Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast

KW Marketing
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Fuelling Foodies is for the real food & drink founders who want to scale without the fluff. Hosted by Kate Williams, founder of KW Marketing, this podcast gives you the raw truth about growing your food business. Forget generic advice – this is about real stories, struggles, and breakthroughs. Every episode will dive deep into what it actually takes to build and grow a food business. From expert digital marketing strategies to the gritty challenges founders face, we share what works (and what doesn’t) in building food & drink brands that THRIVE. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, Fuelling Foodies gives you the insight, inspiration, and no-nonsense advice you need to FUEL your growth.

  1. 6D AGO

    The Future Of Non-Alcoholic Wine: Growth, Taste & The Vino Zero Story

    Non-alcoholic wine is one of the fastest-growing categories in food & drink, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode of Fuelling Foodies, Kate sits down with Fiona & Alex, founders of Vino Zero, to unpack what’s really happening inside the non-alc wine space, from quality and consumer scepticism to explosive category growth and bold founder decisions. From landing their first four pallets to supplying major hospitality venues and high-profile events, this is the inside story of building credibility in a rapidly evolving market. Here’s what we cover: The real reason non-alcoholic wine is booming (and why it’s not a fad)Taste, trust & winning over sceptical consumersThe quality shift: what changed?Building a multi-channel business across wholesale, trade & e-commerce.Founder lessons: fast decisions, long-distance partnership & scaling in a new categoryOur hot take: Will non-alcoholic outperform traditional alcohol in 2026? If you’re building in a fast-growth category, navigating consumer behaviour shifts, or watching the rise of the sober-curious movement… this episode is essential listening. LINKS & RESOURCES: Follow @vinozerouk and explore their non-alcoholic wines.Join the Food Marketing Club for just £57/month - your monthly hub for digital marketing strategies, templates, and supportWant tailored strategy support? Book a Strategy Call with KateFollow @kwmarketinguk for food & drink marketing insights, email tips & digital strategy If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a founder who’s planning a product launch this year 🔥

    37 min

  2. JAN 30

    Reinventing Snacking: How Popcorn Kitchen Launched Crunch Corn & Entered a New Category

    Launching a new product is risky, especially in snacking. In this episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, Kate sits down with Louise, Founder of Popcorn Kitchen, to unpack the real story behind the launch of Crunch Corn - from spotting white space in the savoury snacking market to building momentum in Q1 and beyond. This is a founder-level conversation about innovation, timing, and what actually matters when you’re expanding into a new category, without losing what made your brand successful in the first place. Here’s what we cover: How a trip to Seville inspired Crunch Corn, and why big, bold, savoury snacks were the opportunity.Entering a new snacking category when your brand is known for gifting and sweet popcorn.Consumer insight over hype: why size, crunch and flavour clarity mattered more than trends.Early launch feedback from farm shops, pubs and DTC, and what surprised Louise mostRetail vs DTC strategy and how Popcorn Kitchen approached distributionThe power of tastings, real-time feedback, and learning fastHot take: why most brands launch new products at the wrong time If you’re a food & drink founder planning a launch, expanding your range, or thinking about how to grow beyond your core bestseller, this episode is packed with honest insight and real-world lessons. LINKS & RESOURCES: Follow @popcornkitchen and explore Crunch CornJoin the Food Marketing Club for just £57/month - your monthly hub for digital marketing strategies, templates, and supportWant tailored strategy support? Book a Strategy Call with KateFollow @kwmarketinguk for food & drink marketing insights, email tips & digital strategy If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a founder who’s planning a product launch this year 🔥

    25 min

  3. JAN 16

    2026 Marketing Trends: Why Paid Ads Can’t Save You & What’s Actually Driving Growth Now

    January is loud. Predictions. Hot takes. New “rules” every week. But heading into 2026, what we’re seeing across food & drink brands isn’t noise - it’s pressure. Pressure to grow. Pressure to be everywhere. Pressure from founders who’ve done the “right” things… and still aren’t seeing the results. So in this episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, we're cutting through the chaos to share what we see first-hand inside real food & drink businesses - what’s actually working now, what’s quietly stopped working, and how smart brands are building stronger foundations for 2026 and beyond. This is a no-fluff Marketing Mastery episode focused on quality growth, not loud growth. In this episode, we cover:Why paid ads are no longer a safety net in 2026, and what food brands need in place before spending a poundThe shift from loud growth to quality growth, and why traffic, reach, and virality don’t equal profitHow email marketing becomes your strongest revenue channel through retention, lifetime value, and post-purchase journeysWhy trust is now a performance metric, not a brand “nice to have”What trust looks like in practice: founder-led content, organic social, stories, and smarter influencer use If you’re feeling overwhelmed by platforms, trends, and advice, and want clarity on where to focus your energy in 2026, this is the episode for you. LINKS & RESOURCES: Read our 2026 Marketing Trends blog!Join the Food Marketing Club for just £57/month - your monthly hub for TikTok strategies, templates, and content ideasWant tailored strategy support? Book a Strategy Call with KateFollow @kwmarketinguk for TikTok, content, and food & drink marketing tips If this episode inspired you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow founder - we love seeing how you’re fuelling your growth 🔥

    31 min

  4. 12/01/2025

    Disrupting Big Food & Plant-Based Growth: How BOL Foods Became an Industry Powerhouse

    Taking on the giants of big food isn’t easy… but that’s exactly what Paul Brown did. In this episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, Kate sits down with Paul Brown, founder of BOL Foods, to unpack how he turned bold decisions into one of the most exciting growth stories in food & drink. Here’s what we cover: The BOL origin story - where it all started, the mission behind the brand, and the pivotal moment that led to going fully plant-basedRepositioning the brand overnight - the decision to remove all meat, fish, and dairy, how the team responded, and why bold moves matterScaling with values intact - growing fast without losing authenticity, becoming an “energised lifestyle brand,” and keeping purpose and profitability alignedThe rise of Power Shakes - spotting the nutritionally complete meal trend early and building a category-leading rangeDisrupting big food - why BOL is still growing while the wider plant-based category declines, and what other brands are getting wrongUPFs & consumer trust - Paul’s stance on ultra-processed foods and how BOL balances convenience with clean, whole ingredientsHot takes from the founder’s seat - the moments where risk turned into game-changing reward, and what every founder can learn from them If you’re building a food & drink brand that wants to innovate, stand out, and scale with integrity… this episode is one you’ll want to take notes on. LINKS & RESOURCES: Learn more about BOL FoodsJoin the Food Marketing Club for just £57/month - your monthly hub for digital marketing strategies, templates, and supportWant tailored strategy support? Book a Strategy Call with KateFollow @kwmarketinguk for food & drink marketing insights, email tips & digital strategy If this episode inspired you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow founder - it helps us fuel even more foodies 🔥

    36 min

  5. 11/14/2025

    The TikTok Formula For Food Brands: What Actually Converts In 2025 & Beyond

    TikTok isn’t about going viral anymore... it’s about creating content that sells. In this episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, Kate sits down with Laura and Phoebe to break down the TikTok Formula that food & drink brands are using right now to build reach, community, and revenue. Here’s what we cover: Why TikTok still wins for food brands: discovery, community, authenticity, and why follower growth no longer mattersThe winning content formula (HOOK → VALUE → PROOF → CTA) and how to structure videos that actually convertEntertainment Score: why entertaining content generates 4.5x more reach and outperforms traditional product push videosWhat to post (and how often) without burning out - from lo-fi content to batching, content pillars, and keyword-first captionsHashtags are dead: how TikTok’s search-first algorithm actually works in 2025 & beyondTurning views into revenue: TikTok Shop, linking strategies, pixels, and creator partnerships that drive 3x more viewsOur hot takes: real campaigns from real food brands that generated actual sales (not just likes) If you’ve been trying to figure out why your TikTok isn’t converting or how to use it to grow your food brand... this episode is a must-listen! LINKS & RESOURCES: Join the Food Marketing Club for just £57/month - your monthly hub for TikTok strategies, templates, and content ideasWant tailored strategy support? Book a Strategy Call with KateFollow @kwmarketinguk for TikTok, content and food & drink marketing tips If this episode inspired you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow founder - we love seeing how you’re fuelling your growth 🔥

    36 min

  6. 10/31/2025

    How Mission-Led Brands Turn Purpose into Profit (With Amy from Hunter & Gather)

    Mission isn’t just a buzzword - it’s the backbone of great marketing. In this episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, Kate sits down with Amy from Hunter & Gather about building a purpose-led brand that drives genuine community and commercial results. Here’s what we cover: The Hunter & Gather story: from education-first platform to avocado mayo & oil, and a cross-category rangeHow to turn values into packaging, storytelling, and campaigns that convertThe commercial power of purpose: loyalty, community, and margin upsidesCommunity in action: the Hunter & Gather “Tribe” shaping products and advocacyScaling authentically: team of 30, quarterly self-reflection, and navigating investmentOmnichannel done right: website, Amazon, Tesco, Holland & Barrett, BootsHot take: the challenger campaign that pulled millions of views (and a cease & desist) If you’ve ever wondered how to turn “purpose” into a true growth driver, this conversation is a must-listen. LINKS & RESOURCES: Learn more about Hunter & GatherJoin the Food Marketing Club for just £57/month - your monthly support hub for growing your food brand with purposeWant tailored strategy support? Book a Strategy Call with KateFollow @kwmarketinguk for more food & drink marketing tips If this episode inspired you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow founder - we love seeing how you’re fuelling your growth 🔥

    31 min

  7. 10/17/2025

    How To Scale Your Food Brand On A Budget (Without Killing Growth!)

    Scaling can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to drain your budget. In this team episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, Kate, Laura and Phoebe break down how food & drink brands can scale smart when cash is tight. From lo-fi content that outperforms polish to ads that convert on small budgets and email as the highest-ROI channel, this is a no-fluff guide to scaling sustainably. Here’s what we cover: Why costs (CPC, CPL, CAC) are rising and how to prioritise spend wiselyReal content that converts: UGC, behind-the-scenes, and factory toursWhy you should never turn off marketing - only optimise itHow to run ads that don’t blow the budget (start small → test → scale)Why boosting posts aren't the same as adsEmail as your growth engine: pop-ups, competitions, and VIP segmentationDesign hacks for higher deliverability (build for images-off, clear CTAs)How to plan your scaling strategy (forecast back, keep it simple)Why your DTC growth fuels wholesale + retail wins If you’re scaling on a shoestring, this episode gives you a clear, no-fluff roadmap to keep momentum without overspending. LINKS & RESOURCES: Download our free guide: The Email Playbook - How one food & drink brand made £56.7K in email sales (with no extra ad spend!)Want tailored support? Book a Strategy Call with KateJoin the Food Marketing Club for weekly support, resources & live training If this episode resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and tag @kwmarketinguk - we love seeing how you’re fuelling your growth 🔥

    23 min

  8. 10/03/2025

    From Start-Up To Scaling: How Bar Buoy Built A Coastal Cocktail Brand

    From cocktails mixed by the sea to navigating the highs and lows of scaling, Tim & Ria’s story is proof that you don’t need all the answers to grow a brand with heart. In this episode of Fuelling Foodies: The Food Marketing Podcast, Kate sits down with Tim and Ria, co-founders of Bar Buoy Cocktails, proudly crafted on the Devon coast. We dig into provenance, quality, seasonality, and the reality of learning as you go when building a drinks brand. Here’s what we cover: The spark behind Bar Buoy and why it all started with Margarita Fridays!How provenance, quality ingredients, and the South West coast shape their brandThe realities of growth - from bottling in their kitchen to scaling production and launching cansWhy seasonality impacts everything (and why Q4 prep always feels like a sprint)The biggest lessons they’d share with other founders still figuring things out If you’ve ever felt like you’re building a food or drink brand without a polished playbook, this conversation will resonate. Tim & Ria show that values, persistence, and learning on the job can be just as powerful as strategy. LINKS & RESOURCES: Explore Bar Buoy Cocktails and follow their journey @bar_buoyDownload our free guide: The Email Playbook – How one food & drink brand made £56.7K in email sales (with no extra ad spend!)Want tailored support? Book a Strategy Call with KateJoin the Food Marketing Club for weekly support, resources & live training If this episode resonated, hit subscribe, leave a review, and tag @kwmarketinguk – we love seeing how you’re fuelling your growth!

    42 min
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About

Fuelling Foodies is for the real food & drink founders who want to scale without the fluff. Hosted by Kate Williams, founder of KW Marketing, this podcast gives you the raw truth about growing your food business. Forget generic advice – this is about real stories, struggles, and breakthroughs. Every episode will dive deep into what it actually takes to build and grow a food business. From expert digital marketing strategies to the gritty challenges founders face, we share what works (and what doesn’t) in building food & drink brands that THRIVE. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, Fuelling Foodies gives you the insight, inspiration, and no-nonsense advice you need to FUEL your growth.

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