Business Noodles and Doodles: Recent Episodes
PKF Francis Clark
We’re fascinated by business people and what makes them tick. In our Noodles & Doodles podcast, we meet entrepreneurs and business leaders with interesting stories to tell.
In each episode, Mark Greaves, corporate finance partner at PKF Francis Clark, talks to someone who has built a successful business, finding out what drives them and what they have learned from the challenges they faced along the way.
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply interested in the world of business, we think you’ll enjoy listening to their stories.
High-profile chef and entrepreneur Michael Caines shares his career story, from the origins of his passion for food to his numerous business ventures. His journey from talented but wayward college student to acclaimed TV chef sheds light on the ingredients needed for success in the hospitality industry.
Having worked with Raymond Blanc and the Williams Formula One team among others, Michael is now chef owner of Lympstone Manor Estate in Devon, as well as being a consultant to ambitious hotels and restaurants.
Working with small-scale family farms to develop a route to market for food produced in harmony with nature has been Pipers Farm’s mission for 35 years. Abby Allen, farms director and co-author of the Sustainable Meat Cookbook, shares her passion for food and farming as she discusses the value of local supply chains and collaboration between rural businesses.
Her story sheds light on challenges for family businesses, including succession planning and working with external investors, as well as how consumer habits have changed since the pandemic.
Robin Hutson OBE worked at some of the world’s best hotels before launching the successful Hotel du Vin and The Pig hotel groups. Telling the story of his career in hospitality, from starting out as a waiter to pioneering the boutique hotel movement, Robin offers insights on starting, growing and selling businesses.
He also shares his views on working with investors, changing trends in hospitality and why culture is key to success.
The next series of Business Noodles is starting on 4 September so we wanted to let you in on a number of the guests that we will be talking to! Listen to this quick trailer to find out more.
In this new series, we will be covering topics such as working with investors, managing succession in a family business, purpose and mission, selling your company and how they have all successfully grown their businesses.
More and more businesses are becoming B Corp certified, with over 7,000 across 160 industries in 90 countries now part of this global movement.
In the UK, there are now over 1,500 B Corps, employing more than 85,000 people. All have been recognised for prioritising people and planet in the way they approach making a profit.
We have talked to a number of guests about B Corp – explaining what it is, the process of becoming certified and what their businesses have learned. Now we’ve collected some of these insights in one special episode.
Wildlife conservationist Matt Walpole discusses the challenge of balancing conservation, economic development and rural livelihoods.
Matt chats about his varied career and why he returned to the South West to join Cornwall Wildlife Trust, which works to conserve and restore nature and wildlife on land and at sea. He also explores how we can all make a difference.
His career highlights include leading a UN programme focusing on biodiversity and the value of the ecosystem being at the heart of decision making.
Recruitment and executive search specialist Anna Jay shares insights on how employers can attract the right candidates in the post-pandemic jobs market.
Drawing on her 20 years’ experience, she explores the role of technology and artificial intelligence in the recruitment process and how the Covid pandemic has changed employees’ priorities. She also discusses the growing focus on purpose and ethical leadership.
Anna is founder and managing director of Public Leaders Appointments, a boutique executive search firm specialising in the public and third sectors, and a founding board member of Cornwall Women’s Fund, which aims to support women and girls in Cornwall.
An icon of the swinging ‘60s, the lava lamp continues to win fans around the world. Cressida Granger shares the highs and lows of her business journey as owner of Mathmos, the original lava lamp manufacturer, as well as revealing the key to export success for this enduringly popular British product.
With health services under growing pressure as more people live with multiple conditions, is technology the answer?
Richard Wyatt-Haines has been pushing boundaries and finding innovative solutions throughout his career. In his current role as founder and chairman of Health and Care Innovations (HCI), he reveals how digital information and apps are reducing costs, increasing capacity and improving patients’ quality of life.
Drawing on his varied experience in banking, consulting, insurance and now digital health, Richard also shares insights on leadership, the challenges facing the NHS and his advice for anyone thinking about doing an MBA.
Helen Moss, senior vice president of international distribution at Paramount Pictures, sheds light on the mechanics of the movie business, from projects getting the green light to deciding how, when and where to release a big-budget film.
Helen also reflects on how her career path has taken her from Cornwall to Los Angeles. As one of the most influential women in global cinema distribution, she is ideally placed to discuss the impact of the Covid pandemic and the AI revolution on the film industry – and how, despite predictions to the contrary, cinema is thriving in the age of streaming.
Jaye Cowle takes us inside the world of performance marketing, including how artificial intelligence and hybrid working are changing the way marketers work.
Discussing the importance of purpose in business, Jaye explains why happiness is the goal of Launch, the B Corp certified agency she founded.
She also shares insights on the growth mindset that can help founders take their business to the next level.
Series 4 is fast approaching and we can't wait to share it with you!
With guests that include global giant Paramount Studios, Launch Online, HCI Digital and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, we talk about key themes including AI, happiness, the importance of innovation, workplace culture as well as the topic of the moment - purpose.
The new series will be launching soon so make sure you're following the podcast on your usual platform so that you don't miss out on new episodes!
We can't wait to share this next series with you!
Tight profit margins, producing food at scale and caring for the environment – fifth-generation Cornish farmer David Simmons discusses the challenges of farming today. His family business supplies UK supermarkets with 70 million cauliflowers, broccoli and cabbages a year, so there’s a good chance you’ve eaten their produce.
While telling the story of how Riviera Produce has expanded beyond recognition over the past 40 years, David also shares insights on the importance of a sustainable food supply chain to the UK, the vital role of seasonal workers from abroad – and how there’s a lot more to Cornwall than tourism.
Fifth-generation lawyer Will Michelmore spent most of his career as a partner at South West law firm Michelmores. Since 1996, he has chaired the board of St Austell Brewery, one of the UK’s leading independent brewers and pub companies. Both businesses were founded by his ancestors, and in 2014 Will co-founded alternative lender Bricks Finance.
In this episode, Will reflects on the highs and lows of running businesses in the legal, hospitality and finance sectors during uncertain times, as well as sharing insights on leadership, managing change and colourful characters in his entrepreneurial family’s history.
Joanna Allen shares insights on the value of diverse leadership, B Corp and why purpose is integral to business, as we explore the evolution of Graze into the UK's leading healthy snacking brand.
Launched in 2008 as a subscription-only service, Graze is now a thriving retail and direct to consumer business. We delve into the keys to Graze's success and what’s changed since it was acquired by multinational consumer goods giant Unilever.
Joanna imparts her wisdom on the interplay between business purpose, strategy and mission. Learn how businesses can balance people, planet and profit, as she shares examples from Graze's journey as a certified B Corp.
We also find out why Joanna is backing the Better Business Act, a movement that aims to redefine the responsibilities of company directors. Joanna discusses the creation of a succinct business purpose and how it can be a beacon during decision-making storms, as well as the challenges of greenwashing and the need for a consistent set of standards for measuring ESG. She also shares her personal journey of stepping into the CEO role amidst the pandemic and her ambitions for Graze.
Business Noodles and Doodles is returning for series 3 - starting on 8 November, we have a number of brilliant guests joining us for the upcoming series.
Listen to this short trailer where Mark gives us a bit more information on the first episode of series 3!
What does Richard Branson, Chris Serkis and Pamela Anderson all have in common? It’s our latest podcast guest Chris Ormrod from Cakesmiths who joins us for a chat.
Having worked at big brands such as Virgin, Mars and Haagan Dazs, Chris Ormrod now describes himself as a property developer for businesses. Using private equity, he finds businesses in need of a renewed purpose and spends time getting it back onto its feet - at which point it usually becomes attractive to a potential acquirer.
With a key focus on engaging the local community with the performing arts, James Mackenzie-Blackman from Theatre Royal Plymouth explains the importance of creativity to the wider world in this new podcast episode.
James explains his role as CEO and executive producer at Theatre Royal Plymouth, how they support the community and James also explains how they produce stage sets for productions around the world.
What to bear in mind when a business becomes an employee owned trust - just one of the topics in the latest podcast episode, when our guest shares their experience nearly two years on.
With a background in accountancy and corporate finance, Emily Delve, Group Commercial Director at Coastal Recycling talks about developing the business, the importance of employee engagement and culture as well as how they became an employee owned trust in 2021.
The stars aligned when B Corp came to the UK in 2015 according to our latest podcast guest as it was everything he believed business should be about.
Thomas Bourne tells the story of how he went from corporate lawyer to running this own business. He now, with his team, helps companies achieve B Corp status which is fast becoming a key initiative in helping business to balance profit with people and the planet.
Thomas talks though how companies can tackle B Corp certification, its underlying philosophy matching into employee engagement and his business being driven by a strong purpose.
It takes a lot of nerve to leave your well paid job to set up a business but according to our latest guest on Business Noodles and Doodles, “it’s the best thing that I ever did”.
In this new episode, we talk to Matt O’Donovan, CEO and founder of WiFi SPARK, a leading specialist in providing commercial WiFi solutions to large venues.
Matt tells us how he grew the business with the help of investors, culminating in him selling the company in 2020 via an earn out agreement and continues to work in the business.
Sometimes businesses must diversify to survive. Business partners Adam Henson and Duncan Andrews grew Cotswold Farm Park by diversifying into tourism alongside traditional farming activities.
We were fascinated when they joined us on the Business Noodles & Doodles podcast to spill the secrets of how diversification has driven their business success. You’re in for an insightful listen and you may recognise Adam as a presenter on BBC’s Countryfile.
Taking over as CEO in 2008, Hugo tells us how he has developed what was a single issue pressure group into the well-known marine conservation charity that today campaigns not just about sewage pollution but plastic pollution, water quality and climate change.
When Hugo took over the organisation, he says how "it has come to a point when it was unsure of its next steps. Indeed, it may not have continued had I not taken on the role". He tells us how he grown the organisation to what it is today and what they have had to do to achieve this.
It's a fascinating podcast episode in the latest Business Noodles and Doodles series where we talk to business leaders and entrepreneurs to find out about their own personal business story.
We hope you enjoy this episode - don't miss out on future episodes by searching for Business Noodles and Doodles on your usual podcast platform or by visiting https://podcasts.pkf-francisclark.co.uk/podcasts/
In this podcast episode, we talk to Mark Hodgson from Co Cars. His mission is to create space for people in our towns and cities by getting them to rethink how they move by switching from the private car to shared mobility.
It's a fascinating conversation where Mark explains their business model - enabling people through the use of an app to hire a car or an electric bike - rather than owning their own.
In the twelfth episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, Nick Rodda from Rodda's talks about being the fifth generation working in this well-known family business. He also chats about gaining B Corp accreditation, the positives to come out of the pandemic and of course that question that we all argue about - is it cream or jam first when having a cream tea?
In the eleventh episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, Steve Oxford tells us about being a fourth generation baker, using some of the same equipment that his Great Grandfather bought for the business over 100 years ago.
He chats about the importance of being a family business and how they worked with a 1000 year old mill during the early stages of the pandemic to make sure they had enough flour, which then in turn received attention from around the world.
In the tenth episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, Charles Courtenay, the current Earl of Devon talks about training as a barrister and spending a number of years in America as a litigator until he moved back to the UK to take over the running of the Powderham Estate near Exeter. He also touches on the music events that they run at the estate including BBC Radio 1 and how he is a member of the House of Lords where he likes to champion the county's interests and how he continues his legal profession with Michelmores.
In the ninth episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, Imogen Waite at Season and Taste talks about how they opened their first restaurant in Bristol, growing to the four businesses they have today. Imogen talks about what inspired the food in their restaurants as well as how she views competition.
In the eight episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, Mitch Tonks from Rockfish talks about his love of the sea, his businesses journey over the years along with the challenges he has faced. Mitch also talks about sustainability and being a seafood ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), as well as his new venture Seafood from Home - bringing truly fresh seafood into people's homes (https://therockfish.co.uk/pages/seafood-at-home)
In the seventh episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, we talk to Myles Hopper, one of the co-founders from Mindful Chef.
Myles talks about growing the business using crowdfunding and external investment, why they are so passionate about working with british farmers, as well as achieving B Corp certification and making a bigger difference with supporting 'One feeds Two' in Malawi as well as other initiatives closer to home.
As mentioned during the webinar, to find out more about B Corp, watch our recent webinar.
In the sixth episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, we talk to Sarah Knight, founder and managing director of Sarah West Recruitment in Exeter. Alongside this, she is also co-founder and director or Tribus People.
Sarah talks about how, despite never intending to start her own business, choosing the “exciting and terrifying path” has led to her running “one of the most established independent agencies in the area”. She also discusses current recruitment issues for many businesses and the importance of employer brand in helping to attract staff.
In the fifth episode of Business Noodles and Doodles, we talk to Giles Letheren, CEO of Delt Shared Services who chats about the challenges of running an independent organisation owned entirely by public sector bodies and how his training as a production manager in the entertainment business - working with the likes of Boyzone, East 17, Lee Evans and even the Chippendales - helps keep his projects on target.
In the fourth episode of our podcast series, Amanda Stansfield, owner of the artisan ice cream maker Granny Gothards, talks about her journey since founding the business in 2012, how she tackled the issue of seasonality by exploring global markets and their success in exporting to places including Dubai, India and China.
Our conversation with Dave Harland from the Eden Project. In this episode, Dave talks about the Eden Project which celebrated its 20th year in March 2021, working with international partners to establish more sites around the world and about the wider topic of sustainability.
In the second episode of our podcast series, Mark Roberts, founder and chief executive at Lightfoot, talks about their lightbulb moment that resulted in them developing technology which incentivises drivers and ultimately achieves greater efficiency from their vehicles.
Mark also talks about how they work with investors including Martin McCourt who was CEO at Dyson for 11 years.
Will Ashworth, chief executive of Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall and Another Place in the Lake District, talks about the evolution of tourism and how to maintain a strong culture in a growing business.
During a wide-ranging conversation, he discusses his family’s long involvement in the hospitality industry, what his team have been doing during lockdown and his plans to create a new collection of lifestyle hotels.