Recipe for Greatness

From Market Stall To Global Snacks - The Journey of The Protein Ball Co | Founder - Matt Hunt

A teenage trader learns to move stock on Romford Market, then builds a clean‑label snack factory that challenges ultra‑processed bars and keeps going through COVID with a private‑label engine. Matt Hunt, co‑founder of The Protein Ball Co, joins us for a candid, high‑energy tour through graft, grit, and the choices that change a business. We dig into margins, manufacturing, pet treats you could eat, and a bold rebrand made to win shelves.• early market lessons shaping sales craft and urgency• olives to protein balls and the Expo West insight• outsourcing pain points versus owning production• factory build on a tight budget and fast scale to export• airline margins, cancellations, and cash discipline• educating customers on protein types and absorption• clean labels versus ultra‑processed ingredients• COVID impact and the private label pivot• launching human‑grade dog treats with low carbs• rebrand to Ballsy By Nature and paper packaging• returning to proactive sales with a stronger story• partnership roles, stress, and family balancePlease like and subscribe. And prior review, would really appreciate it. If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.comSupport the show

From Jitters to Clarity: Building a Functional Coffee Brand That Actually Works | Unconform Founder Yusuf Amanullah

We trace Yusuf’s path from schoolyard hustles to building a functional cold brew that swaps jitters for calm focus. The story spans painful caffeine experiments, tough retail lessons, and the mindset shift from making a product to selling one at a profit. Listen to the story of building Unconform• early ventures and the itch to build • caffeine overload as the spark for a solution • cold brew, adaptogens, and nootropics for a smoother hit • scrappy R&D, 31 iterations, and crowdfunding proof • timing, outreach, and landing Holland and Barrett • taking feedback, rebranding for shelf visibility • packaging that signals benefit at a glance • avoiding ego traps and focusing on sales • the real maths of margins and target numbers • recommended resources for learning to sellPlease like and subscribe, and write a review, would really appreciate it If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.comSupport the show

Poker Lessons, Pasta Vision, And Patient Growth : Andrew Macleod of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

We explore how poker shaped Andrew Macleod's thinking and how those mental models helped him build Emilia’s Crafted Pasta into a debt-free, multi-site brand. From scouting Italy to opening under budget and growing slow, we show how to balance soul with margins.• Poker as a mirror of risk and behaviour• Bootstrapping events and earning trust without capital• Finding the pasta gap and validating with travel and craft• Raising seed from relationships built on delivery and discipline• Securing a first site through persistence and landlord alignment• Opening lean, surviving the quiet months, building word of mouth• Frameworks for skill acquisition and early career risk-taking• Balancing hospitality warmth with unit economics• Cross-functional accountability and consequence visibility• Choosing independence, optionality, and long-term brand depthPlease like and subscribeAnd post a review, we'd really appreciate itIf you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jaygreenwood.co.ukSupport the show

Food, Purpose, and Mental Health: Inside Will Howard's Commercial Journey

Will Howard shares his journey from hospitality worker to Managing Director of GrowUp Farms, revealing how purpose-driven leadership and vulnerability create stronger businesses and teams.• Started career with a passion for food, working in hospitality before transitioning to FMCG roles at L'Oreal and PepsiCo• Found his authentic leadership style at purpose-driven companies like Red Bull, Innocent and Ella's Kitchen• Practices vulnerability by openly discussing mental health challenges with his team• Maintains mental wellbeing through consistent morning exercise routines• Joined GrowUp Farms after being impressed by both the team and product quality• Explains how vertical farming creates perfect growing conditions without pesticides in the space of "three double-decker buses"• Balances aggressive commercial growth targets with sustainable business practices• Uses technology including AI and machine learning to optimise crop production• Emphasises communication with context as essential for effective leadership• Advocates normalising mental health support: "If you cut your finger, you put a plaster on it. It's normal the other way"If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.com.Support the show

From Market Stall to Shelf: How Pip Organic Revolutionised Clean Label Children's Food

What does it take to build a thriving food brand that refuses to compromise on values? Karen and Patrick O'Flaherty, founders of Pip Organic, reveal the remarkable journey that transformed their humble market stall selling fresh juices into one of the UK's most trusted organic food and drink brands.The husband-and-wife team share how their backgrounds in marketing and finance, combined with Patrick's family history in organic farming, created the perfect foundation for their business. Their adventure began at Borough Market in London, where queues quickly formed for their fresh organic juices. When customers started bringing bottles to fill for home consumption, they recognized a retail opportunity that would define their future.The conversation takes a fascinating turn as they discuss a pivotal moment in their business journey – purchasing a bottling line at auction without fully consulting each other, a decision that nearly caused "a divorce in the car" but ultimately proved transformative for their production capabilities. This candid glimpse into their partnership reveals how entrepreneurial impulses sometimes clash with practical considerations.Perhaps most compelling is how parenthood reshaped their business direction. When Karen and Patrick couldn't find clean-label products for their own children, they identified a crucial market gap: while the baby food category was predominantly organic, options disappeared once children outgrew the toddler stage. This insight led to their mission of creating products that pass a simple but powerful test: "Would we give this to our kids with a smile?"Their commitment to quality comes with constraints – developing products takes longer, costs more, and sometimes means saying no to certain categories. Yet this unwavering approach has built extraordinary consumer trust. As they've scaled to over 10,000 distribution points across the UK without external investment, the O'Flahertys prove that patience in business can yield remarkable results.What lessons might your business gain from their "you only get out what you put in" philosophy? Listen now to discover how authentic values and consumer-first thinking can create sustainable competitive advantage in even the most challenging markets.Support the show