder of Lovey, joins us to tell the real story behind one of the UK’s fastest growing business loan providers.A young lad growing up between two very different worlds.One week in a warm house where nothing was missing.The next, sleeping in a coat because the heating couldn’t go on.Then one day, Jack’s mum turned up at his flat with two suitcases and nowhere else to go.That was the moment.In this episode we cover:◼️ Being diagnosed with dyslexia and losing confidence at school◼️ Sitting at the head of the table asking for £100m with a D in GCSE maths◼️ Nearly shutting the business down over a £2.75 parking ticket◼️ The £50 Facebook ad that changed everything◼️ Scaling to 130 staff with plans for 300◼️ Growing from £9.5m to nearly £20m turnover in a year◼️ Signing off a £10m marketing budget◼️ Owning 100% of the business◼️ Why he still plays football with the same mates from schoolLovey is now one of the UK’s top rated business loan providers, helping small businesses access funding from £1,000 to £750,000.But for Jack, it was never about the money.It was about responsibility.It was about grit.It was about making sure his mum never had to sleep on a lounge floor again.

Wayne and James, co-founders of The Skinny Food Co, join us to break down how they built one of the UK’s most recognisable food brands, without investment, without a silver spoon, and without ever losing control.From launching in 2018 with a handful of syrups to now managing 376 SKUs across 18 categories, this is a story of graft, resilience and recalibration.Wayne grew up in a one-bedroom council flat. James was raised by a single mum. Neither left school with standout grades. But both had the same obsession: build something of their own.In this episode, they open up about:◼️ Why a family health wake-up call sparked the brand◼️ Scaling to £18m turnover and 75 staff◼️ Losing nearly half their revenue overnight after platform changes◼️ Spending six months deep in VC talks, then walking away◼️ Why control matters more than cash◼️ Cutting back to 9 staff and outsourcing everything◼️ Going from hyper-growth to focused, profitable growth◼️ Landing nationwide listings with Morrisons and beyond◼️ The real cost of entrepreneurship: sleep, sanity and timeThey’ve never argued. They’ve never quit.But they’ve definitely ridden the rollercoaster.

Cano Water co-founder Josh White shares how extreme personal circumstances led to the creation of one of the UK’s most disruptive purpose-led brands.Before Cano existed, life was already a battle. Josh’s early years were marked by instability, rejection and a constant search for purpose. What followed was a journey that took him from survival mode to helping build an entirely new category, canned water, challenging plastic pollution at scale.This episode goes far beyond business tactics. It’s about resilience, belief and refusing to give up when everything tells you to stop.Josh talks openly about:◼️ Growing up feeling misunderstood and searching for direction◼️ Finding focus and purpose through creativity and music◼️ Losing everything and starting again from nothing◼️ Witnessing plastic pollution firsthand and deciding to act◼️ Why putting water in a can was seen as a ridiculous idea◼️ Being dismissed by industry leaders and told it would never work◼️ Years of rejection, financial pressure and near-miss moments◼️ The turning point that validated the mission overnight◼️ Scaling from an idea to tens of millions of cans◼️ Why aluminium matters and convenience can still be responsible◼️ Building a brand driven by values, not shortcuts◼️ The meaning behind Cano’s message: Don’t Bottle ItThis is a story about conviction.About backing yourself when no one else will.

Ivo Devereux, co-founder of Sapling Spirits, sits down with us to share how a tree-planting project in Scotland became one of the UK’s most purpose-driven drinks brands.What began as two childhood friends organising a community tree-planting “party” turned into a radical idea: use vodka as a vehicle for positive impact. With no background in spirits, Ivo and his co-founder Ed built Sapling around one clear mission – connect great products with real environmental action.In this episode, Ivo opens up about:◼️ How a burnt-out Scottish island inspired the idea for Sapling◼️ Turning tree planting into a movement, not a lecture◼️ Entering one of the most competitive categories in the world with zero experience◼️ Why vodka became the “vessel” for their environmental mission◼️ Building a brand with your best friend and strengthening the relationship, not breaking it◼️ Beating global giants like Belvedere and Grey Goose in blind tastings◼️ Planting nearly 600,000 trees and the goal of one million by 2027◼️ Becoming the highest-scoring B Corp in white spirits globally◼️ Getting into Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose through relentless on-trade graft◼️ Raising capital and taking on the US market with industry-defining leadershipSapling isn’t just a drinks brand.It’s proof that business can be ambitious, profitable and genuinely good for the world at the same time.

Richard Sutcliffe, founder of Passenger, sits down with us to share how a search for escapism led to one of the UK’s most emotionally connected outdoor brands, now turning over close to £100 million a year.What began with an Arctic trek and a desire to escape the noise became Passenger, a brand built on purpose, emotion and meaningful experiences. Alongside his wife Alexa, Rich bootstrapped the business through years of uncertainty, personal hardship and relentless graft, before bringing in senior leadership and investment to take it to the next level.In this episode, Rich opens up about:◼️ Trekking the Arctic and discovering the idea of meaningful escapism◼️ Building Passenger with his wife and risking everything to make it work◼️ Bootstrapping for five years while working full-time◼️ Nearly losing it all and being leveraged to the hilt◼️ Why authenticity can’t be faked and how brands lose it◼️ Stepping away from the CEO role and bringing in leaders better than him◼️ Balancing brand, culture and commercial pressure at scale◼️ Raising investment, imposter syndrome and sitting at the board table◼️ The difference between mistakes and real fuck-ups◼️ Why saying no is the hardest and most important skill in businessThis is a masterclass in founder self-awareness.Honest, reflective and grounded in values over ego.