Hospitality Meets... with Phil Street

#246 - Hospitality Meets Conrad Brunton - Cockroaches in the Bloodstream

Show your support for Hospitality Sector Letter to the ChancellorWhat happens when two people who love a bit of unstructured behaviour get together for a structured conversation?The answer?Lots of unstructured conversationThis week I sat down with Conrad Brunton, founder of Tonic Talent, passionate hospitality advocate, charity champion, networking powerhouse… and a man who clearly believes that if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly.Before we get into his journey. Conrad is seeking your help. If you have even a tiny sliver of love for Hospitality, please follow the link at the top of the page and put your name to support his open letter to the chancellorTo his story, From washing pots at 14, to running the best fish and chip shop in England (Genuinely), to bankruptcy, to building a respected recruitment business and one of the Midlands’ most influential hospitality networks, Conrad’s story is packed with resilience, humour, honesty, and a few brilliant war stories.Including… dropping a potato down the shirt of a senior British politician just before he went on stageYes. That actually happened.But underneath the laughs is a deeper conversation about pride in your work, why hospitality people are wired differently, and the importance of standing up for an industry that so many of us love.In this episode, Conrad and I get into…• Starting in hospitality at 14 as a KP and discovering the “buzz” of kitchens• The concept of restaurants being “a cockroach in the bloodstream” (credit: Sir Terence Conran)• Working at incredible places like Simpsons, Malmaison and the Fat Duck• Opening a fish and chip shop, and eventually being named the best in England• What bankruptcy really teaches you about resilience and self-belief• Why recruitment is really about conversations, not CVs• Building Tonic Talent, now celebrating 10 years in hospitality recruitment• Why great recruiters should feel like an extension of your brand• The importance of culture, accountability, and simple things like a good checklist• The incredible power of hospitality communities and networks• Why the industry needs to stand up for itself right now more than everSome cracking quoteables from Conrad“Restaurants are like a cockroach in the bloodstream, once it’s there, it never leaves”“If you’re going to do something, do it to the absolute best of your ability”“I don’t actually like recruitment… I like the conversations”“Treat people the way you’d want to be treated, it’s not complicated”“Hospitality people love what they do. Not many industries can say that”Why this episode is worth your earsConrad’s journey is a brilliant reminder that hospitality careers are rarely straight lines.They’re messy.They’re unpredictable.Sometimes they knock you flat.But if hospitality gets into your bloodstream…You tend to find your way back.And along the way you might build something pretty special.Just try not to drop a potato down anyone’s shirt.Show PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

#245 - Hospitality Meets Ella De Beer - Electric Mayonnaise & Chicken on a Stick

This week I sat down with the brilliant Ella de Beer co-founder of Electric Mayonnaise and one of those hospitality people whose career reminds you just how brilliantly unpredictable this industry can be.From waitressing at 14 in South Africa (while telling everyone she was 16… obviously), to opening restaurants, running pubs, building multi-site businesses, leading people functions at brands like Ottolenghi & MJMK and now helping shape the next generation of hospitality leaders, Ella’s story is packed with graft, curiosity, and a healthy dose of “why not give that a go?”Along the way there are some absolute hospitality gems… including the moment she handed Leonardo DiCaprio chicken on a stick, worked 3am Soho finishes fuelled by “Chinese tea” and helped open a 300 cover restaurant just as the financial crash hit. Ideal timing.But underneath the brilliant stories is something deeper, a conversation about the power of hospitality as a career, the importance of learning by doing, and why developing people might just be the most important job our industry has.In this episode, Ella and I get into…• Starting in hospitality at 14 and discovering confidence through people• Moving from South Africa to the Netherlands (and learning Dutch while running a restaurant)• The chaos, glamour and 600-cover Saturdays of Soho hospitality in the early 2000s• Why big volume restaurants teach you lessons you never forget• The moment a 300-seat opening met the global financial crash• What London operators learn the hard way when they buy countryside pubs• Building "Sourced Market" at St Pancras and what happens when 1,500 small suppliers meet train station footfall• Moving from operations into people leadership, and why ops experience changes everything• The unique magic (and slightly chaotic brilliance) of working at Ottolenghi• Why hospitality might be the best industry in the world for social mobility• How Electric Mayonnaise is rethinking hospitality education through apprenticeships• And why learning in hospitality should always be practical, human, and immediately usefulSome cracking quote-ables from Ella“Hospitality is where I found my confidence”“You could stand behind the till at St Pancras for eight hours and never stop serving”“Hospitality has to be taught by people who’ve actually done it”“We’re just teaching the way we all learned, by doing the job”“Our responsibility is to show young people this industry can be a real career”Why this episode is worth your earsIf you’ve ever started in hospitality with no real plan… and somehow found yourself building a career along the way, this episode will feel very familiar.Ella’s story is a brilliant reminder that hospitality isn’t just about service or restaurants.It’s about confidence, opportunity, learning on the job, and giving people a chance to grow into something bigger than they thought possible.And if that doesn’t make you proud to be in hospitality…You might be in the wrong tradeShow PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

#244 - Hospitality Meets Roddy Watt - Still Building

Still BuildingBorn in a hotel, thrown out of universityBuilt the UK’s biggest hospitality recruitment business, Lost control of it, Lost his driving licence, Broke his back.You'd think this was a lesson in how not to do it?But far from it!This week on Hospitality Meets, I sit down with Roddy Watt, recruitment pioneer, hotel strategist, owner of one almighty black book and living proof that setbacks are not full stops, they’re commas.In This EpisodeWhy most careers start by accident“Aim at nothing and you’ll hit it” (a dartboard life lesson)Building a 200 person recruitment empireWhat happens when venture capital meets optimismThe week that tested everythingWhy attitude beats experienceWhy high performers don’t get a free passRelaunching again… because why not?Built. Lost. Still BuildingRoddy helped shape hospitality recruitment in the UK.15 offices.Hundreds of consultants.Market leader.Then came the flotation.The numbers.The pressure.The reality check.And a particularly memorable week involving:• Losing his company• Losing his driving licence• Falling off a horse and breaking his backHis summary?“That was a week.”No violin music. Just perspective.And learning that sometimes your worst week becomes the beginning of your next chapter.This episode is funny, honest, slightly outrageous in places, and packed with lessons you only get from someone who’s been around the block a few times🎧 Listen now: https://linktr.ee/HospmeetspodShow PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

#243 - Hospitality Meets Douglas Balish - Forged in the Kitchen

From Baptism of Fire to Michelin LeadershipThis week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Douglas Balish - Executive Chef and Director at Grove of Narberth, Hotel Chef of the Year, and a man shaped by some of the toughest kitchens in the business.From washing dishes in Ayrshire…To getting “pans thrown at his head”To learning to run in kitchens where nobody walked…To leading his own Michelin starred brigadeAnd all of the lessons that come with thatThis is a candid episode about pressure, humility, growth — and the fine line between breaking someone and building them.In This EpisodeStarting out as a 15 year old dishwasher in ScotlandWalking away from university to chase kitchens insteadThe brutal reality of early Michelin kitchensWhy some pressure builds you, and some destroys youTaking demotions to grow fasterWorking at Bohemia and being completely out of his depthThe intensity of Whatley ManorMoving to Australia to work at QuayWhy leadership is not one size fits allCreating dishes when nobody’s ever let you create beforeBaptism of FireDouglas doesn’t sugarcoat it. His early Michelin experience was brutal.80-hour weeks.Staff accommodation from hell.Being told he was useless.Working until nothing fazed him.And yet, he doesn’t look back with bitterness.He looks back with perspective.Because for him, that pressure didn’t break him.It sharpened him.Not because bullying is good (Obviously) but because understanding why something is happening mattersThe Psychology of KitchensThere’s a fascinating thread in this episode. Douglas nearly studied psychology. Instead, he learned it in kitchens.He talks openly about:Realising he wasn’t as good as he thoughtBeing publicly humbledBeing dropped down the ranksTaking ownership instead of walking awayAnd most importantly, how that shaped the leader he is today.He’s clear:Management isn’t one-size-fits-all.Some chefs need an arm around them.Some need structure.Some need challenge.The job is knowing the difference.From Scotland to SydneyHis journey takes him through:JerseyThe CotswoldsAustraliaBack to the UK to run his own restaurantAt Quay, he experienced world stage dining, huge covers, relentless precision, global recognition.At smaller, creative restaurants, he discovered something else:The kitchen has to suit the chef.Because even talent struggles in the wrong environment.Leadership NowToday, at Grove of Narberth, Douglas does things differently.Yes, standards are high.Yes, precision matters.But:Young chefs are encouraged to createIdeas are tested safelyFeedback is constructiveGrowth is intentionalBecause he remembers what it felt like to be thrown in without support.And he’s determined to build strength, not just resilience.Stand-Out Reflection“At some point you’ve got to become head chef”"And when you do — you’d better know who you are"This episode is honest, Unfiltered, and full of insight for anyone leading teams under pressureShow PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

#242 - Hospitality Meets Caitlin Owens - Regenerative Hospitality

Building a Regenerative Farm StayThis week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Caitlin Owens, Managing Director and co-owner of Fowlescombe Farm, a luxury farm stay in Devon built on regenerative farming principles.What started as a family meat farm became a pubWhat started as a consulting career became a hospitality adventure.What started as “how hard can it be?” became… chlorine spraying out of beer lines.This episode is about naivety, chaos, regenerative farming, and why hospitality might just be the most beautifully human industry of them all.In This EpisodeQuitting consultancy during lockdown to learn hospitality in SwitzerlandRunning a pub during the wild summer of 2021The science (and danger) of cleaning beer linesWhy hospitality operates permanently on the edge of chaosWhat consulting really taught her (hint: it’s not insurance maths)Bringing regenerative farming into luxury hospitalityWhy “low choice, high quality” beats endless optionsThe rise of the farm stay experienceDescribing humanity to a Martian (yes, really)From Farm to Fork, For RealFowlscombe isn’t just “farm to table” as a marketing lineThe farm is regenerativeThe soil health is measuredAnimals fertilise the land naturallyMonoculture is avoidedThe hospitality exists because of the land, not the other way aroundChaos, Sheep & Beer ShowersRunning the family pub (The Millbrook) during post-lockdown mania meant:Chlorine explosions in the cellarSmelling permanently of aleA sheep on a lead turning up for the village nativityA horse tied to the drainpipe while the chef fed it carrotsSkills from “Outside” HospitalityCaitlin didn’t climb the traditional hospitality ladder.Her background in consultancy gave her:Structured thinkingClear communicationConfidence with tech providersThe ability to not be messed around by suppliersA reminder that hospitality doesn’t need to be a closed shop.Different backgrounds make stronger teams.Regenerative HospitalityFor Caitlin, sustainability isn’t just environmental.It’s about:Less wasteFewer food milesLower choice, higher qualityDoing less, but doing it exceptionally wellYou won’t find 24-hour room service and 200 menu options.You’ll find five carefully chosen cocktails.One menu per day.Ingredients picked from the garden.Intentional. Grounded. Memorable.Standout Line“Hospitality operates on the edge of chaos. The critical success factor is staying on the right side of it”This is an episode about:Taking risks.Backing instinct.Building something rooted in the land.And discovering that sometimes, the best leadership inspiration comes from Ted Lasso.Show PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy