Recipe for Greatness

Jay Greenwood
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Monthly

Interviewing the founders behind the best food companies in the UK to deconstruct the skills and knowledge they used to grow their business so you can learn from the best and start-up something yourself.

  1. From British Army Major to Healthy Toddler Meals | More Toddler Meals Founder - Ed van der Lande

    1d ago

    From British Army Major to Healthy Toddler Meals | More Toddler Meals Founder - Ed van der Lande

    Baby food should not feel like a trade-off between “quick” and “good”. We sit down with Ed van der Lande, founder of More Toddler Meals, to unpack a deceptively simple question: how do you feed toddlers wholesome meals with real texture and visible ingredients when you are exhausted, out of the house, or racing between nursery pick-ups and work? Ed traces the idea back to a moment on deployment in Somalia, watching his wife carry the full load at home and feeling the friction every parent knows. That frustration turned into an unusual solution: freeze drying. We break down, in plain English, how freeze drying differs from retort and pasteurised pouch foods, why heat can change flavour and texture, and why chewing and oral development matter when little ones are learning to eat. If you care about healthy toddler meals in the UK, convenient baby food, and what “shelf-stable” can look like without turning into puree, this will spark ideas. We also get practical about building a product-based business. Ed shares the leap from British Army major to Amazon, the leadership principles he carried over (high standards, curiosity, customer obsession), and the systems he uses now to keep focus. From home recipe trials and brutally honest feedback to selling at markets, walking into independent retailers, and rethinking online growth, this is a candid look at what it really takes to launch and scale a food brand. If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share it with a parent or founder, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show

    34 min
  2. Taking on Haribo With Half the Sugar | Wild Thingz Founder - Fliss Newland

    May 1

    Taking on Haribo With Half the Sugar | Wild Thingz Founder - Fliss Newland

    We talk with Wild Things founder Fliss Newland about going from Mondelez to building an organic, plant-based gummy brand that targets families without losing the fun of sweets. She breaks down the practical steps behind the leap, from finding the right opportunity to nailing brand positioning, packaging, and early retail wins.  Childhood hustle stories and the influence of self-employed parents Learning FMCG fundamentals at Mondelez, from perfect store to pricing and promotions Moving to Asia to stretch skills and seek less mature markets Taking on an existing vegan sweets business and spotting the product advantage “manifesting” as networking, asking for help, and saying ambitions out loud Qualitative consumer research with parents, including panels and real-world routines Positioning sweets as balance and permissibility rather than guilt and restriction Investing in distinctive branding to win at the shelf Getting first sales via Lunch! trade show, distributors, independents, and sampling Winning Ocado by pitching a tight proposition and staying focused on the target shopper Founder highs and lows, sleep, decision-making speed, and building a team culture please like and subscribe and write a review would really appreciate it.  if you want to know more about building a food business head to wwwjgreenwood.co.uk Support the show

    38 min
  3. Stock in a Can Sounded Ridiculous - Now It’s Shaking Up Categories | Founder Owen Potts

    Apr 17

    Stock in a Can Sounded Ridiculous - Now It’s Shaking Up Categories | Founder Owen Potts

    We talk with Owen Potts about building The Potts Partnership from a home kitchen into a premium ambient food manufacturer stocked by major UK supermarkets. We dig into hands-on learning, bold packaging choices like aluminium cans, and the unglamorous cash flow and operations work that makes growth possible.  Turning a gap year job in a jam factory into a career in food manufacturing and product development Learning factories end to end by jumping onto every machine and process Why partnerships break under pressure and how money triggers misalignment Spotting a market gap for premium stocks and gravies in independents during the financial crisis Using simple branding to stand out on shelf in butchers and farm shops Scaling production through borrowed facilities, consultancy swaps, and early contract manufacturing Getting supermarket buyers to engage by persevering until they taste the product The origin story of stock in aluminium cans and using other categories as inspiration Balancing brand identity with bold design across a range Operational realities of new packaging and iterating the process to make it work Why fast growth can crush cash flow and how pipeline fill changes the maths Adapting from hands-on maker to team builder with engineers and product developers Running a family business with clear role boundaries and aligned goals Founder advice on passion, gut feel, and protecting equity  Please like and subscribe and write a review, would really appreciate it.  If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.com.  Support the show

    35 min
  4. Building a Multi-Million Pound High-Protein Frozen Meal Brand From A Gym Freezer | Craig Allen - GSN

    Apr 9

    Building a Multi-Million Pound High-Protein Frozen Meal Brand From A Gym Freezer | Craig Allen - GSN

    We talk with Craig about how he leaves university, learns the fundamentals of margin and negotiation in meat trading, and turns a steam-cooked chicken discovery into GSN. We break down the scrappy freezer-in-gyms launch, the Covid pivot to e-commerce, and the principles that keep the brand focused on profitable growth.  leaving university to gain real-world experience in a family commodity trading business Learning negotiation, margin, factory operations and spotting value in overlooked stock the steam-cooked chicken moment and why convenience solves a real problem choosing gyms as the first channel and placing branded freezers to create demand handling rejection through cold outreach, common ground and a money-back guarantee learning practical skills fast through trial, error, YouTube and asking for help buying a decommissioned Tesco truck to solve frozen logistics and scale deliveries building an efficient delivery route before hiring help moving from credit-led growth to upfront payments to protect cash flow pivoting during Covid by building paid ads and a stronger direct-to-consumer website developing new high-protein ready meals by tracking food trends and relentless testing expanding into under-served channels while avoiding over-reliance on one big retailer GSN Wesbite Support the show

    37 min
  5. From Market Stall To Global Snacks - The Journey of The Protein Ball Co | Founder - Matt Hunt

    Feb 6

    From Market Stall To Global Snacks - The Journey of The Protein Ball Co | Founder - Matt Hunt

    A teenage trader learns to move stock on Romford Market, then builds a clean‑label snack factory that challenges ultra‑processed bars and keeps going through COVID with a private‑label engine. Matt Hunt, co‑founder of The Protein Ball Co, joins us for a candid, high‑energy tour through graft, grit, and the choices that change a business. We dig into margins, manufacturing, pet treats you could eat, and a bold rebrand made to win shelves. • early market lessons shaping sales craft and urgency • olives to protein balls and the Expo West insight • outsourcing pain points versus owning production • factory build on a tight budget and fast scale to export • airline margins, cancellations, and cash discipline • educating customers on protein types and absorption • clean labels versus ultra‑processed ingredients • COVID impact and the private label pivot • launching human‑grade dog treats with low carbs • rebrand to Ballsy By Nature and paper packaging • returning to proactive sales with a stronger story • partnership roles, stress, and family balance Please like and subscribe. And prior review, would really appreciate it. If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.com Support the show

    38 min
  6. From Jitters to Clarity: Building a Functional Coffee Brand That Actually Works | Unconform Founder Yusuf Amanullah

    Jan 29

    From Jitters to Clarity: Building a Functional Coffee Brand That Actually Works | Unconform Founder Yusuf Amanullah

    We trace Yusuf’s path from schoolyard hustles to building a functional cold brew that swaps jitters for calm focus. The story spans painful caffeine experiments, tough retail lessons, and the mindset shift from making a product to selling one at a profit. Listen to the story of building Unconform • early ventures and the itch to build  • caffeine overload as the spark for a solution  • cold brew, adaptogens, and nootropics for a smoother hit  • scrappy R&D, 31 iterations, and crowdfunding proof  • timing, outreach, and landing Holland and Barrett  • taking feedback, rebranding for shelf visibility  • packaging that signals benefit at a glance  • avoiding ego traps and focusing on sales  • the real maths of margins and target numbers  • recommended resources for learning to sell Please like and subscribe, and write a review, would really appreciate it  If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.com Support the show

    33 min
  7. Poker Lessons, Pasta Vision, And Patient Growth : Andrew Macleod of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

    11/13/2025

    Poker Lessons, Pasta Vision, And Patient Growth : Andrew Macleod of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

    We explore how poker shaped Andrew Macleod's thinking and how those mental models helped him build Emilia’s Crafted Pasta into a debt-free, multi-site brand. From scouting Italy to opening under budget and growing slow, we show how to balance soul with margins. • Poker as a mirror of risk and behaviour • Bootstrapping events and earning trust without capital • Finding the pasta gap and validating with travel and craft • Raising seed from relationships built on delivery and discipline • Securing a first site through persistence and landlord alignment • Opening lean, surviving the quiet months, building word of mouth • Frameworks for skill acquisition and early career risk-taking • Balancing hospitality warmth with unit economics • Cross-functional accountability and consequence visibility • Choosing independence, optionality, and long-term brand depth Please like and subscribe And post a review, we'd really appreciate it If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jaygreenwood.co.uk Support the show

    40 min
  8. Food, Purpose, and Mental Health: Inside Will Howard's Commercial Journey

    09/19/2025

    Food, Purpose, and Mental Health: Inside Will Howard's Commercial Journey

    Will Howard shares his journey from hospitality worker to Managing Director of GrowUp Farms, revealing how purpose-driven leadership and vulnerability create stronger businesses and teams. • Started career with a passion for food, working in hospitality before transitioning to FMCG roles at L'Oreal and PepsiCo • Found his authentic leadership style at purpose-driven companies like Red Bull, Innocent and Ella's Kitchen • Practices vulnerability by openly discussing mental health challenges with his team • Maintains mental wellbeing through consistent morning exercise routines • Joined GrowUp Farms after being impressed by both the team and product quality • Explains how vertical farming creates perfect growing conditions without pesticides in the space of "three double-decker buses" • Balances aggressive commercial growth targets with sustainable business practices • Uses technology including AI and machine learning to optimise crop production • Emphasises communication with context as essential for effective leadership • Advocates normalising mental health support: "If you cut your finger, you put a plaster on it. It's normal the other way" If you want to know more about starting a food business, head to www.jgreenwood.com. Support the show

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Interviewing the founders behind the best food companies in the UK to deconstruct the skills and knowledge they used to grow their business so you can learn from the best and start-up something yourself.

Information

  • Creator
    Jay Greenwood
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Recipe for Greatness
  • Show Website
    Recipe for Greatness