The London Food Network

Sebastian Candelon
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  • Entrepreneurship

The London Food Network Podcast shares real stories from the people shaping London’s food and drink scene. Host Sebastian Candelon speaks with founders, chefs, suppliers, and makers about their journey, challenges, and the future of food. Honest, insightful, and practical — this podcast is for anyone building or supporting great food businesses.

  1. He Waited 10 Years to Taste His First Bottle. It Sold Out Before He Could with Alasdair Day

    May 21

    He Waited 10 Years to Taste His First Bottle. It Sold Out Before He Could with Alasdair Day

    Isle of Raasay has a population of 160 people. The distillery Alasdair Day built there now exports to 50 countries. It took six years from breaking ground to bottling the first single malt. The inaugural release sold out before it shipped. And Alasdair's biggest regret is not starting ten years earlier. Alasdair is the co-founder and master distiller of Isle of Raasay Distillery, the first legal distillery on the island, and the inheritor of a whiskey blending lineage that stretches back to 1820. In this conversation he and Sebastian trace the full arc of building a premium craft spirit business from a disused hotel on a remote Scottish island, including the funding challenges, the long gap between vision and first product, what it actually feels like to manage a business where every decision you make today won't be measurable for another three years, and why the hardest thing in any entrepreneurial journey is simply being honest with yourself. This is a long-game business story with lessons that apply far beyond whiskey. Connect with Alasdair Day and Isle of Raasay Distillery: Website: https://raasaydistillery.com The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Apply to be a guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #ScotchWhisky #CraftDistillery #FoodFounders #IsleOfRaasay #ScottishFood #Entrepreneurship #LongGame #EmbraceAI

    34 min
  2. Your Supplements Are Full of Fillers.

    May 17

    Your Supplements Are Full of Fillers.

    Apply to be a guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform 96 percent of people in the UK are deficient in fiber. Not a few percent. Not a minority. Nearly everyone. And most of them have no idea. Helen Johnston spent years as a glossy magazine editor, deputy at Cosmo and Marie Claire, before training as a nutritionist and building Succeed, a range of whole food super blends made from seeds and botanical herbs grown as close to her Norfolk farm as possible. Less than six months since launch, she is already on the shelves at Selfridges. In this episode, Helen and Sebastian unpack why the supplement industry is making nutrition more confusing and more expensive than it needs to be, what 90 percent of our serotonin has to do with what we eat for breakfast, and why the simplest upgrade to your daily health might already be sitting in a kitchen cupboard. This is a practical conversation, not a sales pitch. You will leave with a clearer picture of what your body actually needs, why most of us are getting it wrong, and how small consistent steps are the only thing that actually sticks. Connect with Helen Johnston and Succeed: Website: https://succeeds.life Available in Selfridges, Blue Diamond garden centres, Panzers, farm shops across Norfolk and Devon, and approximately 40 independent stores nationwide. Sponsor: Embrace AI Consultancy — AI systems for food, hospitality, and service-based businesses that deliver real commercial results. https://embraceai.co.uk The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #GutHealth #WholeFood #NutritionUK #FoodFounders #HealthFood #Supplements #Entrepreneurship #EmbraceAI

    51 min
  3. He Turned a 28-Year Waiting List Into a Business

    May 13

    He Turned a 28-Year Waiting List Into a Business

    Apply to be a guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform In Lambeth, the allotment waiting list is 28 years. Not 28 months. Not 28 weeks. Twenty-eight years. William Gay did a freedom of information request to confirm it, and then decided to build the alternative. William is the co-founder of Roots Allotments, a fast-scaling UK business giving urban people access to ready-to-plant, chemical-free growing spaces. In four years, Roots has grown to 20 sites, 258 acres, over 4,000 active members, and nearly 7 million pounds raised, with plans to expand to America. This episode covers what it actually takes to build something physical and values-led at speed, including the community opposition, the near-death moments, and the customer whose patch brought him back to life after COVID. In this conversation you will hear why 30 supermarket tomatoes now contain the same nutrients as one from your grandparents' era, what house builders are doing to farmland on the edges of UK cities right now, and why William believes growing food could be one of the most powerful responses to the AI-driven economy ahead. Connect with William Gay and Roots Allotments: Website: https://rootsallotments.com Instagram: @rootsallotments TikTok: @rootsallotments Sponsor: Embrace AI Consultancy — AI systems for food, hospitality, and service-based businesses that deliver real commercial results. https://embraceai.co.uk The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #UrbanGrowing #AllotmentsUK #FoodSystems #FoodFounders #UKFood #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship #EmbraceAI

    43 min
  4. 80 Years. One Broken System.

    May 11

    80 Years. One Broken System.

    Become a TLFN guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform In 1940, 40 percent of the food on your table came from your own backyard. Today, almost none of it does. And in that one generation, something fundamental broke. Pete Russell is the founder of UBI (Out of Our Own Backyard) and a driving force behind The Decent Alliance. He has spent nearly two decades building the infrastructure to put small-scale food producers back at the heart of the food system. In this episode, Pete and Sebastian trace the collapse of decentralised food, the real reason the modern supply chain is fragile by design, and why the tools to fix it finally exist. What you will take from this episode: How to connect directly with local growers and cut out the layers that eat your margins, why the biggest food businesses of the next decade will be the ones operating at a human scale, and what it actually takes to survive long enough to see your mission become relevant. Connect with Pete Russell and UBI: Website: https://ubi.com The Decent Alliance: https://decentalliance.com Sponsor: Embrace AI Consultancy — AI systems for food, hospitality, and service-based businesses that deliver real commercial results. https://embraceai.co.uk The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #LocalFood #FoodSupplyChain #FoodFounders #FoodDistribution #UKFood #SmallFarms #Entrepreneurship #EmbraceAI

    50 min
  5. He Decentralized Hospitality. Here's How.

    Apr 29

    He Decentralized Hospitality. Here's How.

    He walked into a three Michelin star kitchen at seven years old and never looked back. 46 years later, Antoine Melon is dismantling the idea that great hospitality belongs in a restaurant. In this episode, Antoine shares what 20 years across luxury hotels in 11 countries taught him about service, culture, and what guests actually wantm and why he co-founded HOMETAINMENT to bring private chef and hospitality experiences directly into people's homes. If you work in food, run a hospitality business, or simply want to understand where the industry is heading, this conversation is essential. Connect with Antoine Melon: Website: https://www.antoinemelon.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinemelon/ The Curious Gourmand: https://www.amazon.com/CURIOUS-GOURMAND-CONVIVIAL-HISTORY-DRINKING-ebook/dp/B0CVF6WMZW Sponsored by Embrace AI: https://embraceai.co.uk The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Guest Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Why a seven-year-old walked into a Michelin kitchen and never left 00:05:44 How one meal 46 years ago overruled a 160-year family legacy 00:13:44 Why the world's number one hotel school sent him to Egypt first 00:16:40 What running 11 countries in 20 years actually teaches you 00:19:10 The role he loved most and why the Maldives nearly broke him 00:20:22 How Conran, Mandarin Oriental, and Michelin stars shaped his standard 00:22:34 The moment he questioned everything and still got it wrong 00:24:55 Why he turned down Marrakesh and Barcelona for a struggling island resort 00:25:25 How COVID killing his job became the idea behind HOMETAINMENT 00:29:25 What booking a private chef at home actually looks like 00:31:21 The highs, the lows, and why London wealth leaving hurt the business 00:37:43 Where HOMETAINMENT goes next and the Airbnb ambition behind it 00:41:45 The book that explains why French fries are not French If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #LondonFoodNetwork #Hospitality #PrivateChef #FoodFounders #HOMETAINMENT #LuxuryHospitality #FoodIndustry #entrepreneurship Keywords: private chef London, home dining experience, luxury hospitality, food entrepreneur, HOMETAINMENT, hospitality industry insights, food business London, restaurant alternative, private events London, food founder podcast

    44 min
  6. Hospitality Recruitment Is Broken. Here Is What 24 Years Taught Him | Bee Hospitality

    Apr 23

    Hospitality Recruitment Is Broken. Here Is What 24 Years Taught Him | Bee Hospitality

    Rory Laffan is the founder of Bee Hospitality, a specialist recruitment agency with 24 years embedded in the UK hospitality sector. He has placed talent at some of the best-known restaurant brands in the country, from Blacklock and Pizza Pilgrims to international groups expanding into the UK market. In this episode, you will hear how Rory learned to stop chasing volume and start choosing clients with the same care he gives candidates, why recruitment done properly has nothing in common with the reputation the industry carries, and what 24 years of hard lessons actually looks like when someone is honest about them. Connect with Rory Laffan: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rory-laffan-51b86110 Bee Hospitality: https://www.youfoundbee.com/ Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy: https://embraceai.co.uk The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Guest Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 The Industry That Hooks You and Won't Let Go 00:54 Why Most Operators Never Listen to a 26-Year-Old Recruiter 03:12 He Started at 25 and Still Regrets Not Wanting More 06:01 The Mistake That Almost Cost Sebastian Everything 09:04 What You Lose When You Chase Volume Over Relationships 11:35 The Moment Fewer Clients Made Them More Money 15:22 Why Recruitment Done Wrong Destroys Trust 18:30 90 Percent of Business Is Referrals for This Reason 22:06 What Happens When You Put Money First in Recruitment 25:09 The Industry Where You Can Outgrow a University Degree 29:44 What Running a Business Does to You When Your Family Gets Sick 33:16 Late Payments Almost Destroyed Both of Their Businesses 36:01 What You Actually Lose When You Stop Appreciating What You Have If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #HospitalityRecruitment #FoodIndustry #UKHospitality #RestaurantBusiness #Entrepreneurship #FoodFounders #LondonFood #Recruitment

    38 min
  7. He Turned Food Waste Frustration Into a $50M Platform Serving 5 Countries

    Apr 20

    He Turned Food Waste Frustration Into a $50M Platform Serving 5 Countries

    Food wholesale software changed how thousands of fresh food distributors work. Fresho co-founder Huw Birrell explains how they built it from a wrong idea into a $50M platform operating across 5 countries. Sebastian nearly lost his seafood business. Fresho automation is part of what saved it. Guest Links: Website: https://www.fresho.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huw-birrell-2365aa3a/ Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy Helping food and hospitality businesses grow through smarter automation, better lead generation, and systems that remove admin without losing the human touch. https://embraceai.co.uk Connect with The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Guest Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thelondonfoodnetwork?sub_confirmation=1 TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 He Nearly Walked Away From Subscriptions. Here's Why. (teaser clip opens) 00:33 Why a Photographer With No Plan Ended Up Running a 16-Year Agency 04:15 How a Phone Camera Can Destroy Your Brand Without You Knowing 07:17 What Nobody Tells You Before Hiring a Food Photographer 08:44 Why the Best Shoots Happen the Day After You Call 09:46 The Client Who Came Back After 4 Years. No Contract. No Retainer. 10:05 How an Industry That Never Stops Changing Keeps Catching People Off Guard 13:43 The Unwritten Rule That Stops Photographers Stealing Your Clients 18:36 Why Tight Margins Make Hospitality Cut the Wrong Thing First 20:15 The Referral Model He Refuses to Use (And Why It Works Anyway) 21:24 Why Subscriptions Sound Smart But Almost Never Get Signed 25:33 What the Next 12 Months Look Like When AI Is Coming for Your Job 27:51 Where to Find Hospitality Media — Most food distributors still take orders by voicemail at 11pm. One supplier we spoke to gets 150 faxes a day. Another had a full-time staff member whose entire job was re-entering orders from customer spreadsheets into their system, then passing them to ops, then generating invoices. Every handoff was a chance for a mistake. Every mistake meant credits, disputes, and lost hours. Huw Birrell co-founded Fresho in 2015 with his business partner James Andronis, a 20-year veteran of the fresh seafood industry. Together they built a fresh food order management platform that now handles billions of dollars in wholesale orders each month for suppliers across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. In this episode, Huw and Sebastian dig into the real story behind building Fresho. What the wrong original idea was, and why Huw almost pursued it anyway. How they survived launching in the UK just as COVID hit and borders were closing. Why Fresho's policy has always been to raise funding before you ever need it. And why the average food distributor grows 20% year on year after adopting the platform. Know an operator still running orders by voicemail at midnight? Send them this. #FoodWholesale #FoodDistribution #FoodTech #Fresho #FoodBusiness #FoodFounders #UKFood #Entrepreneurship

    35 min
  8. Never Apply To These Hospitality Job Ads | TLFN EP. 36

    Apr 9

    Never Apply To These Hospitality Job Ads | TLFN EP. 36

    The hospitality industry is shrinking its teams, cutting sponsorship visas, and watching its best talent walk out the door for remote jobs. David Dawson has been recruiting for it since 2009 and has a front-row seat to all of it. David is the founder of DS Hospitality, a specialist hospitality recruitment agency placing front and back of house talent across the UK for independent hotels and high-end chains. In this episode, you will hear why the best candidates never apply to job boards, what AI gets wrong in recruitment, and what it actually takes to build a business that lasts in one of the hardest industries in the world. Connect with David: https://dshospitality.co.uk Sponsored by Embrace AI Consultancy: https://embraceai.co.uk Connect with The London Food Network: Website: https://thelondonfoodnetwork.com Guest application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekx9sI7rV6qmzOkBRAJLn-nQmP8cfSc4jcfEOaWGTbqZhiCw/viewform If this episode gave you something, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. #hospitality #recruitment #londonrestaurants #foodindustry #entrepreneurship #embraceai #thelondonfoodnetwork #hospitalityrecruitment

    37 min
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About

The London Food Network Podcast shares real stories from the people shaping London’s food and drink scene. Host Sebastian Candelon speaks with founders, chefs, suppliers, and makers about their journey, challenges, and the future of food. Honest, insightful, and practical — this podcast is for anyone building or supporting great food businesses.

Information

  • Creator
    Sebastian Candelon
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sebastian Candelon
  • Show Website
    The London Food Network