HUNGRY.

HUNGRY is THE podcast for Challenger FMCG & Hospitality Founders wanting to pour gasoline on growth.

We chat with the industry BIG HITTERS. We ooze out the HIDDEN success secrets they’ve never told before and dive deep into their gut-wrenching failures, so you avoid them. We help you grow bigger, faster, stronger. Over the last 6 years, we’ve chatted to some insane guests on the poddy: Rory Sutherland, Seth Godin, Jamie Laing, Spencer Matthews, Tom Kerridge, Sir John Hegarty, The founders of SOHO House, TRIP, The Devonshire, Tony’s Chocolonely, Vita Coco Look, I’ll be blunt, HUNGRY is NOT your normal podcast. HUNGRY is NOT scripted and sterile Q&A interviews. HUNGRY is for pretty much no one. HUNRGY is a deliciously fun, wild and crazy, ADHD rollercoaster of free flowing conversations. got what it takes? Buckle up. Strap in.

get ready to… FEED YOUR HUNGER

Last refreshed: June 21st, 2026 at 3:55 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Espresso: Fallow Chefs - How to Use Creativity to Solve Problems - The Banana Split Problem

Jun 19, 2026•5 min

UK's #1 Protein Bar "Grenade": The Playbook Behind The £600M Exit - Al Barratt

Grenade founder Al Barratt returns in this re-cut episode on how he built one of the UK’s most successful challenger brands — and sold it to Mondelez/Cadbury in a deal that ultimately valued the business at over £600m. Al breaks down the brutal reality behind big exits: invasive due diligence, trademark protection, global scalability, profit, team quality, and why most “hot” brands are built on smoke and mirrors. He also reveals how Grenade moved from sports nutrition into petrol stations, super...

Jun 15, 2026•1 hr 56 min

Espresso: How To Actually Exit Your Food & Drink Brand for Millions - Giles Brook, innocent, Vita Coco

📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may please fill out ♨️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.co...

Jun 11, 2026•15 min

Rory Sutherland’s Restaurant Would Break Every Rule (And Be Fully Booked)

Rory Sutherland breaks down the weird, wonderful psychology behind restaurants and hospitality — why where you make money and what people pay for are often different things, why lowering prices can be dangerous, why surprise creates loyalty, why customers hate uncertainty, and why founder-led brands often outperform finance-led giants. 📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may please fill out ON THE MENU: 00:00:00 Restaurants Are the Galapag...

Jun 10, 2026•57 min

Social Media Genius: The Content Strategy To Make People Pay Attention in 2026 | James Smith, Neutonic

In this stripped-back reissue, Dan Pope sits down with the fitness author, entrepreneur and attention obsessive to unpack how James went from selling workouts online to building brands, books, audiences and Neutonic with Chris Williamson. This is a conversation about honest marketing, confidence, creative chaos, personal brand, creator businesses, Prime, Liquid Death, YouTube, doomscrolling, British ambition, American optimism, and why getting attention is now one of the most valuable skills in ...

Jun 08, 2026•1 hr 58 min

Espresso: James Smith, Neutonic founder - The Power of Authenticity in Brand Building

Jun 05, 2026•7 min

How to Keep Your Restaurant Rammed for 10+ Years: London’s Most Iconic Sri Lankan Restaurant “Hoppers” - Karan Gokani

I thought Karan would define success in the usual restaurant terms — reviews, covers, repeat customers. His answer went somewhere way more interesting. In this episode, I sit down with Karan Gokani to talk about how Hoppers became one of London’s most iconic restaurants — and how it has stayed busy, relevant, and loved for over a decade in an industry where that feels almost impossible. Karan shares the principles behind that success: make it personal, find your purpose, build a culture of kindn...

Jun 01, 2026•1 hr 45 min

Espresso: Will Guidara - Praise Is Affirmation. Criticism Is Investmen

============================================== ♨️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/) This episode was edited by: G.Thomas ...

May 29, 2026•8 min

London’s Most Famous Restaurateur “Maintaining Your Standards Is The Fastest Way to Bankruptcy” - The Wolseley, The Ivy, Le Caprice, Simpson's - Jeremy King

Jeremy King doesn’t just talk about restaurants — he talks about change, class, creativity, ego, instinct, death, literature, leadership, and why the best dining rooms become tiny theatres of human behaviour. In this conversation, the legendary restaurateur behind The Ivy, Le Caprice, The Wolseley, Arlington and now Simpson's in the Strand explains why “maintaining standards” is actually the road to bankruptcy, why great restaurants must constantly evolve, and why hospitality is really about lov...

May 25, 2026•2 hr 15 min

Espresso: Will Guidara - How Any Business Can Apply World Class Hospitality for an INSANE Unfair Advantage

May 21, 2026•8 min

19 Life-Changing Marketing Lessons from The World's No.1 Restaurant - Will Guidara, Unreasonable Hospitality

"Hospitality happens for people, not to them." In this masterclass of an episode, Unreasonable Hospitality author Will Guidara sits down with Dan Pope on the Hungry podcast to unpack the magic behind Eleven Madison Park's meteoric rise to the best restaurant in the world. From leaving a full bottle of cognac with the bill, to systemizing serendipity with Tiffany & Co. engagement flutes, Will explains why true excellence requires a healthy dose of unreasonableness. They dive into the tension ...

May 18, 2026•2 hr 38 min

Espresso - Rory Sutherland - How Restaurants Can Better Use Space to Make PROFIT!!!!

May 14, 2026•5 min

The Brand Strategy Experts: Why Marketing Is Broken & What Actually Works in 2026 - DASH Water, BOTIVO, All Things Butter, The Pickle House Founders

A rare behind-the-scenes roundtable with four of the UK’s most exciting challenger brand founders — Toby Hopkinson of All Things Butter, Jack Scott of DASH Water, Imme Ermgassen of Botivo, and Florence Cherruault of The Pickle House — filmed live at Strakers. Dan digs into the messy, brilliant reality of building modern food and drink brands: when to stay focused, when to diversify, how to win retail listings, why hospitality can build cultural credibility, and what happens when your “side idea”...

May 11, 2026•1 hr 41 min

Espresso: Michel Roux Jr. - What Was it REALLY Like Working With Marco Pierre White?

May 07, 2026•11 min

The £100,000-a-Week Restaurant Built From the Ingredient Every Chef Throws Away

Building a great restaurant starts with something unexpected: chaos Controlle chaos. This week on Hungry Phil and Abs of Poor Boys talk high-energy design, bold menu choices, and how creating a memorable, slightly disorienting experience gets people talking—and coming back. They share how they turned unconventional ideas into a powerful brand, including how they used an ingredient chefs have been throwing away to create something customers couldn’t get enough of. The conversation dives into how ...

May 04, 2026•1 hr 51 min

Espresso: Rory Sutherland & The Devonshire Founder... How To Nail Influencer Marketing

Apr 30, 2026•6 min

How London’s Most Famous Thai Restaurant Made Customers Addicted - Lukie Farrell, Speedboat

Your Restaurant should slightly confuse people when they walk in. Yes you heard that right. According to Lukie Farrell (Speedboat), that tension—between chaos and clarity—is exactly what makes a place unforgettable. In this episode, Lukie breaks down how he built one of London’s most talked-about Thai restaurants by embracing controlled chaos, bold design, and just the right amount of confusion. From smuggling authentic Thai ingredients to refusing Western shortcuts, he explains why authenticity...

Apr 27, 2026•1 hr 32 min

Espresso - Jackson Boxer - Why Chefs Are NOT RockStars

Apr 23, 2026•8 min

How Aperol, Coco Cola, Tony's Chocolonely Hack Your Brain - University of Oxford Professor Charles Spence

Once you hear this, you’ll never walk down a supermarket aisle the same way again. A sensory scientist walks into a supermarket… and suddenly nothing you buy is accidental. In this episode, Charles Spence breaks down how evolution, psychology, and a bit of brand mischief shape everything from what we crave to what we click “add to basket” on. From the savannah to the supermarket, your brain is still wired to hunt for energy-dense food — and brands are quietly exploiting that wiring with color, s...

Apr 20, 2026•1 hr 58 min

Espresso - Sir John Hegarty Breaks Down His Best Work of All Time

♨️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/) 📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may ...

Apr 16, 2026•7 min

Ravneet Gill: How To Successfully Open a Restaurant in 2026, Kitchen Bullying, David Blaine PR Stunts, Loving Horrific Customer Complaints

Welcome to the chaotic, beautiful, and brutally honest world of Ravneet Gill. In this episode, the acclaimed chef and Junior Bake Off judge peels back the curtain on the grueling realities of hospitality. Ravneet opens up about the messy middle of launching her hit London restaurant, Gina, navigating the dual guilt of motherhood and entrepreneurship, and learning to let go of perfectionism. She also shares hilarious anecdotes about accidentally convincing the internet David Blaine was moving int...

Apr 13, 2026•1 hr 38 min

Espresso: Tom Kerridge - You'd be Crazy to Open a Restaurant (Without Knowing This..)

Full episode here! 👉🏻 https://youtu.be/cVG8TqtxJQE After 20 years running The Hand & Flowers and 35 years in kitchens, Tom Kerridge says something most chefs won’t: restaurants don’t make money anymore. In this clip, Kerridge breaks down why margins have been wiped out, why being “busy” means nothing, and why opening a restaurant today can actually be the worst financial decision you make. It’s a brutally honest look at hospitality — from pricing, staffing and VAT, to the hard leadership c...

Apr 09, 2026•15 min

How Purdy & Figg Made £1 Million D2C in One Day by Ignoring Marketing

Purdy & Figg's CEO, Jack Rubin, shares how their cleaning brand achieved explosive growth, including a £1 million sales day, by prioritizing customer acquisition, extreme simplicity, and extensive A/B testing instead of traditional branding. The discussion covers the critical role of operations, the strategic avoidance of complexity in product and channels, and the importance of good judgment—a blend of data, rationality, and intuition. Rubin also reflects on lessons from past ventures and literature, advocating for a long-term vision and slower, more sustainable growth over chasing short-term hype.

Apr 06, 2026•1 hr 48 min

Espresso - Rory Sutherland - How to Create a Massive Brand-quake for Your Restuarant

Apr 02, 2026•4 min

Adam Handling - Losing Everything, Making £148k a Day, Winning Great British Menu and 2 Michelin

Ever wondered what it takes to build a £10M restaurant empire? Chef Adam Handling joins Dan Pope to unpack the brutal realities of building a £10M restaurant empire. From nearly losing his parents' house during COVID-19 to making £148,000 on Valentine's Day via home deliveries, Adam's journey is a masterclass in resilience. We dive deep into his Chanel vs. Hermes philosophy on brand building, why his team researches guests online for the ultimate dining experience, and his bold mission to redefi...

Mar 30, 2026•2 hr 20 min

Espresso: Henry Dimmbleby - The Strange Way Finland Solved Their Catastrophic Health Crisis

Mar 26, 2026•7 min

Dropped By Arsenal at 15, Stoicism & Manifestation, Exiting The Tumeric Co. - Thomas "Hal" Robson-Kanu

Former professional footballer Hal Robson-Kanu discusses how adversity shaped both his football career and his business philosophy. Reflecting on being released by Arsenal F.C. at 15 and suffering serious ACL injuries, he explains that real resilience comes not from eliminating doubt but learning to live with uncertainty and continue acting despite it. He argues adversity is essential for development, because only through facing difficulty do people discover their capacity to persevere. Robson-K...

Mar 23, 2026•1 hr 4 min

Espresso: Rory Sutherland HONEST OPINION on Five Guys

Mar 19, 2026•10 min

Ivan Ramen: New York's Best Ramen Restaurant, Conquering Tokyo, Heartbreak, Japanese Literature & Art

Ivan Orkin is one of the most unlikely success stories in the world of food. A Jewish kid from New York moves to Tokyo, opens a tiny ramen shop in the suburbs, and somehow ends up becoming one of the most respected ramen chefs in Japan — a country famously protective of its culinary traditions. In this conversation, Dan sits down with the founder of Ivan Ramen to unpack how that happened. Ivan talks about teaching himself ramen, opening his first shop in Japan with barely any money, and the mome...

Mar 16, 2026•1 hr 40 min

Espresso: Tom Kerridge - How to Put Your Personality Into Your Brand

Mar 12, 2026•11 min

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