Épisodes

  • From Vegan Cafe to Nationwide Demand with Plantside's Anna Gorman

    From Vegan Cafe to Nationwide Demand with Plantside's Anna Gorman
    Jan 28 2026
    Anna Gorman never set out to start a food manufacturing business. After 20 years in hospitality, she opened a vegan café - two weeks before the first lockdown. However, it would lead her to create a product that Vegans simply love and many thought was impossible to get right. With time on her hands, she decided to crack something notoriously difficult: vegan Yorkshire puddings. Seven weeks of trial and error later, she opened the oven to find they'd finally worked. What started as a menu item for her 30-seat café became a nationally distributed product when customers began asking to take them home, then emailing from around the country to request postal deliveries. In this episode, Anna shares how she built Plantside with no business plan, no formal consumer testing, and no marketing - just experience, passion and a product people genuinely craved. What we cover: Why Anna chose "plant-based" over "vegan" on the packagingHow she established collab with THIS sausagesThe challenge of convincing non-vegan chefs to stock a product their vegan customers are desperate forThe moment she nearly quit - and the stranger whose kindness changed everythingScaling a handmade productThe ethical tension between supermarket opportunities and supporting the independents who backed her first Key timestamps: 01:02 — Plant Side's mission: spreading joy and happiness through food02:48 — Opening a café two weeks before lockdown03:23 — Seven weeks of failed Yorkshire pudding recipes04:43 — "We accidentally created a whole business with no business plan"05:39 — The THIS sausages collaboration for Toad in the Hole09:25 — Why "vegan" makes people shut down but "plant-based" doesn't10:47 — "You can't take the word of a six-year-old" — on consumer testing17:51 — The hardest part: getting non-vegans to understand vegan demand20:05 — The eureka moment opening the oven21:28 — Feeling out of her depth at a packaging trade show22:42 — "I would have quit" — the stranger who changed everything24:02 — The supermarket dilemma: growth vs ethics Where to find Plant Side: Website: https://plantside.co/ Online stockists: Mighty Plants: https://mightyplants.com/collections/vendors?q=PlantsideJennings Pantry: https://jenningsplantry.co.uk/collections/vendors?q=PlantsideKiuki (formerly TheVeganKind): https://kiuki.com/o/plantside In-store: Find Plantside products in independent vegan shops and health food stores nationwide -- My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    28 min
  • Nine Tines: Real Yorkshire Vodka

    Nine Tines: Real Yorkshire Vodka
    Oct 24 2025

    What happens when a doctor, an engineer, a financial controller and a farmer start a drinks business? How do you start a vodka brand when you don't know how to make it? How did their creamy, smooth potato-based vodka win a raft of awards before they'd even sold a single bottle?

    In this episode, Jo Densley dives into the journey of Nine Tines, the premium spirit that's putting Yorkshire on the vodka map. Founders Gwen Bromley and Richard Smith (the doctor and the engineer) explain how their passion for Yorkshire's landscape and produce inspired them to craft a premium potato-based vodka using locally grown ingredients, all within a nine-mile radius. They share insights and experiences from starting the business, actually learning to make vodka, designing and honing the process, and putting authenticity and sustainability at the heart of their business.

    Listen to this episode to find out:

    • The secret most other vodkas don't want you to know
    • What's different about Nine Times and how did it win gold over products from the likes of Pernod Ricard and Diageo
    • The diverse skills the four founders bring to the team
    • What went into creating their meaningful and elegant branding
    • What they've learned about taking their product to market
    • The partnerships that have been key to growing the business

    This episode is essential listening for anyone building a premium food or drink brand who wants to understand how provenance, craft, and patient brand-building can create genuine competitive advantage - even in a crowded market.

    Find out more about Nine Tines and buy online: https://ninetines.co.uk/

    --

    My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • The Marshmallowist

    The Marshmallowist
    Jul 6 2025

    The Marshmallowist was the UK’s first producer of gourmet marshmallows. Marrying innovation and indulgence, they’re like nothing you’ve ever tasted. Led by sisters Oonagh and Jenny Simms, their first stockist was Harvey Nichols, and they were soon featured in Vogue. They’ve joined The Hairy Bikers on TV, published a book, and this year were stocked nationwide as part of Marks & Spencer’s Mother’s Day activity. How have they done it?

    Join Jo Densley as she explores the journey of The Marshmallowist, how they’ve built a team, and kept focused on inventive flavours and artisanal craftsmanship. Discover how they went from Portobello Road market stall to nationwide recognition, collaborating with retailers like Fortnum & Mason and Marks & Spencer. They share insights on managing seasonality, sustaining creativity, and nurturing a dedicated team, all while navigating the complexities of the food industry.

    Listen to How to Grow a Food Business with The Marshmallowist to learn:

    • How Oonagh found out whether she had a good idea for a food business
    • How they approach product development and new flavours
    • The importance of partnerships and relationships in growing
    • How they won a nationwide listing with M&S for Mother’s Day 2025 – and how long it took
    • All about getting featured on TV and what it does for sales
    • The factors and moments that have been most important in the growth of the business

    Try their amazing marshmallows and teacakes for yourself at www.themarshmallowist.com.

    --

    My name is Jo Densley, and I help food and drink businesses grow with joined-up sales and marketing. There’s a wealth of free webinars available on my website, where you can also explore my services and read my case studies as well.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    33 min