HUNGRY.

Dan Pope

HUNGRY is the podcast for Challenger Food and Drink brands wanting to pour gasoline on their growth. Fancy being kind? Want to feel warm inside? Please hit the Subscribe button. You’d really, really make my week. 

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

    FA 1 DIA

    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-Kanu connects these lessons to entrepreneurship with The Turmeric Co.. The company’s “north star,” he says, is creating genuine “life transformations” through clinically backed products rather than typical consumer brands that prioritize marketing over product efficacy. He also reflects on elite sport, emphasizing that high performance is less about motivational speeches and more about obsessive attention to fundamentals—training routines, discipline, and preparation over long periods. Success, whether in football or business, comes from consistent intent, clear direction, and aligning the energy of a team toward a shared objective. Ultimately, his core belief is that “all is mind”: mindset shapes performance, opportunity, and outcomes in sport, business, and life.  ==============================================  ♨️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/🍲  ============================================== 🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================  A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​ ►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk) 🤝 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 Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

    1 h 4 min
  2. Ivan Ramen: New York's Best Ramen Restaurant, Conquering Tokyo, Heartbreak, Japanese Literature & Art

    16 DE MARÇ

    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 moment a single influential ramen critic changed the trajectory of his business overnight. He explains why ramen is one of the most creative foods in Japanese cuisine, why “authentic” is often the wrong word to use, and how breaking rules is sometimes the only way to find your voice. Along the way they dive into the realities of running restaurants across different cities — from Tokyo to New York to Las Vegas — the difference between destination dining and foot-traffic restaurants, and the constant tension between creativity and the brutal economics of hospitality. It’s a conversation about stubbornness, identity, and what it really takes to build something original in a culture that isn’t your own. ON THE MENU:00:00:00 Intro00:02:08 Japanese Literature and Murakami00:04:23 Why Ivan Studied Japanese at University00:11:05 The Genesis of Ivan Ramen - $60k to get started00:12:26 Foreigner in Japan’s Ramen Scene00:14:02 Fixing the Hospitality Problem in Ramen Shops (Lessons form Lutece)00:25:33 What makes a good Ramen?00:36:12 Taking Advantage of the Gaijin Card00:40:05 How Tokyo Became an International Food City00:40:12 Pizza & Wine - Tokyo Rivals the Best of the World00:41:11 Ivan’s Favorite NYC Pizza Spots00:44:06 Why the Pizza Scene Exploded in New York00:47:50 Why Ivan Doesn’t Fear Recipe Copying00:51:02 Ray Kroc and No-Nonsense Business Advice01:01:52 How the USA is Killing its Small Businesses01:06:08 What Most Restaurant Business Plans Miss01:07:08 Why "Authentic" is a Terrible Word01:07:52 The Moment Ivan Decided He Could Go For It01:12:21 The Best Sandwiches in NYC01:15:47 Ivan on London’s Food Scene01:17:16 Ivan on British Tea (PG Tips vs Fancy Tea)   ==============================================  ♨️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/🍲  ============================================== 🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================  A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​ ►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk) 🤝 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 Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

    1 h 40 min
  3. Sat Bains (update) - Surviving a Deadly Heart Attack, Banning Caviar & Truffle, Winning 2 Michelin Stars, The Behavioural Science Wine List that Makes £1000's

    10 DE MARÇ

    Sat Bains (update) - Surviving a Deadly Heart Attack, Banning Caviar & Truffle, Winning 2 Michelin Stars, The Behavioural Science Wine List that Makes £1000's

    *updated version* A masterclass in the nuts and bolts of running a world-class restaurant. In this episode, Dan sits down with one of Britain’s most uncompromising chefs to talk about building a two-Michelin-star restaurant in the least glamorous location imaginable — a strange little oasis tucked under a Nottingham flyover, surrounded by graffiti, traffic, and the occasional burning car. But that’s exactly the point. Sat explains why great restaurants aren’t just about food — they’re about theatre, emotion, risk, and creating something so memorable that people will travel across the world to experience it. From the philosophy behind Restaurant Sat Bains to the psychology of hospitality, the conversation dives into why authenticity beats polish, why imperfection can be powerful, and why chasing Michelin stars is often the least interesting part of running a restaurant. Along the way they explore Sat’s unconventional ideas — like the now-famous “Sat’s Gamble” wine lottery — the realities of attracting true traveling food lovers, and what it actually takes to build a restaurant that people obsess over. This is a conversation about vision, stubbornness, and why sometimes the best restaurants in the world are built in the most unlikely places. *If you noticed any issues with ads playing under the audio of this episode, please refresh the feed and re-download the episode to fix.  Thank you for listening! 00:00 Gastronomic Narnia00:03:30 Your Restaurant is a Breathing Organism00:05:50 The Secret Behind the Perfect Dish00:9:26 Secret Scallop Techniques and What 30yrs in Kitchens Teaches You00:14:30 The REAL difference w/ Sat Bains and Other Michelin Restaurants00:17:45 How to Mix Complacency, Naivety, and Relentless Drive00:19:35 More on Sat Bains' Scallop Technique 00:21:30 How Sat Bains Treats His Staff00:22:42 Acidity Explored00:24:45 Why Makes Sat Different? (Mentoring New Chefs)00:31:50 Cooking vs Actually Running a Restaurant00:33:45 You've Got to Allow Your Guests to Spend Money00:35:30 The Marketing Genius Behind Sat Bains' Menu Structure00:47:00 Why Freedom Beats Mentors in Creativity00:57:00 Your Restaurant is NOT a Dentist Office01:00:00 Lessons From Growing Up in a Shop01:04:00 Creativity Means Nothing Without Business01:14:00 The £50 Two-Michelin-Star Breakfast Idea01:26:00 The Little Things Matter (How to Match Customer Expectations)01:35:30 Staring Death in the Eye (Sat's Heart Attack) 01:39:00 Why Honesty Beats Perfect Social Media01:40:00 Sat’s Gamble Wine Lottery Explained01:58:05 Sat Gets Kicked Out of the House at 18yrs old 02:02:00 Turning Art Into Michelin-Star Dishes02:17:00 How Creative Ideas Become Real Plates02:25:31 The Biggest Mistake Chefs Make  ==============================================  ♨️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/🍲  ============================================== 🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================  A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​ ►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk) 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

    2 h 28 min
  4. How I Built the UK's First Indian Street Food Chain (it was easier than you think) - Nisha Katona, Mowgli

    2 DE MARÇ

    How I Built the UK's First Indian Street Food Chain (it was easier than you think) - Nisha Katona, Mowgli

    From bricks through the window in 1960s Skelmersdale to queues around the block in Liverpool, this is a story of immigrant hunger, insecurity, obsession with standards — and building something that blesses a city. Dan sits down with Nisha Katona — founder of Mowgli Street Food — the woman who turned authentic Indian home cooking into the first national Indian street food chain in Britain.  Nisha breaks down why Mowgli was never meant to be a “curry house,” why Hindu home cooking avoids garlic and onion at lunch, and how sitting outside Greggs watching men in high-vis jackets shaped her pricing strategy. We talk about scale, magic, heart, delivery, Empire, authenticity, Nando’s, Greggs, and why growth should never be something you’re ashamed of. This is a masterclass in building a restaurant brand with soul — and keeping that soul intact across 27 sites. If you care about food, cities, entrepreneurship, culture — or how to turn anxiety into momentum — this one’s special. ON THE MENU:00:00 Intro00:54 Is Nisha a Workaholic?02:54 Does Scale Kill Magic in Restaurants?03:13 Treating Every Restaurant Like Your Child04:26 Why She Decorated Mowgli to Fail07:29 The First National Indian Street Food Chain08:44 Curry House vs Authentic Indian Home Cooking11:54 The Four Pillars of Building a Restaurant Brand25:47 Researching Demand Before Opening a Restaurant26:33 Pricing for Men in High-Vis Jackets27:14 Chicken Tikka Masala & Britain’s National Dish32:27 Why Mowgli Finally Launched Delivery35:28 Temple Daal: Authentic Indian Home Food41:40 Why Scale Doesn’t Kill Magic43:18 Why She Backed Uber Eats in the North44:46 Why Restaurant & Delivery Can Coexist45:51 Restaurants Are Like Cinema for Your Tastebuds59:45 Immigrant Parents, £2 in Their Pocket01:00:50 Growing Up With Racism in 1960s Britain01:27:00 Why She Refuses to Overbuild01:30:48 The £35k vs £285k London Rent Decision

    1 h 33 min

Informació

HUNGRY is the podcast for Challenger Food and Drink brands wanting to pour gasoline on their growth. Fancy being kind? Want to feel warm inside? Please hit the Subscribe button. You’d really, really make my week. 

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