The podcast for curious food industry minds, hosted by Julia Glotz.
Episodes
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Julia is joined by Falu Shah, founder of the Howdah brand of Indian snacks.
Having grown up in Mumbai, Falu wanted to bring authentic Indian flavours to the UK snacking aisle and show Brits there’s more to Indian snacks than Bombay Mix. Her brand is now listed in Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Selfridges and scores of independent retailers.
Falu talks to Julia about the rise of the at-home bar snack, why Howdah has partnered with craft beer and coffee subscription companies to tap new snacking occasions and how she’s been affected by the supply chain crisis.
Falu is also very purpose-driven and wants her brand to give back. That's why she’s struck a partnership with a major Indian charity to provide one free school lunch to a child in India for every bag of Howdah sold. Falu explains why she’s so passionate about sustainable giving, the importance of making charity partnerships transparent and easy to understand for consumers and why education in particular is an issue that’s close to her heart.
To learn more about Akshaya Patra, the charity working with Howdah and delivering school lunches to children in need in India, visit akshayapatra.org
Articles discussed by Falu and Julia:
A lost generation: India’s COVID crisis reverses decades of progress for children | LA Times
Food shortages could be permanent, warns industry body | BBC News
UK CMOs expect DTC to account for 30% of sales in 5 years | The Drum
Links to the big food and grocery stories of the week:
Gas price crisis: Food firms face huge price rise for carbon dioxide | BBC News
Tesco, Amazon and McDonald's warn of Christmas disruption due to HGV driver crisis | ITV News
Aldi to open store with no checkout in London | The Daily Telegraph
Asda partners with Wayve for autonomous van trial | Retail Week
Morrisons serves up deal to supply pubs as takeover auction looms | The Sunday Times
M&S makes venture capital investment in digital push | FT
How green is your food? Eco-labels can change the way we eat, study shows | The Guardian
Premier Foods claims first with Saxa sprays for managing salt intake | The Grocer
Learn more about the show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Sep 17, 2021
Friday Sep 17, 2021
The Pick List is back for season 4, with a slightly tweaked format and an exciting lineup of guests.
Julia’s first guest of the season is Jake Karia, founder and MD of Food Attraction, a food manufacturing business based in Leicester and creator of the Jake & Nayn’s brand.
With more than 20 years in the food industry and a business spanning foodservice, retail, contract manufacturing and branded food-to-go, Jake is an entrepreneur with a fascinating perspective on food and grocery retail.
He talks to Julia about his journey from estate agent to food manufacturer, how he’s steered his business through Covid, why he stepped up investment in his brand just as the pandemic hit (and why that turned out to be a very good move), how he’s been affected by the current supply chain crisis and cost inflation, how retailers can better support entrepreneurs and challenger brands, and more.
Articles discussed by Jake and Julia:
Food prices: ‘Tsunami’ of hikes on the way for consumers as suppliers pass on costs | The Grocer
Algebra: the maths working to solve the UK’s supply chain crisis | The Observer
Gopuff Supports Underrepresented Entrepreneurs With Accelerator Program | Progressive Grocer
Links to the big food and grocery stories of the week:
Co-op partners with Amazon to offer grocery delivery to Prime members | The Grocer
Deliveroo teams up with Amazon Prime | The Times
Tesco and Loop to offer popular brands with in-store reusable packaging trial | Packaging News
Zero waste: Morrisons to trial new recycling push in six stores | Business Green
John Lewis and Waitrose owner hires thousands more temporary workers ahead of Christmas | Sky News
All Sainsbury’s stores to stay shut on Boxing Day as a ‘thank you’ to staf | The Guardian
Tony’s Chocolonely launches Choco Changer own-label brand with Ald | The Grocer
European Frozen Food Giant Nomad Eyes Move Into Lab-Grown Fish | Bloomberg
Grocery sales indicate the end of the ‘big shop’ as commuters return to the office | Retail Week
Michael Gove put in charge of ‘fixing’ Britain’s food supply chains | The Times
Learn more about the show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Apr 30, 2021
Friday Apr 30, 2021
It's the finale of season 3 of The Pick List and Laura and Julia are joined by Andy Napthine, group marketing director at Cranswick. They chat about corned beef becoming popular with younger shoppers, Justin King’s backing of the Snappy Shopper app and why ‘picky teas’ are having a moment.
Plus, they discuss a US recipe website’s decision to stop publishing new beef recipes, and why hospitality businesses are struggling to recruit staff post-Covid.
Articles discussed in this episode:
'Covid inflation hits consumers as task force advises on home working' | The Times
‘Corned beef sales soar thanks to resurgence with millennials’ | The Grocer
‘Epicurious stopped publishing beef recipes to encourage sustainable cooking’ | Eater
‘Justin King backs Snappy Shopper app with ‘significant’ investment’ | The Grocer
‘Where have all the waiters gone?’ | Mail Online
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Apr 23, 2021
Friday Apr 23, 2021
Julia and Laura are joined by Sam Akinluyi, co-founder of ADD Psalt, a new not-for-profit innovation accelerator to drive growth of Black-owned fmcg brands.
They discuss how retailers can boost diversity not just in the workplace but also on shelf, lessons from US retailers Sephora and Target on supporting Black-owned brands and the importance of providing early advice and support to food entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups.
Plus, they chat about the new supermarket pop-up at the Design Museum, ghost kitchens going B2B and the caterpillar cake showdown between M&S and Aldi.
To find out more about ADD Psalt’s accelerator programme, visit addpsalt.com
Articles discussed in this episode:
'Sephora plans to double down on Black-owned brands' | Forbes
'Camille Walala creates pop-up Supermarket food store at the Design Museum | Dezeen
'New Asda owners snap up fast food chain Leon' | The Guardian
‘Target pledges to spend $2bn+ with Black-owned businesses by 2025’ | Retail Touchpoints
‘To increase margins, ghost kitchens are going b-to-b’ | Modern Retail
‘M&S hits back at Aldi's Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake revival’ | BBC News
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Apr 16, 2021
Friday Apr 16, 2021
Laura and Julia are joined by Hannah Leese, partner at agricultural law firm Roythornes Solicitors. They discuss the rise of on-pack sustainability scores and eco labelling, Tesco’s partnership with Mrs Hinch, Amazon’s new Aplenty private-label brand and the why the food world has gone crazy for mushrooms.
Articles discussed in this episode:
'Are local and digital shopping habits here to stay post-Covid?' | Food Navigator
‘Amazon unveils Aplenty, its newest private label food brand’ | Grocery Dive
‘Mrs Hinch reveals her full Tesco homeware range’ | The Sun
‘How mushrooms took over food, wellness, and (of course) drugs’ | Vox
‘Tesco ad campaign urges customers to support pubs hit by lockdown’ | The Grocer
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Julia and Laura are joined by Gaz Booth, co-founder of Holy Moly Dips. They chat about how the pros and cons of DTC for challenger brands, convenience stores getting into delivery and a ketchup shortage in the US.
Plus, they discuss the reopening of non-essential retail and how retailers can square excitement with safety, and what the rise of weight loss app Noom might mean for the food industry.
Articles discussed in this episode:
‘How convenience stores have upped their online shopping game’ | The Grocer
‘The new shortage: ketchup can’t catch up’ | WSJ
‘John Lewis, Ikea, Primark unveil store reopening plans’ | Retail Gazette
‘Aldi set to donate up to 400,000 meals to charities over Easter school holidays’ | Retail Times
‘Weight loss app Noom was ready for its pandemic moment’ | Quartz
‘Tesco links with SimplyCook for ‘Let’s Cook’ in-store meal kits’ | The Grocer
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Apr 02, 2021
Friday Apr 02, 2021
Laura and Julia are joined from Los Angeles by Bill Bean, EVP of research at Shopper Intelligence. They chat about US shopper trends and how the pandemic has affected buying behaviour in the US, why marketeers need to pay closer attention to ‘baby boomers’ and Mars’ new Lovebug range of insect-based catfood.
Plus, they discuss celebrity ghost kitchens, how Covid has changed consumer attitudes to food waste and whether grocery delivery is on its way to becoming a utility.
Articles discussed in this episode:
‘A tale of two generations’ | The Robin Report
‘Will grocery delivery become the next utility?’ | The Spoon
‘Research shows that UK grocery shopping habits have changed to combat food waste’ | AgriLand
‘Why business startups are booming’ | Christian Science Monitor
‘Mars Petcare launches Lovebug dry catfood range made from insects’ | The Grocer
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Mar 26, 2021
Friday Mar 26, 2021
Julia and Laura are joined by Chris Dee, former CEO of Booths and director of food and home at Harrods and now an online startup founder, NED, chair and advisor.
They chat about Mondelez’s eye-catching £200m acquisition of Grenade and what it tells us about the healthy snacking, protein and low-sugar trends, Kraft Heinz’s new strategy and quest to become “cleaner and greener” and James Timpson’s latest column for the Sunday Times about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Plus, Chris shares his take on the pandemic and which shopper changes are here to stay, what he looks for in a startup or challenger brand – and why he hates robots.
Articles discussed in this episode:
‘Cadbury-owner Mondelez takes £200m bite of healthy snack-maker Grenade’ | Sky News
‘Change of menu: Kraft Heinz bets on old brands to win new consumers’ | FT
‘Meet my secret weapon: a director of happiness’ | The Sunday Times
‘Meet the new breed of work from home chefs’ | The Observer
‘This Mars bar rover will chase you around a store and tempt you to buy candy’ | Gizmodo
'I’ll buy five items and only keep one of them' | BBC News
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Julia and Laura are joined by Jack Hamilton, CEO of Mash Direct. They talk about the rise of personalisation and consumer-to-manufacturer production, Iceland’s new Swift convenience format and Pret’s new retail range in Tesco.
Plus, they discuss how the pandemic has disrupted meal patterns, the potential of NFTs in the food industry and how direct-to-consumer selling has given Mash Direct new insights into shopper behaviour.
Articles discussed in this episode:
‘How to know what consumers want’ | The Economist
‘Iceland goes upmarket with new fresh food chain’ | The Telegraph
‘Amazon’s next target: your local chemist’ | The Sunday Times
‘There’s no real reason to eat three meals a day’ | The Atlantic
‘Could food companies cash in on NFTs?’ | The Spoon
‘Pret a Manger strikes a deal to sell baked treats in Tesco stores’ | Retail Gazette
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.
Friday Mar 12, 2021
Friday Mar 12, 2021
Laura and Julia are joined by Michaela Hazzledine, head of category and customer insight at Finnebrogue Artisan.
They discuss this week’s International Women’s Day and how food manufacturers are making progress on gender diversity, recent media coverage of ‘peganism’, aka a diet that combines aspects of paleo eating and veganism, and why Tesco is selling muddy spuds to reduce food waste.
Plus, they chat about how seaweed could help reduce cows’ methane emissions and Unilever’s decision to crack down on the word ‘normal’ on beauty products (and whether we can expect to see similar moves in food).
A big thank-you to Shopper Intelligence for sponsoring this week’s episode.
To find out more about the mentorship programme for women Laura mentioned on the show, go to meatbusinesswomen.org
Articles discussed in this episode:
‘Why Peganism could be the next big food trend’ | Metro
‘Feeding cows seaweed could solve the big bovine burp problem’ | Wired UK
‘Muddy spuds back on the shelves to help chip away at waste’ | The Sunday Times
‘New ‘Freshness Timer’ Label To Help Reduce Food Waste’ | NAM News
‘Unilever drops word 'normal' from beauty products’ | BBC News
‘Diageo leads way for women in leadership in food processing’ | Food Manufacture
Learn more about our show and get in touch at thepicklist.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, subscribe and leave a review.