Tight profit margins, producing food at scale and caring for the environment – fifth-generation Cornish farmer David Simmons discusses the challenges of farming today. His family business supplies UK supermarkets with 70 million cauliflowers, broccoli and cabbages a year, so there’s a good chance you’ve eaten their produce.

While telling the story of how Riviera Produce has expanded beyond recognition over the past 40 years, David also shares insights on the importance of a sustainable food supply chain to the UK, the vital role of seasonal workers from abroad – and how there’s a lot more to Cornwall than tourism.

Fifth-generation lawyer Will Michelmore spent most of his career as a partner at South West law firm Michelmores. Since 1996, he has chaired the board of St Austell Brewery, one of the UK’s leading independent brewers and pub companies. Both businesses were founded by his ancestors, and in 2014 Will co-founded alternative lender Bricks Finance.

In this episode, Will reflects on the highs and lows of running businesses in the legal, hospitality and finance sectors during uncertain times, as well as sharing insights on leadership, managing change and colourful characters in his entrepreneurial family’s history.

Joanna Allen shares insights on the value of diverse leadership, B Corp and why purpose is integral to business, as we explore the evolution of Graze into the UK's leading healthy snacking brand.

Launched in 2008 as a subscription-only service, Graze is now a thriving retail and direct to consumer business. We delve into the keys to Graze's success and what’s changed since it was acquired by multinational consumer goods giant Unilever.

Joanna imparts her wisdom on the interplay between business purpose, strategy and mission. Learn how businesses can balance people, planet and profit, as she shares examples from Graze's journey as a certified B Corp. 

We also find out why Joanna is backing the Better Business Act, a movement that aims to redefine the responsibilities of company directors. Joanna discusses the creation of a succinct business purpose and how it can be a beacon during decision-making storms, as well as the challenges of greenwashing and the need for a consistent set of standards for measuring ESG. She also shares her personal journey of stepping into the CEO role amidst the pandemic and her ambitions for Graze. 

What does Richard Branson, Andy Serkis and Pamela Anderson all have in common? It’s our latest podcast guest Chris Ormrod from Cakesmiths who joins us for a chat. 

Having worked at big brands such as Virgin, Mars and Haagan Dazs, Chris Ormrod now describes himself as a property developer for businesses. Using private equity, he finds businesses in need of a renewed purpose and spends time getting it back onto its feet - at which point it usually becomes attractive to a potential acquirer.