HUNGRY.

Rory Sutherland, advertising and behavioral science expert who applies psychology to marketing, explains bottleneck theory and why you must target the system's narrowest point. He contrasts physical distribution with mental availability using Coke and Dr Pepper. He explores how condiments reveal customer expectations, warns against one-model thinking, and shows how small fixes can remove big constraints.

Founders share guerrilla marketing moves that make a wellness brand feel like unhinged luxury. They unpack viral hooks, whiteboard storytelling, and the three-second attention game. Expect tales of risky high-production shoots, status-driven product design, and using unpredictability, humor and sex appeal to build cultural obsession.

Doug Lamont, an experienced consumer brands leader from Innocent Drinks and Tony’s Chocolonely, shares his scaling playbook. He champions rolling innovation with many small-to-medium bets. He explains how to remove fear of failure, use early shelf sales to time marketing, and make multi-year country bets for real growth.

Tobey Duncan, Chief Strategy Officer at Uncommon Creative Studio and brand strategist who builds purpose-driven, culture-facing brands. He explores Purpose 2.0, why brands need enemies, and how consumer tension fuels creativity. Short, audacious positioning, fame as the highest-return comms, and mining a brand’s origin story are highlighted as keys to cultural relevance.

Sir John Hegarty, veteran ad exec who founded BBH and shaped modern advertising, defines creativity as an expression of self. He discusses balancing selfish and selfless creativity. He explains applying personal values to commercial work and when to refuse projects. He stresses empathy, a strong point of view, loving your work, and writing for yourself.

This week we have a throwback to an incredible convo with the co-founder of TRIP, Olivia Ferdi.It’s what every wonderful guest on the poddy teaches me.TRIP ripped up the rule book.Definition of outlier.TRIP is for everyone and anyone, anywhere, anytime and everywhere.TRIP is a coffee replacement. Booze replacement. Cocktail mixer. Meal Deal enhancer. Grab & Go.All charged with a beautiful mission: Be Kind to your Mind.Won listings at Co-op Sainsbury's, Waitrose & Partners, @Annabel’s, Soho House & CoON THE MENU:1. Why your brand must be chameleon to be a truly omni-channel brand – lessons from Annabel’s, Mayfair and Co-Op.2. Why your brand should act as a PROMPT to unlock an emotion in people – TRIP own “Be Kind to Your Mind”3. How TRIP won a Bill’s listing in 4 weeks – when one door shuts, open a window. Be fluid.4. How to repurpose your brand and shelf space to unlock more occasions = more consumption = more £ wonga.5. How TRIP raised £10 million quid – do you really need presentation a deck?6. Why founders must actually seek and embrace stress it’s a gateway forward.Every top food and drink founder reads our Newsletter - why wouldn't you? https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/Watch the full shabang on Youtube -  https://www.youtube.com/@HungryFMCG/videosLet’s link up on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/Stalk me on Insta- https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/ This episode originally aired in June, 2023.

Jon Walsh pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to scale a challenger FMCG brand without drinking your own Kool-Aid. From tying purpose to exit strategy, to why profit is a prerequisite (not a betrayal), to the tiny commercial decisions that quietly unlock big growth, this is a grounded, no-nonsense breakdown of taking Bio&Me from £2m to £20m. Heavy on real-world trade-offs, buyer reality, margins, packaging, people, and founder intensity — light on startup theatre. A sharp, practical listen for anyone trying to build something durable. =============== 🍽️ ON THE MENU ===============🎯 Why purpose and exit strategy aren’t opposites💰 How building for valuation actually sharpens purpose🧬 Turning gut health science into a real brand advantage📈 Scaling from £2m to £20m without losing the plot👥 Letting go of knowing everything — and why that’s progress🤝 Delegation, trust, and building a team that outgrows the founder📊 Why sustainable profit matters more than growth theatre⚖️ The delicate dance between growth and EBITDA🏭 Co-manufacturers: the hidden risk-takers founders forget🔍 Finding margin through nuance, not hacks📉 Promotions, pricing, shrinkflation, and honest trade-offs🛒 Why proximity to purchase beats flashy brand spend🧠 Innovating close to the core — and when to break the rule🥣 Going cross-category without killing valuation🧪 Science + taste: why health food must still be delicious🏬 How retailers really think about challenger brands🧑‍💼 Buyers, rangers, merchandisers — who actually holds power📦 Packaging as your most important marketing asset📐 The big rocks vs the pebbles of scaling a brand💥 The hardest decisions founders avoid: people and partners😬 Breaking up with early suppliers as you scale🕰️ The intensity myth: what “hard work” really looks like🚫 Why work–life balance is mostly bullshit at £20m❌ The biggest mistakes made on the way up🧭 What didn’t change from £2m to £20m — and why that matters🛍️ Why retailers aren’t the enemy (and never were)🔮 How thinking about exit quietly shapes every decision todayWhether you’re building an FMCG brand, advising founders, or navigating the jump from scrappy startup to serious scale, this episode is a masterclass in commercial realism, leadership maturity, and doing the unglamorous work that actually compounds.==============================================TIMESTAMPS00:00:00 Why Purpose and Valuation Reinforce Each Other00:01:43 What Bio&Me Actually Is (and Why It Exists)00:02:28 Gut Health as a Real Commercial Advantage00:03:18 From £2m to £20m: Understanding Run Rate00:04:40 Letting Go of Knowing Everything00:05:20 Delegation, Trust, and Growing a Leadership Team00:06:46 Why Profit Is Non-Negotiable00:07:25 The Delicate Dance Between Growth and EBITDA00:07:54 Funding Losses by Selling Equity00:08:18 Moving Into Profit — and Team Buy-In00:09:16 How Bio&Me Actually Became Profitable00:10:19 Co-Manufacturers Take the Biggest Early Risks00:11:25 Promotions, Pricing, and Margin Finesse00:12:33 Shrinkflation, Transparency, and Consumer Trust00:13:59 Honest Marketing Beats Clever Marketing00:15:18 Relentless Cost Discipline as You Scale00:16:47 Team Size Myths and the Shoreditch Trap00:18:10 The Hires That Really Moved the Needle00:19:11 Innovate Close to the Core00:20:22 When (and Why) to Go Cross-Category00:21:24 Gut Health Science: Fibre vs Fermentation00:22:52 Purpose as a Filter for Expansion00:24:03 How to Be Meaningfully Better Than Competitors00:26:17 The Reality of Managing Multiple Categories00:27:12 Why This Is a Golden Age for Challenger Brands00:29:10 Coopetition and Founder Generosity00:31:03 The Three Big Growth Levers to £20m00:32:29 Proximity to Purchase Beats Brand Hype00:33:20 In-Store Marketing That Actually Works00:34:29 Building vs Maintaining a Brand00:36:40 Understanding Buyers, Ranging, and Power00:38:51 Packaging as Your Best Marketing Asset00:40:30 The Hardest Decisions Are About People00:41:27 Breaking Up With Early Partners00:43:17 Why Scaling Is Intensely Hard00:44:10 The Work-Life Balance Myth00:45:42 Competition as Fuel00:47:34 Buyer Needs vs Consumer Needs00:49:16 The Biggest Mistakes on the Way Up00:50:33 Under-Investing in Marketing00:51:32 Waiting Too Long to Hire00:52:42 What Changed — and What Didn’t — at £20m00:54:00 Why Retailers Aren’t the Enemy00:55:42 How Exit Thinking Shapes Decisions Today 🔥10x creativity beats 10x budget. Want a life changing HUNGRY Creative Workshop for your team? DM brother ==============================================🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvelous Sponsors🌟=============================================💷💶💵For more on MIMO payments, financing & cash flow visit 👉 mimoHQ.com 

 ============================================== ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲  ---------------------------------🤝 Let's Connect!►Let's link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/)►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)  

In this brutally honest conversation, Tom Kerridge joins Dan Pope to unpack what it really takes to survive—and thrive—in modern hospitality. From building The Hand and Flowers into a two-Michelin-star pub, to closing businesses post-Covid, navigating razor-thin margins, and separating ego from decision-making, Kerridge offers a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and realism.Plus they explore why restaurants are “pirate ships” full of misfits and intensity, why front of house matters as much as food, and why most chefs overestimate their own importance. Kerridge opens up about addiction, ADHD, chaos versus control, and replacing alcohol with obsessive focus—first swimming, then lifting, then business... what an unbelievably candid conversation with one of England's hospitality legends. But, this isn’t a romanticised chef story. It’s a clear-eyed look at pressure, responsibility, fear, and why hospitality only works when passion is matched with brutal commercial discipline.📺Check out the video on Youtube :yt: for an even Hungrier experience=============== 🍽️ ON THE MENU ===============🔥 Why hospitality is one of the hardest businesses on earth💸 The brutal economics behind why restaurants barely make money🚪 Why opening a restaurant “makes no sense” on paper🧭 Tom Kerridge’s non-negotiable business principles🦠 Why Covid sharpened—not softened—decision-making🧠 The difference between thinking like a chef vs a restaurateur🔄 When to kill ideas, pivot concepts, and move on fast🤝 Lessons learned from working with Gary Neville🏋️ Talent vs relentless work ethic in elite kitchens⭐ What Michelin stars really change (and what they don’t)🏴‍☠️ Why kitchens are “pirate ships” by design🛎️ How front of house quietly makes or breaks restaurants💥 The tiny irritants that destroy great hospitality👫 Building businesses with partners—and surviving it⚡ ADHD, chaos, control, and creative intensity🍺 Replacing addiction with obsession👨‍👦 What success actually means as a parent🏉 Why rugby explains kitchens better than business books📱 The invisible chef WhatsApp networks🏆 What separates a three-star human from everyone else📺 Navigating TV without becoming a caricature🏅 How Kerridge won Great British Menu💣 The one truth chefs hate hearingWhether you’re a founder, operator, chef, or creative leader, this episode is a no-nonsense masterclass in pressure, responsibility, and building something that actually lasts.==============================================On The Menu: 00:00:00 The Hospitality Industry Is a Monster 00:03:45 Why Restaurants Barely Make Money 00:04:45 Why Opening a Restaurant Makes No Sense 00:07:00 Tom Kerridge Business Principles 00:08:35 Radical Transparency With Staff 00:12:15 If It Was Easy Everyone Would Do It 00:13:25 Why Kerridge Loved Covid Problem-Solving 00:15:05 Chef vs Restaurateur Thinking 00:16:45 When Concepts Fail and Must Change 00:18:20 Lessons From Working With Gary Neville 00:22:40 Talent vs Relentless Hard Work 00:29:50 Putting Personality on the Plate 00:30:55 One Star vs Two vs Three Michelin 00:34:45 Kitchens Are Pirate Ships 00:36:20 Making Michelin Feel Safe 00:38:20 The Coach’s Ridiculous Burger Explained 00:41:45 Silent Irritants That Ruin Restaurants 00:42:30 Front of House Creates the Experience 00:48:15 Building a Business With Your Partner 00:52:55 ADHD, Chaos, and Control 00:55:35 Replacing Alcohol With Obsession 01:03:00 What He Wants His Son to Learn 01:06:45 Rugby, Kitchens, and Team Roles 01:08:35 The Chef WhatsApp Inner Circle 01:14:45 What Makes a Three-Star Human 01:15:45 Navigating TV and Media Without Becoming a Caricature 01:20:35 How Kerridge Won Great British Menu 01:24:45 The One Truth Chefs Hate Hearing  🔥10x creativity beats 10x budget. Want a life changing HUNGRY Creative Workshop for your team? DM brother =============================================🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvelous Sponsors🌟============================================= 😱Got empty tables? EatClub connects your restaurant with diners in real time, turning quiet hours into profit. Contact us: fillmytables@eatclub.co.uk