Episodes

What do you get when an introvert ends up running one of the most iconic hospitality resorts in the country? A very good reminder that the loudest person in the room isn’t always the best leader This week, after what feels like about 17 years of trying to line up diaries, I finally sat down with the legend that is Chris Eigelaar, Managing Director of The Belfry Hotel & Resort. Now, if you know The Belfry, you’ll know it’s not exactly a sleepy little B&B with a bowl of mints on reception. We’r...

Show your support for Hospitality Sector Letter to the Chancellor What happens when two people who love a bit of unstructured behaviour get together for a structured conversation? The answer? Lots of unstructured conversation This week I sat down with Conrad Brunton, founder of Tonic Talent, passionate hospitality advocate, charity champion, networking powerhouse… and a man who clearly believes that if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly. Before we get into his jour...

This week I sat down with the brilliant Ella de Beer co-founder of Electric Mayonnaise and one of those hospitality people whose career reminds you just how brilliantly unpredictable this industry can be. From waitressing at 14 in South Africa (while telling everyone she was 16… obviously), to opening restaurants, running pubs, building multi-site businesses, leading people functions at brands like Ottolenghi & MJMK and now helping shape the next generation of hospitality leaders, Ella’s story ...

Still Building Born in a hotel, thrown out of university Built the UK’s biggest hospitality recruitment business, Lost control of it, Lost his driving licence, Broke his back. You'd think this was a lesson in how not to do it? But far from it! This week on Hospitality Meets, I sit down with Roddy Watt, recruitment pioneer, hotel strategist, owner of one almighty black book and living proof that setbacks are not full stops, they’re commas. In This Episode Why most careers start by accident ...

From Baptism of Fire to Michelin Leadership This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Douglas Balish - Executive Chef and Director at Grove of Narberth, Hotel Chef of the Year, and a man shaped by some of the toughest kitchens in the business. From washing dishes in Ayrshire… To getting “pans thrown at his head” To learning to run in kitchens where nobody walked… To leading his own Michelin starred brigade And all of the lessons that come with that This is a candid episode about ...

Building a Regenerative Farm Stay This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Caitlin Owens, Managing Director and co-owner of Fowlescombe Farm, a luxury farm stay in Devon built on regenerative farming principles. What started as a family meat farm became a pub What started as a consulting career became a hospitality adventure. What started as “how hard can it be?” became… chlorine spraying out of beer lines. This episode is about naivety, chaos, regenerative farming, and why hospit...

Why Understanding Drives Performance This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil is joined by Will Fraser, co-founder of Pineapple, founder of 100 & First, and former professional rugby player. What begins as a conversation about people data quickly becomes something deeper, a clear eyed look at why teams struggle, why talent alone isn’t enough, and why most performance problems come down to misunderstanding, not ability. This is a calm, thoughtful episode about clarity, context, and why better conve...

Prepare. To. Be. Happy. Returning to Hospitality Meets, Klaudia Mitura - work psychologist, L&D leader at the Science Museum Group, host of The Happiness Challenge podcast, author of The Alphabet of Happiness, and an actual Certified Chief Happiness Officer (yes, really) delivers one of the most uplifting, honest, and quietly powerful conversations we’ve ever recorded. This episode is not about toxic positivity, pretending everything’s fine, or slapping a smile on life’s messier moments. It’s...

This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Dulcie Swanston, bestselling author, executive coach, leadership trainer, neuroscience and psychology “magpie,” and one of the clearest thinkers you’ll ever meet in hospitality. Dulcie’s career spans 23 years at Bass PLC / Mitchells & Butlers, senior HR leadership, graduate programme design, global executive coaching, and now running multiple businesses that all share one simple mission: Make complicated things simple, and usable now! From ac...

This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Matt McCabe, Founder of Subu Connect - a platform created to bridge the gap between food and beverage suppliers and global buyers across airlines, foodservice and hospitality. Matt’s story is one of curiosity, courage, accidental brilliance, and a lot of beautifully human learning along the way. From a 19-year-old Irish hotel management student taking a leap into a German kitchen… to buying food for prisons, parliaments and planes… to building...

This week, Phil sits down with Chetan Bhanot, Group General Manager of The Mandeville Hotel in Marylebone and Pendley Manor in Hertfordshire - two stunning properties he leads with equal parts humility, humour and impressive calm. Chetan’s story spans 32 years in hospitality, from hotel school in India, to Hilton and InterContinental, to JW Marriott Mumbai’s first-ever opening, to London’s NH Hotels, Harrington Hall, and now a dual-property leadership role he’s held for nearly a decade. It’s a ...

To watch this episode, head to https://youtu.be/tMghGC2VZMo This week, we’re in one of the stunning bedrooms at Corinthia London, talking to a man whose story genuinely feels like a film. Simon Casson, now CEO of Corinthia Hotels and former President EMEA at Four Seasons, was once told at 15 that he was a failure, that his education was over, and that he should “learn to fix cars or join the army” He went home devastated. His mum came back from a bar shift, wrapped her arms around him and said...

Every now and then, an episode arrives that contains everything we love about hospitality: chaos, heart, humour, problem solving… and at least two stories involving naked guests. This week Phil chats with James McComas FIH, General Manager of Eastwell Manor, part of the Champneys Group. At 6'5", James is one of the tallest men Phil knows — which, as it turns out, comes with unexpected job perks But behind the laughter sits a deeply thoughtful leader with a wonderfully varied hospitality journ...

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you mix hustle, humility, a bit of chaos, and a moment of pure stage-fright… this episode has you covered. This week, I sat down with Tom James, Managing Director of Bill’s Restaurants, and a man whose career has taken him from glass collector to running iconic hospitality brands with a detour involving an incident with Jamie Oliver. Is that really his name? it’s every bit as painful and glorious as it sounds. But beyond the comedy gold, Tom brings se...

This week, we’re talking about something every hospitality person knows all too well: pain. Back pain. Neck pain. Shoulder pain. “I’ve been on my feet for 14 hours” pain. But what if… most of it isn’t actually coming from your body? Enter Gemma McFall (Gemma McFall – Pain Reprocessing Therapist)— Chronic Pain Recovery Coach, former hotel HR leader, Disney alum, and the only person whose first hospitality shift involved covering herself in six bowls of soup. A true industry baptism. 😂 Gemma l...

This week, I sat down with Jacu Strauss, Architect, Designer and Creative Director of Lore Group - the team behind iconic hotels like Sea Containers London, Pulitzer Amsterdam, Riggs Washington DC, Lyle, and 100 Shoreditch. Jacu’s journey is extraordinary From growing up in the Kalahari Desert, dreaming up imaginary worlds, teaching himself to draw and paint, and spending Christmases in his grandfather’s 20 room desert hotel… to studying architecture at the Bartlett, landing a role with Tom Di...

This week, I sat down with Dan Barnes, Managing Director of Flourish Hospitality, a learning and development consultancy built on one simple idea: that every moment in hospitality is a chance to help someone grow. Dan’s story is one of those brilliant hospitality journeys that started with polishing cutlery and pretending to be a grown-up in a suit and somehow led to building learning cultures across hotels, restaurants and private members’ clubs. From Marriott to Edwardian Hotels, Caprice Hol...

This week, I sat down in The Den at The Other House, South Kensington, with the wonderful Jo Morgan, owner of Meliora Consultancy Services, coach, advisor to Tech on Toast and all round powerhouse of positivity. Jo’s journey is one of those you could never script. From becoming the youngest female GM in her company at 27, to running seven floating hotels for TUI Cruises, to heading up operations for The Other House and launching her own consultancy, Meliora (“the pursuit of the better”) her car...

This week, I sat down in person (yes, we went old school) with the brilliant Jakob Gowin, General Manager of the Meliá White House in London - and what a conversation this turned out to be. From washing dishes at 13 to running a 581 bedroom hotel and 112 long-stay apartments (with residents who’ve lived there for 30+ years!), Jakob’s journey is packed with graft, heart, humility, and more than a few cracking stories - including the fact we recorded this episode in “The White House”. Sadly, neit...

This week on Hospitality Meets, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the brilliant Edward Gallier (Edd), Head of Learning & Development at Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland and freshly minted Catey Award winner 2025 Edd’s career has been built on passion, purpose, and the odd bit of chaos (because what’s hospitality without it?). From wild award show mishaps to deep reflections on leadership and learning, this episode is a masterclass in how to stay grounded, laugh often, and never lose s...

Episode Summary This week on Hospitality Meets, I’m joined by the brilliant Philip Steiner, Chief Operating Officer at Cycas Hospitality a man who’s spent his whole career planning for spontaneity (yes, it’s a thing). From cleaning rooms to the C-suite, Philip’s journey is a joyful mix of graft, grit, and glorious chaos, proving that great leadership often comes down to knowing when not to turn up. Our chat is packed with laughs and we chat about BBC blunders, linen truck disasters, diversity d...

This week on Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Phil Shelley — Senior Operational Manager at NHS England and Chair of the NHS Food Review. Phil is an exceptional hospitality leader and human being and was crowned Outstanding Achievement Award winner at the 2025 Foodservice Cateys, only last Friday. Phil’s career is a masterclass in purpose driven leadership. From his early days in hotel kitchens to shaping the future of hospital food, he’s proof that hospitality is about so much m...

Episode Summary In this very special episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the incredible Maya Gilbert, hospitality lifer, dog lover, and now… coastal legend! Maya recently completed a jaw dropping walk around the entire English coastline, that’s over 2,700 miles, to raise funds and awareness for Hospitality Action. With a £10 a day budget, a dodgy tent, and a heart full of purpose, she set off from Liverpool armed with nothing but determination, humour, and (possibly) too much stuff in...

Episode Summary: In this heartwarming and hilariously honest episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Abigail Tan, CEO of St Giles Hotels — a woman who’s equal parts rock star, rebel, and real-deal leader. From dreams of fronting a band to running an international hotel group, Abigail’s journey is a masterclass in following your heart (and occasionally your vacuum cleaner). Expect laughter, leadership lessons, and the occasional toilet paper obsession as Abigail opens up abo...