The £600M Brand Exit Expert: How Grenade Disrupted the Chocolate Industry
Episode description
🔥 From a shed in Birmingham to a £611M exit — Al Barratt’s story is a masterclass in brand-building, balance, and staying sane in the chaos.
The Grenade founder reveals how he built a world-class product, a world-class team, and a brand people actually love — while ignoring industry noise, financial vanity metrics, and the temptation to chase every shiny trend.
This is an episode about focus, systems, and having fun while you build something remarkable — even when revenue is flat, growth stalls, or the journey feels uphill.
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💥 ON THE MENU
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🍫 How Grenade reinvented the protein bar category — “We didn’t invent them, we invented good ones”
🚀 From shed to £611M exit at 27x EBITDA
🧠 Don’t solve problems that don’t exist — why simplicity wins
🏋️♂️ “Be good and new” — how to win in stale categories
💼 The hidden path to profitability (and why you should never use your own money)
🔥 “Better revenue ≠ better business” — how flat sales can still mean a better company
👊 Building a world-class team and killing cultural cancers fast
📊 Understanding systems: category, context, and shelf strategy
💸 The 6 rules Al uses when investing in other founders
🥇 Compete where you’re strong and they’re weak — love competition
😌 Finding contentment on the journey — and why happiness fuels success, not the other way around
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