The Ceres Podcast

Ceres | Pure Food Innovation
  • 5.0 (1)
  • FOOD

In November 2018 I launched the Ceres Podcast — a place for proper conversations with the people who keep food and hospitality moving. Since then it's grown into a bit of a team effort. I'm joined by a cracking line-up of co-hosts: • Mark Petrou (Petrou Bros) • Kelly Barnes (Krispies) • David Nicolaou (Auckley Friery) • David Miller (Millers Fish & Chips) Together we're what I jokingly call the Podsquad — a group of people who care about the industry and aren't afraid to talk honestly about what's really going on. We don't do rushed soundbites or glossy nonsense. We take our time and get into the good stuff: what drives people, what they've learned the hard way, and what they'd do differently if they were starting again. Guests range from chefs and fish & chip shop owners to producers, suppliers and hoteliers — basically anyone shaping the hospitality world from the ground up. If you're in the trade, thinking about joining it, or just curious about how this industry actually works, you'll find something here. Real stories, real experience, and the odd laugh along the way.

  1. #238 - Business rates, wages and hospitality policy with Allen Simpson and Kate Nicholls

    12/20/2025

    #238 - Business rates, wages and hospitality policy with Allen Simpson and Kate Nicholls

    Stelios is joined by Allen Simpson, CEO of UKHospitality, and Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, for an open and detailed discussion on the pressures facing hospitality businesses across the UK. The conversation explores business rates, rising rateable values, wage policy, VAT, employment reform and why many pubs, restaurants, hotels and fish and chip shops feel increasingly constrained. Allen and Kate explain how recent budget decisions have played out in practice, why promised reforms have fallen short, and what these policies mean for jobs, investment and long-term viability. They also discuss wage compression, youth employment, apprenticeships and welfare-to-work schemes, alongside the importance of engaging directly with MPs rather than relying on social media to drive change. Episode highlight powered by Ceres Heavy Duty Degreaser Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 7m
  2. #237 - Trust, pressure and customer loyalty, with Giles Fuchs of Burgh Island Hotel

    12/20/2025

    #237 - Trust, pressure and customer loyalty, with Giles Fuchs of Burgh Island Hotel

    Stelios is joined by Giles Fuchs from Burgh Island Hotel for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to run a hospitality business when the pressure is real. Giles shares lessons from building, losing, and rebuilding businesses, including why even a single customer can become your strongest long-term asset if you get the experience right. The discussion explores staffing costs, government policy, and the unintended consequences that hospitality operators feel first, long before they appear in headlines. The episode also looks at trust, personal risk, and the mental load of being responsible for a business and the people in it. Giles explains how stoicism and preparation help him stay steady in uncertain conditions, offering a practical mindset rather than motivational slogans. Episode highlight powered by Ceres Traditional Batter Mix Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 35m

  3. 12/20/2025

    #236 - Why hoping for help is not a business plan - Podsquad

    In this Podsquad episode of The Ceres Podcast, Stelios Theocharous is joined by David Nicolaou and Mark Petrou for a frank conversation about the pressures fish and chip businesses are facing right now. The discussion starts with real-world stories from the coalface, including a frozen bank account without warning and the serious consequences of a missed Companies House filing. Those experiences lead into a wider debate about risk, compliance, and why relying on government fixes such as VAT cuts is not a strategy for survival. From there, the Podsquad tackles soaring cod prices, whether cod should still be the default choice on fish and chip shop menus, and how operators can adapt pricing and menus to protect margins without losing customers. It is an honest, practical discussion aimed squarely at owners and operators who want to focus on what they can control. If you run a fish and chip shop or hospitality business, this episode offers clear thinking, lived experience, and straight-talking insight from people who understand the realities of the trade. Episode highlight powered by Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 51m
  4. #235 - What makes a business worth buying or selling with Andrew Markou, Businessesforsale.com

    12/06/2025

    #235 - What makes a business worth buying or selling with Andrew Markou, Businessesforsale.com

    Stelios is joined by Andrew Markou, CEO and co-founder of BusinessesForSale.com. Together they break down what really drives the value of small hospitality businesses, with direct relevance to fish and chip shops. The conversation focuses on why cash flow matters more than turnover when valuing a business, what realistic multiples look like, and how owners can increase value by building systems that reduce reliance on them personally.  They also explore succession trends, the do's and don'ts of improving a business after purchase, and why franchising is growing in the UK, plus what independent operators can learn from a franchise-style mindset. Practical, grounded and full of trade-ready insights for anyone buying, running, scaling or preparing to sell a hospitality business. Episode highlight powered by Ceres Calculators. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 24m

  5. 11/30/2025

    #234 - The News Review, Grumpy Fryers, Scottish awards and the stories shaping hospitality

    In Episode 234 of The Ceres Podcast News Review, hosts Stelios Theocharous and David Nicolaou break down the week's most important stories for fish and chip shops and hospitality operators. With their usual mix of clarity, experience and straight talking, they explore what the headlines really mean for independent businesses on the ground. This episode covers: A quick look at David and Craig's new venture, The Grumpy Fryers, and why fresh trade-led content matters The Scottish awards expanding into England, and how that could raise standards across the UK Thirteen months of decline in hospitality jobs, and what it signals for the industry ahead of the Budget The £50,000 extractor fan that turned into a £2.5 million planning disaster, and the compliance lesson behind it McDonald's under renewed scrutiny over workplace harassment, and the wider safeguarding message for every operator employing young staff Episode highlight powered by Ceres Labelling Solutions. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast Check out the Ceres Calculators now! 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 52m
  6. #233 – Steven Muscat of Yan's Fish Bar, Cardiff

    11/25/2025

    #233 – Steven Muscat of Yan's Fish Bar, Cardiff

    Steven Muscat has spent his life behind the counter at one of Cardiff's best-known family chippies, Yan's Fish Bar. In this episode, he joins Mark Petrou for a warm, honest catch-up that starts with Steven's family roots and the story of how the business began, then moves into what it was like growing up in the shop and eventually taking over the reins. Together, they dig into the father-and-son dynamic that shaped Steven's career, and then zoom out to the big shifts facing the fish and chip trade today — changing customer expectations, portion sizes, fish choices, pricing pressure, and the day-to-day challenge of staying profitable without losing what makes a great chippy great. Steven also shares why he built the Owners and Lovers community on facebook, his views on awards and recognition in the industry, and what the future looks like for family-run shops in a post-Covid, delivery-heavy world. Episode highlight powered by Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner, Ceres Heavy Duty Degreaser & Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler— made to keep your commercial kitchen and equipment in peak condition. Find out more at ceres.shop. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast Check out the Ceres Calculators now! 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 14m
  7. #232 - The Real Cost of Standing Still — with Robert Furey, Florigo U.K

    11/24/2025

    #232 - The Real Cost of Standing Still — with Robert Furey, Florigo U.K

    Stelios sits down with Robert Furey, Managing Director of Florigo UK, to talk about how fish and chip shops can stay sharp and profitable in an uncertain economy. They explore the difference between cutting costs and cutting investment, why some operators often pause while others stick to long-term plans, and how replacing ageing ranges can save money through efficiency, reliability, and easier servicing.  The conversation also covers pricing confidence and value perception, practical lessons on click-and-collect and delivery, and the essentials many shops overlook — from insurance details and servicing schedules to fire-suppression compliance.  Finally, they look ahead to the next wave of range technology and unpack what the QBTEC move around Florigo could mean for the wider market. What you'll learn in this episode: • How to control costs without stalling growth • The true payback of upgrading old frying ranges • Pricing psychology and protecting perceived value • Click-and-collect first, delivery second — and why • Insurance, maintenance, and fire-suppression basics that matter • Where frying range tech is heading next • What the QBTEC/Florigo news likely means for operators Episode highlight powered by Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner, Ceres Heavy Duty Degreaser & Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler— made to keep your commercial kitchen and equipment in peak condition. Find out more at ceres.shop. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast Check out the Ceres Calculators now! 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 53m
  8. #231 - Andrew Griffith MP on VAT, Business Rates & Small Business

    11/13/2025

    #231 - Andrew Griffith MP on VAT, Business Rates & Small Business

    Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith MP joins Stelios for a straight-talking conversation about the real challenges facing small businesses and the hospitality sector. From VAT reform and business rates to red tape, hiring struggles, and the pressure on high streets, this episode digs into how government decisions ripple into everyday life for fish and chip shops, pubs, cafés, and independent operators across the country. Andrew draws on decades in business, including senior roles at Sky and Just Eat, to offer a candid insider's view of Westminster. Stelios pushes the discussion into the issues owners actually care about: the VAT cliff edge, staffing costs, unfair competition, and whether the current system truly supports those keeping Britain's communities alive. A clear, grounded, and practical discussion for anyone who runs a business or depends on one. Episode highlight powered by Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner, Ceres Heavy Duty Degreaser & Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler— made to keep your commercial kitchen and equipment in peak condition. Find out more at ceres.shop. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today.  Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Newsfeed Ceres Podcast Check out the Ceres Calculators now! 📮Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.

    1h 1m
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About

In November 2018 I launched the Ceres Podcast — a place for proper conversations with the people who keep food and hospitality moving. Since then it's grown into a bit of a team effort. I'm joined by a cracking line-up of co-hosts: • Mark Petrou (Petrou Bros) • Kelly Barnes (Krispies) • David Nicolaou (Auckley Friery) • David Miller (Millers Fish & Chips) Together we're what I jokingly call the Podsquad — a group of people who care about the industry and aren't afraid to talk honestly about what's really going on. We don't do rushed soundbites or glossy nonsense. We take our time and get into the good stuff: what drives people, what they've learned the hard way, and what they'd do differently if they were starting again. Guests range from chefs and fish & chip shop owners to producers, suppliers and hoteliers — basically anyone shaping the hospitality world from the ground up. If you're in the trade, thinking about joining it, or just curious about how this industry actually works, you'll find something here. Real stories, real experience, and the odd laugh along the way.

Information

  • Creator
    Ceres | Pure Food Innovation
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    238
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025
  • Show Website
    The Ceres Podcast

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