This week Peter sits down with Charlie McVeigh, financial journalist turned hospitality entrepreneur and the brains behind Draft House specialist beer pub chain. Charlie has over 20 years’ experience building brands, with a focus on strategy, funding and exit. Charlie’s experience and entrepreneurial ventures are above and beyond, and today we find out more about his epic journey so far.
This week, Peter sits down with Tony Kitous, the advocate and original provider of authentic, contemporary Lebanese and North African cuisine to the UK over 2 decades ago. His passion, determination and utter dedication to authenticity shines through in all he does. Tony and his ever-expanding network of Comptoir Libanais go from strength to strength.
In this episode, Peter sits down with James Ferrante Drago, one half of the Lupo Bros. Brothers James and Mathew opened their first restaurant in Wimbledon back in 2016 are now proud owners of three branches. The brothers drive their business forwards with a desire to deliver great quality Italian food and coffee, with a truly authentic passion for authentic Italian cuisine.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Amir Batito and Shiri Kraus, owners and chefs from the recently opened Black Cow in Camden. The warmth and relaxed ambience you will find is a reflection of these passionate founders and offers an exciting Middle Eastern take on the traditional steak house.
In this episode, Peter sits down with David Toscano, founder of Italian bar and kitchen concept, Cin Cin, which was launched back in 2013 when David bought a 1972 Fiat 850 van whilst still working as a lawyer. Following a successful launch at street food level, he has since grown the concept to two sites, and the business has gone from strength to strength with multiple revenue streams, including Cin Cin at home, weddings and events. This is definitely a concept (and an episode!) to watch!
Filmed at Home Grown in London. https://homegrownclub.co.uk/
In this episode, Peter sits down with founders of The Salad Project, James and Florian, who developed and launched the concept during Covid and have already achieved some success and traction. The Salad Project is surely one to watch over the coming years.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, a high-end and innovative hospitality business in London. Starting his business journey in his mid-twenties with a management contract within the Sloane Square hotel, Charlie has gone on to develop one of the most respected and renowned hospitality groups in the UK.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Alex Aleksic, co-founder of deep dish pizza concept, Japes. A former Olympian, Alex takes an analytical approach, using data, market insights and consumer feedback, to developing and growing this business. Japes is still a young business but has now established itself as a serious player in the pizza market and we are sure will go on to be a very successful concept.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Neil Potts, co-founder of vegan burger concept, The Vurger Co. Building a successful vegan restaurant is not an easy task and many have failed trying, but Neil and his wife, Rachel, have grown The Vurger Co to be one of the most renowned, respected and successful players in this market.
In this episode, Peter sits down with JP Then, Co-founder of Crosstown doughnuts and online ordering system, Slerp. JP is an inspiring entrepreneur and is building two very successful businesses. He is definitely one to watch for the future!
In this episode, Peter sits down with Yannis Alary, co-founder of Blanchette restaurants. Growing up in Normandy, Yannis has food and hospitality in his blood, and following some years working in quality restaurants, he launched Blanchette in 2013 with his two brothers. They have since gone from strength to strength and are now established and renowned operators in London.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Ollie Gold of Pophams. Ollie has a deep passion for food and hospitality and by focusing on these elements, is building a very successful business.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Andrea Rasca of Mercato Metropolitano. Andrea operates an alternative business model based on traditional values, community and sustainability and flourishes. With the World in such chaos at the moment, and poor diets killing more people than smoking, I think we need more people like Andrea focusing on the right things and still achieving a profitable business.
In this episode, Peter sits down with twins Joyce & Riassa of Double Dutch. This was the final interview we did before lockdown and Covid 19 was just taking hold around the world. It was great to see Joyce and Riassa since complete on a deal with Heineken who have taken a 10% shareholding in the business. Alongside the obvious expertise, the capital will support further growth of the Double Dutch brand and expansion into international markets. In this episode, we speak about the Double Dutch journey and about the constant innovation which has led to their success.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Adam Byatt, Chef Proprietor of Trinity, Upstairs, Charlie's and Bistro Union Restaurants. Adam began his career as a chef apprentice aged 16 at Claridge’s Hotel and followed a very structured classical training path. In 2006, Adam established Trinity in Clapham, which was subsequently awarded a Michelin Star and has held three AA Rosettes for a decade, whilst his other successful ventures, Bistro Union and Trinity’s Upstairs, both hold Bib Gourmands. Adam recently added Charlie's at the renowned Brown’s hotel to his portfolio of successful restaurants.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims. After the idea emerged over a few pints in a pub, Thom and his co-founder brother, James, decided to go on a pilgrimage around Italy in search of the best pizza. They subsequently launched their first site in Soho in 2012 and are now growing steadily with 12 sites. Thom's energy and enthusiasm for the restaurant industry and for genuinely looking after people is refreshing and inspiring.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Nick Coleman, the founder and CEO of Snaffling Pig. Whilst running a successful medical supplies business, Nick launched Snaffling Pig as a bet with only £500 cash. He has since won 9 Great Taste awards and the Virgin Foodpreneur award. In 2016 he appeared on Dragons' Den and secured investment from Nick Jenkins. Snaffling Pig now has a turnover of over £3m and has recently raised over £1m on Crowdcube, valuing the company at over £10m.
In this episode, Peter sits down with David Abrahamovitch, Founder of Grind café-bars. David launched the first Grind after converting his father's mobile phone shop at Old Street Roundabout in trendy Shoreditch. In this conversation, he highlights the importance of focusing time, energy and resources on the right things at the right time, and that delivering a great product and experience from Day 1 is paramount to success. Grind currently had 10 sites in London and has more in the pipeline.
In this episode, Peter sits down with Joel Burgess, Founder of Nutrifix, a nutrition app that locates nearby healthy meals which are tailored to an individual body’s needs and dietary requirements. In November 2016, just before launching, Nutrifix was one of the first start-ups to join the Just Eat Food Tech Accelerator programme, which provided the team with 10 weeks of intensive mentoring, in addition to a £20,000 investment into the business. In March 2017, Nutrifix launched and succeed with a crowfunding campaign on Crowdcube, raising £200,000. This fuelled the initial growth and success, and within the first year, Nutrifix built up over 5,000 users and had acquired data for almost 5,000 meals from over 9,000 locations and 90 vendors. Although still a relatively young business, Joel has built a strong foundation and is achieving some very positive traction for the business. Enjoy!
In this episode, Peter sits down with Simon Woodroffe, Founder of Yo! Sushi, Yo! Home and Yotel. Simon launched Yo! Sushi at the age of 40 following a suggestion by a Japanese friend to launch a conveyer-belt sushi restaurant in London. He was thinking big from day one and used his experience in show-business to create a restaurant that was truly unique and note-worthy. Simon went on to grow one of the most renowned restaurant groups in the World. This is an inspiring story full of ambition and innovation! Enjoy!
