People Doing Things – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Introducing Scott Davies. He’s the founder of Hilltop Honey, the 2nd largest honey brand in the UK with a turnover of £44mn selling over 13,000 tonnes of honey a year, the equivalent of 1000 double-decker buses. And while honey sales have been relatively stagnant for the last few years, Hilltop Honey has bucked the trend growing at an outstanding 22% a year. 

It’s impressive. Scott grew up in a pretty low income family in the middle of Wales, got pretty average GCSEs, didn’t go to university and only started the businesses because he slipped a disk down the coal yard. Aged 23 with a 5k overdraft, Scott was faced with a choice: start a dog walking business, sell sports equipment on Amazon or start his own honey brand. Lucky for us he did the latter, starting Hilltop Honey back in 2011 living with mum and dad, who now lend a hand in the factory. 

Look up ‘grit’ means in the dictionary you’ll find a picture of Scott there. He didn’t pay himself for the first 3 years. They were on their last £400 when Holland & Barrett took a chance on the brand. And they’ve never taken on any investment. Now 13 years on, he has a market share of 12%, is expanding to the states and pays 130 people’s mortgages every month. 

In this episode we talk about what resilience means, the power of being no.2 and the highs and lows along the road. Enjoy

Say hello to Dan Szor. He’s the founder of the Cotswolds Distillery, a pioneering whisky distillery that has learned the rules like a pro, only to break them like an artist. Working with master distillers Jim McEwan from Bruichladdich and whisky veteran Harry Cockburn from Bowmore, the Cotswolds Distillery was one of only 4 English whisky distilleries when it was founded in 2014. Now there are 55. 

Working with the next generation of distilling talent, Dan was eager to hire talent but rent experience, supplemented by locals who helped with operations like bottling and peeling fruit for the gin, their first market-ready product. A cloudy gin that shrugged off negative aspersions from the gin world, turning it into a distinguishable brand asset for what has now become a go-to for Cotswold folk and visitors, alike. 

For the distillery, the gin was only a stop-gap before the real work on the whisky could begin. His ‘barley epiphany’ in the early 2010’s saw him imagine a new way of making whisky. One that didn’t have to be a heavy hitting whisky from the peaty terroir and harsh water of Scotland but could instead be a softer, younger, fruit-forward liquid made from locally sourced Cotswolds barley, enhanced by a range of carefully sourced barrels that give it the ‘real’ flavour. 

They now have a wonderful range of whiskies on offer from their legendary ‘Founders Choice’, my personal favourites of the ‘Sherry Casks’ and ‘Bourbon Casks’ as well as more experimental, limited editions and liqueurs. In this episode we talk about whether a healthy dose of naivety or his American chutzpah inspired him to re-write the rules of whisky making, whether it’s best to learn an industry from the top or the bottom, and where following a passion can take you. So pour yourself a ‘contemplative dram’, take a sip and tune in. 

Say hello to Thom Elliot. Back in 2012, he and his brother James founded Pizza Pilgrims - a remarkable journey that turned a simple tuk-tuk into a pizza empire spanning over 20 locations.

Fueled by a passion for authentic Italian pizza and disillusioned with their previous careers in advertising and TV production, the brothers bought a Piaggio Ape and set off on a month-long pilgrimage across Italy. They immersed themselves in the art of pizza making, studying ingredients and flavours, and brought their newfound knowledge back to London. Starting with a single oven in their vehicle at Berwick Street Market in Soho, they captured the hearts of Londoners, epitomising the street food revolution.

From a target of selling 350 pizzas a week in their early days to now selling 45,000+ week, Pizza Pilgrims has grown meteorically. With 20 pizzerias in London and additional outlets in Nottingham, Cambridge, Leeds, and Brighton, the brand has become synonymous with authentic Neapolitan pizza in the UK. Despite this rapid expansion, Thom and James have maintained a close-knit company culture, employing around 500 people who share their passion and vision.

In this episode, we chat with Thom Elliot about turning a street food stall into a beloved chain, how the pizza landscape has changed over the last decade, the importance of staying true to your roots and what the future holds for Pizza Pilgrims.

Introducing Frazer Thompson, the visionary behind Chapel Down. Frazer's journey began in an unexpected way—he founded Chapel Down in 2002 after a playful wager with a friend led him down the path of winemaking. What started as a gamble transformed into a success story, with Chapel Down emerging as England’s leading winery and achieving a stock market valuation of £120 million.

Frazer's early days were humble, starting as a paperboy in the outskirts of Newcastle before moving to London in the late seventies to study business at the University of Greenwich. His career in marketing quickly escalated, leading to a significant tenure at Whitbread starting in 1986, where he delved into marketing and strategy for their inns and ale sectors including Bodington’s The Cream of Manchester. In 1996, a new chapter began when he joined Heineken in Amsterdam, a move that reshaped his family's life and his career. He loved being in Holland and working for the Dutch brewer, but found himself becoming someone he didn't want to be - drowning in his own corporate speak. Despite the success, Frazer yearned for something more personal and authentic, eventually leading him to the world of English winemaking.

In this episode, we delve into Frazer's remarkable journey from corporate executive to wine industry pioneer, how Chapel Down became a British icon, particularly thanks to the royal wedding, and his current ventures with Folc and Impossibrew. Cheers!

Say hello to Nick and Toby. They founded ‘Ask Us For Ideas’ (or AUFI for short) back in 2010 connecting ambitious businesses with the top 1% of creative agencies globally, from startups and scaleups to household names. Born out of the last recession, they’ve experienced the growth of a totally different brand building landscape firsthand. From the rise of social media and DTC brands to the boom of VC backed tech businesses out to change the world - often playing match-maker from both sides of the creative touchline. 

And while the landscape has undoubtedly shifted, what hasn’t changed is their belief in the power of creativity to drive businesses further. A belief shared by both agency partners and the brands they choose to work with. However, while they make great connectors working with businesses like WeTransfer, Brewdog and TaskRabbit, over the last few years they’ve also turned their hand to investing, getting involved with brands like Cabinet, Surreal, Days and Haus - taking the risks they actively encourage of their clients. 

In this episode we seek to harness their unique position between brand and agency to look into the future of the market, playing clairvoyant to the year ahead while also seeking to understand the changing priorities of the brands you represent and the agencies you connect. Enjoy.

Introducing Andy Shovel. He co-founded the plant-based meat alternative brand THIS!™ back in 2019 on a mission to force the world’s livestock into retirement. Only five years on, his vegan start-up is now valued at over £150mn and doing exactly what it set out to. Last year alone they saved 557k animals from the slaughterhouse targeting reforming meat lovers searching for familiar textures and flavours. From fry-up favourites like streaky bacon and sausages, bbq classics like burgers and mince through to Sunday specials like their THIS!™ isn’t roast chicken and stuffing. And that’s not all. In 2023 they were the fastest growing retail brand in the UK expanding into a wide range of on-the-go options including sandwiches, wraps and pasta salads stocked across majors like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and ASDA through to restaurants like Neat Burger, Bills & Greggs.   

Their rise to fame has been anything but boring. Forget an earnest tone dressed in soft greens - they like to state things in black and white. Not just welcoming controversy but actively seeking it out. From pranking anti-veganist Piers Morgan with an ice sculpture to launch their frozen range through to a Veganuary helpline for reforming meat lovers and big OOH ads across London such as their recent ‘This! is kind of a pig deal’ to promote their pork sausages. And their newsjacker strategy seems to be working. Despite the meat free category losing some of its sheen and critics daming processed foods, This!™ has bucked the downward trend growing the category by 33% while market leaders such as Quorn and Richmond continue to decline. 

In this episode we talk about the boom, bust and realignment of the meat-free space, their strategy for success in a volatile market and their plans for the future. Dig in. 

Welcome Sam and Imme. They’re the co-founders of Botivo, the small batch aperitif inspired drink on a mission to put the craft and depth of flavour from the alcohol world into the non-alcohol space. Based in Hertfordshire, they use a combination of natural ingredients starting with an apple cider vinegar and wildflower honey base with botanicals of wormwood, rosemary, gentian and thyme with an orange zest flourish. The result: a herbal flavour profile with bitter and citrus notes and a long finish. 

Like their drink, their origin story is one of natural encounters. Sam, the artisan, had been running his previous business The Rum Runner, creating drinks and cocktails for high-end weddings and events - even the highest wedding in the land. After receiving umpteen requests for a non-alcoholic cocktail and being dissatisfied with what was on offer he decided to make his own. Turns out it was pretty good with guests asking him to bottle it and buy it. Jump to a few years later, and Imme, self proclaimed hedonist had fallen in love with the drink - using it for both non-alc and alcoholic cocktails. At another wedding, the pair met, serendipitously, and as they say the rest was history. 

With their first raise behind them, they’ve been flooding the bars, restaurants and independents of London making their way into the likes of Wholefoods, St John, River Café and Hawksmoor - brandishing their signature yellow branding and stand out illustration style up on shelfs and bars. And for me it’s not just the branding that catches your eye but the taste and versatility of the drink that leaves a lasting memory. Having tried the majority of non-alcoholic options, it’s one of the few I’d actually keep in my cupboard all year round. 

In this episode we talk about the revival of craft, why every artisan needs a hedonist and why blurring the lines is tomorrow’s tipple of choice. Enjoy.

Say hi to Stu Macdonald - the founder of Manilife, the undisputed champion of peanut butter. It all started back in 2014 when Stu moved to Argentina seeking to escape a looming job in accountancy, swapping numbers and spreadsheets for peanuts and social enterprise. While working for a peanut butter estate in Buenos Aires, he fell in love with jars of the gold stuff and started selling them wherever he could. But what really makes his peanut butter, peanut butter like no other - especially when there are so many peanut butters on the market competing for our affection?

Returning back from Argentina he sought to combine the fantastic relationships he had built with growers in Argentina &  quality ingredients with companionship back home, calling on close friends to help him bring his vision to life. After several failed attempts forcing him to flirt with that job in accountancy, the thing he feared most, an accidental over roasting of their beloved Argentinian peanuts created something magical in the kitchen - their signature deep roast. A PB gamechanger - using a method more akin to deep roasted coffee than to the majority on the market which often used discarded peanuts from snacking and whose butters are made in bulk not in batches. 

It turned out to be perfect timing. Peanut Butter was about to experience a huge boom in the UK market loved by both foodies and gym bunnies alike who enjoyed the taste and the high protein. And with a little luck and encouragement from early customer turned investor Judith managed to raise their first crowdfund of £250k in record speeds. They have since raised a further £2m over three consecutive rounds of funding taking them to be one of the fastest growing spreads in the UK now stocked by the likes of Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado and many more. 

In this episode we talk about fighting expectations, blazing his own trail, the evolving role of a founder as well as learn a few tips and tricks of the trade.

Enjoy.

Introducing Jono Holt. Ten years ago he founded Otherway, the strategically-led studio where design and advertising work together to connect brands with a new generation of consumers. Forged from a background in advertising but with a desire to create omni-channel brands in a fast-changing digital world; Jono spotted the DTC trend early, looking to brands like Warby Parker in the states, going on to launch brands like Butternut Box, Psycle, Hylo, Cabinet, Moju, Lucky Saint and many more, including their own watch brand Farer. 

And in many ways, ten years on, Otherway have come full circle. Not only launching a new studio in San Francisco but playing a hand in a surprising amount of ads that you'll see on the London Underground. With brands like Strongbow, Deliveroo, Inches, Graze, Moretti, and Hayman’s Gin all demanding a slice of Otherway’s creative aptitude for first-class communications. 

For me this episode is a special one. The 100th episode. I spent four years at Otherway working closely with Jono and learning as much as I possibly could from him. An approach to brand strategy that is provocative, commercial, to-the-point and delivered with conviction without the fluff, time-wasting or jargon that you can find lurking in other agencies. He hasn’t taught me everything but he’s taught me a hell of a lot - and I’m lucky to count him among my mentors today. 

In this retrospective episode we look back at the past ten years in business and to the future, garnering his point of view on the world of brands today while looking at the opportunities in the market tomorrow. If you’re interested in branding, advertising, agencies or the venture ecosystem then this one’s for you. 

Enjoy.

Say hey to Ellen Miles. She runs Dream Green, a social enterprise on a mission to make cities greener by giving people the information, inspiration, and tools to get guerrilla gardening.

Based in East London, they’ve provided youth groups with nature-based skills, communities with grant funding and advice, and festival-goers with messy, radical fun. Through a range of online guides, real-life workshops, and tailored one-to-one support - her plan is to inspire us all to become green fingered activists. 

This summer she’s spent her time touring festivals like Latitude, Boomtown and Wilderness, promoting her debut book “Get Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Planting in Public Places”. It’s definitely struck a chord, gaining an avid following and making her way onto the BBC, The Guardian, Gardeners World and many more. She calls it ‘Botanarchy’ - beautiful anarchy challenging neo-liberal capitalist state using plants to brighten the concrete jungles we live in, preserving biodiversity while helping our cities become more resilient to global heating. 

In this episode we talk about encouraging thousands of people to take ownership of their neighbourhoods, social media as a tool of next generation activism and the practical ways you can start planting in public spaces. 

Enjoy.