Hospitality Meets... with Phil Street

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Aug 2026

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Hospitality Meets is a podcast about people. Every week, Phil Street sits down with some of the most fascinating individuals in hospitality and beyond - from chefs, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs to leaders, innovators, and changemakers. But this isn't a podcast about job titles. It's about the journeys behind them. The setbacks that almost ended careers. The opportunities that changed lives. The lessons learned through success, failure, risk, resilience, and everything in between. Through honest conversations, laughter, and the occasional unexpected life lesson, Hospitality Meets explores what it really takes to build a career, lead people, create memorable experiences, and find meaning in the work we do. Whether you're taking your first steps in hospitality, leading a business, or simply love hearing remarkable stories from remarkable people, you'll find inspiration, perspective, and plenty of reasons to believe in people. Because every great story starts with a conversation. Hospitality Meets. Stories. Spirit. People. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

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August 19, 20261 hr 6 min

#269 - Hospitality Meets Bradley Dorrington - The Story of Dirty Kebabs and Haunted Hotels

What pairs beautifully with a £250 bottle of Californian wine? Apparently, a proper dirty kebab at two o’clock in the morning. For Bradley Dorrington , co-owner of The Wine Cellar in Bury St Edmunds, that particular combination perfectly captures hospitality: great drinks, questionable late night food and hours spent putting the world to rights with somebody else from the industry. Bradley opened The Wine Cellar at just 25, after abandoning the traditional university route, turning down an apprenticeship with a space company and throwing himself into hospitality instead. Four years and more than 50,000 guests later, the doors are still very much open (despite one Facebook critic confidently declaring that “wine bars are so eighties” and would never work) We Cover Why hospitality is an industry that finds you Turning down a career in the space industry for pubs, hotels and wine Building The Wine Cellar in just six weeks Not sleeping for six days before opening Launching a business at 25 and learning to ignore the noise The customer who asked Bradley to sort out her 26-year-old son Naming his daughter Margaux after Château Margaux - and attempting to make her tax deductible Drinking £250 wine with a dirty kebab at 2am Why genuine hospitality is about far more than service Imposter syndrome and remembering that you earned your place in the room Facebook’s Tony and his prediction that wine bars would never work Weddings, night porters and unexplained happenings at Chilston Park Why Bradley believes hospitality should be taken seriously as a career Quotables “Hospitality is an industry that finds you. You don’t necessarily find it.” “This is hospitality. I can’t explain it any more than this.” “I think it kind of almost makes her tax deductible as well, which is quite nice.” “Wine bars are so eighties. Never gonna work.” “You’re only as good as your last service. You’re only as good as your last glass of wine you poured.” Final Observation For all the entrepreneurial drive in Bradley’s story, the thing that comes through most strongly is how much he simply loves hospitality. The people. The stories. The late nights. The community. The ridiculous moments that become memories years later. Near the end of the conversation, Bradley sums it up better than we possibly could: Hospitality makes memories, happiness, laughter, conversation and friendships. Sometimes it also makes a £250 bottle of wine taste perfectly appropriate alongside a dirty kebab. And frankly, we’re completely on board with that. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

August 12, 202649 min

#268 - Hospitality Meets Christian Wiens - The story of Mercury being in retrograde

Christian Wiens spent his teenage years working in restaurants where, on particularly frantic days, they occasionally dealt with the constantly ringing phone by simply ripping it out of the wall. Years later, after a career building and growing technology businesses, that particular hospitality headache came back into view. The result is Loman.AI - voice AI built to answer restaurant calls, take orders, make reservations and generally allow the humans inside the restaurant to concentrate on the humans standing in front of them. Today it handles millions of calls across more than 1,500 customers. The journey there has involved manually checking restaurant orders, walking around a zoo carrying three phones, personally buying customers’ food when the AI got something wrong and discovering that even the best sales process in the world is powerless against Mercury being in retrograde. We Cover Growing up working in restaurants Building startups before any of them actually worked Why modern AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to creating software The difference between an impressive AI demo and technology a restaurant can genuinely rely on Why Loman.AI tackled the difficult problem of order taking first Walking around a zoo monitoring restaurant orders on multiple phones Personally paying for customer meals when the early technology got things wrong The restaurant owner who finally got to take his children trick or treating Why Christian still personally gets involved in customer support Whether customers actually care if they are speaking to AI Hospitality as an innovation frontier rather than a legacy industry And the customer who refused to make a business decision because Mercury was in retrograde Quotables “We ripped the phone out of the wall so many times.” “There’s never been an easier time to build a company.” “I used to check all of the orders myself.” “I haven’t been able to go take the kids trick or treating… I was able to do that this year because the phones were handled.” “I’m definitely interested, but I’m not making any business decisions because Mercury is in retrograde.” Final Observation For all the conversation about AI, models, integrations and automation, the most powerful moment in this episode is surprisingly human. A restaurant owner gets Halloween back with his children because technology took one persistent source of operational pressure away. That feels like the interesting promise of restaurant technology when it is done properly. Not replacing hospitality. Not removing people. Removing enough of the noise that those people have more time to actually provide it. Although apparently even artificial intelligence cannot yet overcome the gravitational influence of Mercury. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

August 5, 20261 hr 2 min

#267 - Hospitality Meets Hannah Swarbrick-Done in The Story of Two Left Flip Flops and the AI Non-Exec

Hannah Swarbrick-Done followed a boy to Thailand with dreams of an idyllic island life. The relationship lasted approximately one weekend. Hannah stayed for two years. What followed included living in a house made from bottles, running one of the world’s largest pub crawls, guiding travellers around Thailand and becoming sufficiently relaxed about footwear that she once wore two left flip-flops without noticing. Eventually, Hannah returned to Manchester with plans for her own hostel, including the uniforms, interiors and complete guest experience. There was just one minor omission. A business plan. Today, she is the founder of The Yellow Group, helping hospitality businesses align their people strategy with their plans for growth - while also building AI tools, employing a virtual non-executive director called Simon and developing a highly influential golf account with nearly 400 followers. We Cover Following that boy to Thailand - and outlasting the relationship by nearly two years Travel Designing an entire hostel before learning how to operate one The leader who asked Hannah one simple, career-changing question Why promoting somebody is pointless unless you also build the support around them The difference between holding a leadership title and actually leading Why hospitality develops skills that transfer far beyond operations Being told she was “not very good with data” How AI removed the barrier between Hannah and the story inside the numbers Creating Simon, her AI non-executive director Building The Yellow Group as a collaborative people consultancy Becoming a professional golfer and part-time influencer Quotables “I did follow a boy.” “I had everything, honestly. It was everything but a business plan.” “At one point I realised I was wearing flip-flops - the two left feet ones.” “There are managers, and there are people who are leaders by job role. But an actual leader? They’re not common.” “I am the funniest thing that happens to me.” Final Observation Hannah describes her career as a winding journey, but there is a wonderfully clear thread running through it. Travel taught her to understand people. Hospitality taught her to support them. One excellent leader noticed what she did naturally and gave her the structure to build a career around it. Now, Hannah is doing the same for businesses: finding the gaps between what they want to achieve and what their people actually need to succeed. She may not believe in five-year plans, but she has built something far more useful - curiosity, adaptability and an apparently endless willingness to try the next interesting thing. Even when that thing is golf. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

July 29, 202657 min

#266 - Hospitality Meets Eirini Tamousi - The Story of the Restaurant That Opened Without Food

What happens when a morning person who dreams of opening a coffee shop joins forces with a night person who wants a cocktail bar? Naturally, they rope in their chef mother, add a fiancé with experience in marketing and finance, and open a Greek Mediterranean restaurant together. This is the story of Eirini Tamousi and Nectar : a family business that took four years, several false starts, disappearing investors and a last piece of finance arriving one day before the deadline to become real. Then came opening week. It was, by Eirini’s own account, chaos and in fact her words before we started the chat - "I don't even know where to start" But amidst the chaos, It was also the beginning of something rather special. We Cover Falling into hospitality while studying in Edinburgh Leaving the industry for corporate HR, and missing its energy Combining one family’s very different skills Trying repeatedly to secure the money to open Nectar Receiving the final finance one day before the deadline Protecting a family relationship while building a family business The danger of expecting people to know when you need help Opening a restaurant without a working fryer or grill Asking neighbouring businesses whether they had seen your bins Why honesty during a disaster can build customer loyalty Reaching more than 300 five star reviews in the first year Creating a restaurant that feels less like a venue and more like home Quotables “We were living it without actually knowing if it was going to work out.” “People don’t know what’s in your head, funny enough. Unless you tell them.” “You told me there’s no food, but I can have alcohol.” “I didn’t know our bins were going to fly away.” “The things that feel like big setbacks in the moment are quite often the things that shape you the most.” Final Observation There is a polished version of entrepreneurship in which somebody has a brilliant idea, raises the money, opens the doors and confidently begins building an empire. This is not that story. This is four people repeatedly questioning whether they should continue, learning how not to destroy their family under pressure, opening without the ability to serve food and searching the streets of Edinburgh for wind assisted bins. But it is also a story about what happens when people keep choosing the thing they believe in. Almost one year later, Nectar has become exactly what the family hoped it might be: warm, imperfect, honest and full of people who keep coming back. Hopefully, by the time Phil visits, it will also have food. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud - the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

July 22, 202658 min

#265 - Hospitality Meets Chris Davies - The Story of the Office that Smells Like Itself

The story of the office that smells like itself What do university ASBOs, Stash Monkey, Sarah Beeny, private equity cold calls and an office with its own recognisable smell have in common? They all feature in the unconventional journey of Chris Davies , CEO of flexible office brand Uncommon . Recorded inside Uncommon’s Fulham podcast studio, after Chris and Phil had already used up most of the good material during an hour-long pre-podcast chat, the conversation explores accidental entrepreneurship, yellow energy and the value of making decisions before certainty finally arrives. Chris also invents the word “Un-Starbucks-ise,” reveals why his university time resulted in an actual legal threat and casually announces that he would eventually like to create a hotel brand. Naturally, we made a note of that. We Cover Why every Uncommon building looks different but somehow feels the same Recognising an office by its smell The university business that nearly earned Chris an institutional ASBO Being sued over the name Stash Monkey Why your dream investor should not receive your first-ever pitch Making decisions when you are only 51% certain The joy and danger of filling a business with yellow energy people Why a company is a team rather than a family Learning to manage the energy you bring into a room The hospitality stories that definitely cannot be shared publicly Saunas, ice baths and Chris’s future hotel ambitions Quotables “People need to think of time as a resource.” “You kind of don’t want your best shot to be your first one.” “We’re a team. We’re not a family.” “People can be odd.” “I like doing, in my personal life, as many reckless things as possible because I think it makes me feel alive.” Final Observation Uncommon began as a happy accident: a residential development that failed at planning and became an experiment in creating somewhere people might actually enjoy working. But what followed was not accidental. It took uncomfortable calls, imperfect pitches, wrong decisions, difficult conversations and a willingness to move while only 51% certain. The result is a growing business with five distinctive locations, a strong hospitality instinct and an office brand that Phil can apparently identify with his nose before he has even reached reception. Which is either excellent branding or the beginning of a very niche superpower. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

July 15, 202635 min

#264 - Hospitality Meets Chat GPT - The Story of The Library That Talks Back

I'll be honest... this one is a little different. For the first time in Hospitality Meets history, I sat down with a guest who didn't need a microphone, didn't ask for a coffee before we started, and definitely didn't have any travel expenses. Instead, I had a conversation with ChatGPT. What began as a bit of curiosity quickly turned into something much more interesting. Somewhere between jokes about "Chatty McChatface" , philosophical debates about trust, and the bizarre reality that I was interviewing... well... nobody sitting opposite me... we found ourselves exploring one of the biggest questions of our generation. Not what AI is. But what it means for us. Along the way we laughed, challenged each other, questioned what intelligence really means, and even discovered a brand new phrase... "Digital adulthood." Who knew? In this episode we get into... Why the journey to AI actually began over 70 years ago. How a conversation about technology somehow became a conversation about humanity. Whether AI really has a sense of humour... or is just borrowing ours. Why trust is something AI should earn, not expect. The famous AI stories that went hilariously wrong (including the tank that turned out to be a cloud detector). Why AI isn't replacing thinking... but can become a brilliant thinking partner. What should genuinely concern us about AI... and what probably shouldn't. Whether Chatty McChatface is actually a respectable stage name. (We're still undecided.) Some cracking moments... "I've processed billions of words... and somehow that's the nickname I end up with." "I'd rather earn your trust question by question than ask for blind faith." "Think of me as a very well-stocked library that talks back." "The future isn't AI becoming human... it's humans getting better with AI." "I said I don't have an ego... I didn't say I don't have standards." Why this episode is worth your ears This isn't an episode about technology. It's an episode about curiosity. About asking awkward questions. About challenging assumptions. About discovering that one of the most interesting conversations you can have about artificial intelligence is actually a conversation about... being human. And yes... I genuinely laughed far more than I expected to while interviewing something that technically doesn't laugh back. Join the conversation If you had one hour with an intelligence that knew a huge amount about the world... ...what would you ask? Send me your questions. Because this is only the beginning. The AI Files are officially open. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

July 8, 202649 min

#263 - Hospitality Meets Rory Slater - The Story of the Angry Gardener

The Story of... The Angry Gardener What do luxury hotels, practical jokes, Palm Beach, New York, Beijing, Japan, Hong Kong, a very angry gardener and a 30cm ruler have in common? Yep, this week's guest Rory Slater , Managing Director for COMO Hotels in London. And trust me... Some of these stories are almost too good to be true. Rory's journey started with a love of food, inspired by his mum's Cordon Bleu cooking, before joining the legendary Savoy Group management programme with dreams of becoming a chef. Fast forward a few decades and that journey has taken him across four continents, some of the world's finest luxury hotels, and into leadership roles that have tested not only his skills, but his character. In this episode we chat about: Why becoming a chef wasn't quite what he imagined Life on the legendary Savoy Group management programme Why everyone should spend time working night shifts Hospitality practical jokes, from soufflé pumps to spaghetti drying lines Running luxury events in Palm Beach Launching rooftop bars in New York Building a career across Beijing, Japan and Hong Kong Opening luxury hotels around the world Why choosing the right owners matters just as much as choosing the right company The role mentors have played throughout his career The unforgettable Easter egg hunt that was nearly destroyed by one very determined gardener Standing up for his team, even when it meant challenging someone incredibly powerful Along the way we explore curiosity, leadership, resilience, culture, integrity and why some of life's greatest opportunities arrive wrapped up in uncertainty. Of course, this episode is packed with the sort of stories that make Hospitality Meets... well... Hospitality Meets. There's the night a woman was caught slipping business cards under hotel bedroom doors, leading to an unforgettable chase through the corridors... before Rory found himself lying flat on the carpet with a ruler and some sticky tape trying to retrieve every last card before guests woke up. Then there's the Easter egg hunt. Honestly... you'll never look at an Easter egg hunt in quite the same way again. But beneath the laughter are some brilliant lessons too. 💭 "Take the opportunity when it comes." 💭 "You work for good owners." 💭 "Take your job seriously... but don't take yourself too seriously." And perhaps the most powerful takeaway of all: 💭 "You look after your team." Whether that's standing by your colleagues in difficult moments, embracing new cultures, or moving halfway around the world because an opportunity feels right, Rory's story is a wonderful reminder that great careers aren't always carefully mapped out. Sometimes they're built through curiosity. Sometimes through courage. And occasionally... Through surviving an angry gardener. Funny, thoughtful and packed with wonderful stories from one of hospitality's true gentlemen. Enjoy. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

July 1, 202652 min

#262 - Hospitality Meets Robert Richardson - The Story We Tell Ourselves

Six years ago, Robert Richardson joined me on Hospitality Meets for the very first time. Back then, he was a hotel General Manager with a passion for people, wondering what the next chapter might look like. Neither of us could have predicted what came next. Fast forward six years, and Robert returns to the show as CEO of the Institute of Hospitality , leading a global professional body with more than 17,000 members, overseeing record membership growth, driving the Institute's Charter ambition, and helping shape the future of our industry. It's amazing what can happen in six years. In this episode we chat about: The leap from hotel General Manager to CEO Leading an organisation through unprecedented change Why the Institute is experiencing its strongest membership growth in years Championing professional development across hospitality The Youth Council and why the next generation matters more than ever The journey towards Chartered status Learning to overcome imposter syndrome and the fear of public speaking The stories we tell ourselves... and how they can hold us back Why leadership is about stewardship, not ownership The power (and pitfalls) of social media Building organisations where people genuinely feel they belong Along the way we explore leadership, confidence, legacy, positivity, personal growth and why hospitality remains one of the greatest industries in the world for developing people. Of course, this wouldn't be Hospitality Meets without a few memorable stories... 🤣 Accidentally being announced as the new CEO while being tagged as a completely different organisation on social media. 🤣 Rehearsing every speech exactly seven times before stepping onto a stage. 🤣 Seriously considering quitting on the morning of his first major keynote... before discovering the world didn't end after all. And perhaps the most powerful moments of the conversation come when Robert steps away from the role of CEO and shares the experiences that have shaped him personally. From the fear of receiving an urgent cancer referral that thankfully proved to be a false alarm, to speaking openly about the reality of living through an eight-year stalking ordeal, it's an honest reminder that leadership doesn't make us immune from life's challenges. If anything, it simply means learning how to keep showing up in spite of them. There are also some wonderful takeaways throughout the episode: 💭 "No one develops from a place of comfort." 💭 "You will always get an answer. You might not like the answer, but you'll always get an answer." 💭 "It's so easy to be positive and so lazy to be negative." 💭 "Be the voice for positivity." More than anything, this is a conversation about growth. Growth as a leader. Growth as an organisation. Growth as a person. Six years ago, Robert joined me as a hotel General Manager. Today, he returns leading one of hospitality's most respected organisations. It's a wonderful reminder that careers aren't built overnight—they're built one opportunity, one uncomfortable moment, and one conversation at a time. A thoughtful, honest and uplifting conversation with someone who continues to lead with humility, purpose and positivity. Enjoy Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

June 24, 20261 hr 29 min

#261 - Hospitality Meets Duncan Garrood - Putting Life in Your Years

What do a biochemist, a Chinese mansion house, Heathrow Airport, 250 burger restaurants, a pub turnaround, student accommodation, retirement living, and more than a few bottles of Mao Tai have in common? This week's guest... Duncan Garrood. And trust me... You're going to want to hear this one. Duncan's career began in a laboratory as a scientist with a PhD in Biochemistry. It then took him through Unilever, a decade living in China, Heathrow Airport, the Middle East, Punch Taverns, Bill's Restaurants, family entertainment, student accommodation, and now Riverstone Living. Most people spend a career trying to follow a plan. Duncan spent his, basically just saying yes. In this episode we chat about: Why a scientist decided business looked more interesting Being told on a Wednesday that he was moving to China on Sunday Living next door to 13 Chinese families in a former colonial mansion Putting Walls ice cream on the Great Wall of China The business lessons hidden inside industrial quantities of Mao Tai What airports can teach us about hospitality Why great service is often revealed when things go wrong Growing a business from $150 million to $1 billion Running out of cows whilst scaling Shake Shack Transforming Punch Taverns during one of the biggest shifts in pub legislation Reimagining Bill's Restaurants Using people, not capital, to drive growth in leisure Treating students like customers Why later living might be one of the most exciting sectors in hospitality today Along the way we explore leadership, customer experience, entrepreneurship, curiosity, reinvention, and the power of saying yes to opportunities before you're entirely sure how they'll work out. One of my favourite stories came from Duncan's time in China. After fifteen dinners with a potential business partner, countless toasts, and enough Mao Tai to test the resilience of a small nation, the gentleman put his arm around him and declared: You are my little brother." Moments later, he passed out. Business was secured. As leadership lessons go, it's certainly more memorable than most MBA programmes. There are also some absolute gems throughout the conversation: 💭 "We're not here to put years on your life, we're here to put life in your years." 💭 "If you don't take the opportunities when they come, the things you're missing out on are unknown." And perhaps my favourite takeaway of all: 💭 "I've literally never regretted saying yes to any of these opportunities." Because that's really what this episode is about. Not airports. Not pubs. Not burgers. Not retirement living. It's about curiosity. It's about adventure. It's about having the courage to step into the unfamiliar. And trusting that you'll figure the rest out along the way. Funny, thoughtful, insightful and packed with stories. A brilliant conversation with a man who's spent a lifetime proving that some of the best opportunities arrive disguised as uncertainty. Enjoy Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

June 17, 20261 hr 5 min

#260 - Hospitality Meets John Badley - Make the Mistake

What do a kitchen porter, a Swedish adventure, a hotel fire, a freezing swimming pool, and the CEO of one of Britain's most iconic hotel groups have in common? This week's guest is John Badley, CEO of Andrew Brownsword Hotels . Today, John oversees a collection of some of the UK's most beautiful and historic hotels. But his story starts somewhere much humbler. A teenage job sweeping a car park for £10, a desperate desire to escape the cold, and a sister who eventually gave in and let him become a kitchen porter. The rest, as they say, is history. In this episode we chat about: 🧽 How a car park sweeping job became a lifelong hospitality career 🍽️ Starting as a KP and working his way through the kitchen ranks ⭐ The pursuit of rosettes and the lessons learned in fine dining 🇸🇪 Why a move to Sweden changed his perspective forever 👨‍🍳 The unusual role that saw him wearing chef whites and a three-piece suit at the same time 📈 The leadership lesson that came from being rejected for promotion 🔥 Managing one of hospitality's most devastating crises when a hotel was destroyed by fire 🏊 The infamous swimming pool experiment that taught a painful lesson about guest perception 🧭 Why every leader needs a North Star 🤝 The impact of mentors, including hospitality legend David Guile 💡 Why curiosity remains one of the most underrated leadership skills 🚀 How Andrew Brownsword Hotels is building for the future whilst protecting its remarkable heritage Along the way we explore leadership, resilience, commerciality, culture, curiosity, and the extraordinary opportunities hospitality can provide for those willing to keep learning. One of my favourite moments came when John shared the lesson that transformed his career. After being repeatedly overlooked for promotion, he was finally told the reason: "If we promote you, who's going to look after this kitchen?" It was a difficult conversation at the time, but it taught him one of the most important leadership lessons of all: Your success is measured not by what you can do, but by what your team can do without you. Another standout moment came when discussing leadership and performance. "Consistency beats intensity." A simple phrase, but one that underpins John's entire approach to leadership, culture and long-term success. There was also a wonderful reminder of the mindset that has carried him from kitchen porter to CEO: "There's always something else I didn't know. So I wanted to go and learn it." And perhaps the most powerful takeaway from the entire conversation: "Make the mistake." Not recklessly. Not repeatedly. But don't become so afraid of failure that you stop trying new things altogether. There are also stories involving Swedish adventures, luxury hotels, thousands of firefighters, frozen swimming pools, and enough leadership wisdom to fill a management textbook. Funny, thoughtful, honest and packed with practical lessons. A brilliant conversation with one of hospitality's most grounded leaders. Enjoy. Show Partner A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams. RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app. It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones. To find out more, head to RotaCloud This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy