Harlands Accountants - The Evolving Accountant

 In this episode, we talk to Duncan O'Brien, Founder of Dalston's.Staying true to their roots, the soda making process and the integrity of the liquids they use, all of our recipes are developed in-house by Duncan for people to enjoy. A recipe man at heart, Duncan felt that there had to be a way to challenge convention and make delicious drinks that didn’t use the refined sugar or sweeteners that were prevalent in the soft drinks world- working closely with our farming partners, Dalston's were very proud to launch their range in 2019 which is made from just delicious fruit and sparkling water, and less than 50 calories a can.During the chat with Duncan we discuss:- The functionality in food & drink and new product development- The demand for new products- Getting your products on the shelf of the supermarkets- What's around the corner for Dalston's- Advice for when you started out- A previous guests question Contact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant Tweet us at @Harl

In this episode, we talk to Larry Kotch, Co-Founder of Flybox.Our food system is broken. But not beyond saving.‍Flybox® was founded to give our growing population certain access to adequate food.‍We’re in a protein crunch: The globe is predicted to experience a shortage of 60 million tonnes of protein/year by 2030. Our food supply needs to grow 70% by 2050 to meet this rising demand without depleting our natural resources.Water and land-intensive conventional proteins like Soy simply won’t cut it. Flybox® harvests existing organic waste on-site, transforming it into a protein rich larvae that can feed our livestock, fish and pets.Farmers, food producers and supermarkets that deploy the Flybox® Grow feed the world by turning organic waste into a new source of sustainable food supply.  That’s why we exist—to help feed the world.During the chat with Larry we discuss:- Growing his own Black Solider Fly Colony since 2019- Understanding what Flybox does and why- Can Agri tech solve the supply issue- Personality tra

In this episode, Darren is joined by longtime friend Sam Reynolds, who by day is a chartered engineer but by night is doing something special in the North East with supporting men on their journey with mental health.Sam is one half of the recently launched The Head Shed alongside The Head Shed Podcast seeking to improve the mental wellbeing of men across the North East and the UK now via the Podcast, Meetings and social events.In a recent survey, the stats behind the condition are not good reading;77% of men polled have suffered with common mental health symptons like anxient, stress or depression40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health29% of those who haven't done so say they are "too embarrased" to speak about it, while 20% say there is a "negative stigma" on the issueThe biggest cause of mental health issue in men's lives are work (32%), their finances (31%) and their health (23%)40% of men polled said it would take thoughts of sucide or self-harm to co

In this episode, we talk to Matthew Walker, Co-Founder of Savora Drinks.Every spirit has a mixer such as gin & tonic or rum & coke, yet tequila has no recognised mixer. Tequila-based cocktails such as margarita, paloma and tequila sunrise are amongst the most popular cocktails in the world. However, tequila is very rarely consumed with a mixer.This ignited our concept, creating a premium mixer which is specifically crafted to compliment the flavours of tequila. After many experiments they arrived at a pairing which was always meant to be: Tequila Savora.Savora is a premium mixer expertly crafted for pairing with Tequila. Born in Edinburgh, they strive to create a culture of sippin’ not slammin’ this beautiful spirit. Created to provide a sophisticated Tequila long serve, perfect for all occasions. The first mixer in the range is zesty lime & sweet agave, retaining the familiarity of Tequila being served with lime; whilst also adding subtle undertones of agave, the sole ingredient of all premium Te

Since 2012, Mon Dessert have been curating and collecting the most exquisite dessert recipes and ingredients from around the world, so you can create them yourself at home.Started by self-taught patisserie chef, Samina Courtin, Mon Dessert was founded upon her passion for baking. Having realised there was an opportunity to teach the everyday person how to make complex treats easily at home, the Mon Dessert kit was born. Mon Dessert are on a mission to be as sustainable as possible whilst delivering you perfection. That's why they're in the midst of ensuring that everything in our kits is either recycled, recyclable or reusable and aim to use responsibly sourced, fairtrade ingredients wherever possible. What's more, they give back 1% of their revenue where it is most needed. This means that 1% of everything you spend with us goes towards our planet and our future. As a new company, they know we still have a way to go. During the chat with Samina, we discuss:Samina's journey to dateTaking in

Caspar Rose, Co-Founder of The Wellness Group, Fresh Fitness Food and The Detox KitchenFrom producing 12 meals a day in a pokey Notting Hill flat, Fresh Fitness Food has grown into the UK’s #1 bespoke nutrition brand. Now they deliver cooler bags of nutritious food every single day, helping transform the lives of busy people, just like you.They are on a mission to help people see, understand and consume food in a totally new way. They hope that their food inspires people to eat healthier for good, to make better choices and to be conscious of where their food comes from.To the Wellness Group food isn’t just food. It is a pathway to better energy levels, sharper mental clarity, improved mood, better health and well being.During the chat with Caspar, we discuss:The journey of Caspar and The Wellness GroupServing 100,000 meals a month across 4 plans; Lean Gains, Fat Loss, General Health and Build Muscie.Getting the best from yourself with productivity hacks.What's around the corner for The Wellness GroupRec

Alex Smith founded Alara in 1975 with £2 he picked up in the street. Now he makes half of the UK's organic museli.Along with others, Alex was very active in the squatting movement of the 1970s and he decided to live without money for almost a year. The day after he decided to start using money again, Alex found £2. He spent the money taking a van around New Covent Garden Market to gather fruits and vegetables which were to go to waste and sold them on in a squatting shop. That shop became one of the first health shops, selling flakes, fruits, dried fruit, seeds and nuts. By 1977, they were producing a mix of these ingredients that became the first muesli recipe with no added sugar.Alara’s focus has always been on clean, healthy food. In 1988, Alara was licensed by the Soil Association to produce the first Organic certified cereal in the world.Alongside environmental sustainability, social fairness was also a key consideration for the company. In 1993, Alara produced the first certified Fair Trade cereals

Founder, Andrew Gibb, started Coldpress over ten years ago when cold-pressing fruit and veg for juice was a radical idea, with their bestselling Pink Lady apple juice hitting supermarket shelves way back in 2011. The love for fruity, delicious, nutritious juice has grown since then (if that’s possible) – and now they have nine fruitastic flavours in the Coldpress family.From single-orchard, hand-picked fruit juices to rainbow smoothies, each Coldpress flavour packs a real ‘true to the fruit’ punch, with added vitamins to help keep you as fit and healthy as possible. Coldpress aim to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible by pressing the fruit on-site at orchards, and over 60% of our bottles are made of recycled plastic (which we always striving to improve) –  so their juices are good for you, and the planet.During the chat with Andrew, we discuss;Andrew's journey to dateUnderstanding the processs of cold-pressed (HPP) juiceWhat it takes to be in the FMCG marketReflecting on business success and dea

Maki & Ramen was founded by Teddy Lee. His journey began as a Chef, studying in a sushi academy in Tokyo, with an aim to introduce high-quality ramen and sushi to our local communities. With hard work, resilience, and a solid team, he founded the first MAKI & RAMEN in 2015. It is proudly standing today alongside other branches, serving hundreds of hungry customers each and every day. Now that they have extended their reach around the UK, Maki & Ramen’s objective is simple: to provide delicious, accessible, and high-quality dishes to all their guests. Teddy believes they can get there, one bowl, or one sushi plate at a time.During the conversation with Teddy, we discuss:Teddy's journeyOpening the first restaurantBeing 'Insta' ReadyFollowed by opening many more (quickly)Behind the scenes in the factory with production speedsWhat's coming soon for Maki & RamenRecommended readingContact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant Tweet us at @Harlands_NE Give us a follow o

White Peak Distillery is Derbyshire’s first full-scale craft distillery, making award-winning whisky, gin and rum with a proud Derbyshire provenance.  Founded in 2016, they're still close to the beginning of their whisky journey. They released their first Wire Works Whisky in February 2022 and have been humbled by the response. With real excitement for the future, with plenty of whisky releases planned throughout the year.   An extract from the White Peak website from Max - In mid-2016 we had no premises, no partners or staff, no permits or consents, nowhere near enough funding and no track record in the drinks & spirits industry. But I had a dream that I’d been carrying for years, of making whisky and other spirits in Derbyshire. I was fortunate to find some investors who liked my ideas, I met two great distillers and I found the perfect premises. I decided I’d reached my now.With a life-long passion for whisky inherited from his Dad, Max wanted to build a distillery to produce authentic English whi

Clare and Dejan met in 2008 and have since then worked together. They found a common ground in their creative and engineering backgrounds and joined Clare’s sustainability expertise and Dejan’s entrepreneurial passion to work on some of the world’s most pressing challenges. During these 14 years they have helped huge multinationals like Sainsbury’s, M&S and McDonald’s, as well as small start-ups develop circular economy solutions.Over the last few years, more and more brands approached them to help them switch to sustainable packaging (whatever that means). And the truth is, there’s no silver bullet - recyclable is rubbish (as only 6% actually gets properly recycled), Compostable/Biodegradable is confusing and lacks infrastructure (so again, it’s rubbish) and the only truly sustainable option - reusable - is freakin’ hard to set up and manage as an individual brand!This is where they realised a big opportunity for <moree> - a universal tech platform that helps Food and FMCG brands switch to reusable

In this episode we chat to Claudio Owusu, Co-Founder of Gusto Snacks.Gusto Snack, takes wonky fruit that they believe deserves a bite too.What exactly are wonky produce? These are real perfectly edible fruit rejected by others simply because of their shape, size or colour.  Gusto Snacks reduce food waste by saving these fruits, turning them into delicious air dried snacks.During the chat with Claudio, we dicussed:Claudio's journey covering playing football in Italy to moving to LondonUnderstanding the impact that snack gusto has on the environment and reducing the 1.3 Billion tons that end up in landfill.Challenges behind launch a brandPower of your networkReflecting on an entrepreneurial journey What's around the corner for Gusto SnacksThat one thing you wish you knew when starting on the journeyContact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant Tweet us at @Harlands_NE Give us a follow on LinkedIN Give us a Like on Facebook Email us at host@theevolvingaccountant.co.uk Don't forget to

Opened in September 2012, Reds operates sites across the U.K. offering authentic and tasty US-style barbecue smoked and served on-site by our team of Pit Masters and Barbecue Evangelists. They use their own mix of authentic Rubs, Spices and Sauces with all meats prepped and smoked on-site.Reds also operate a full retail range of rubs and sauces available in  supermarkets as well as the Sunday Times Bestselling BBQ recipe book "Let There Be Meat".Joined on this episode by James Douglas, Founder of Red's True Barbecue, we chat about:James' journeyAll about the Red's True Barbecue Every year taking a BBQ road trip Pilgrimage across the southern U.S. States to bring a true taste of authentic low and slow BBQ.What it takes to a be a success in the FMCG industryTaking advice from Richard BransonReflection on positives from the businesses journeyWhat's coming next for Red's True BarbecueContact Harlands Accountants / The Evolving Accountant Tweet us at @Harlands_NE Give us a foll

Nowhere on earth compares with Soho in its heyday. Here’s the story of how they bring all the feeling and flavours from London’s trendiest cocktail scene to the comfiest corner of your living room.Soho. The home of good times since times began. If times began in the 1950s. Because that’s when this little village became the drinking capital of the capital. A hazy haven of jazz clubs, coffee houses and cocktail bars. Loved by people who know their drinks. And by people who love drinking them. Fuelled by a mutual misspent youth exploring bars around the world, the founders Paul Scarratt and Grant Walker eventually brought all their accidental knowledge back to the UK, and into the drinks industry. Paul’s led some of the country’s biggest beer, wine and spirits businesses for over 25 years. And Grant spent his surveying career in and around Soho, before heading up a company that puts the sparkle, fizz and froth into bar drinks. But when they finally teamed up in 2020, they knew that no amount of cocktail knowhow

Kocktail was co-founded by two best friends in the Summer of 2020. Born out of a desire to enjoy a taste of our favourite cocktails from the comfort of home and unable to find anything that tasted as good as the drinks created by award-winning bartenders, they decided to take matters into our own hands.The founders Emil and Andrew believe you deserve to enjoy beautifully fresh, premium, bar-quality cocktails at home with minimum fuss, so they teamed up with a great friend and international award-winning barman, Neil Donachie. Neil was the senior bartender at the famous Savoy Hotel's Beaufort Bar, he was the bar manager at Kenny Atkinson's Michelin starred House of Tides restaurant and he co-owns the spectacular Mother Mercy bar, so it's fair to say he knows a few things about making a great drink.Kocktail initially started as a Kocktail Discovery Subscription Club and has now expanded to also include one-off Kocktail collections (available all year round), 500ml Kocktail bottles (perfect for sh

In this episode, we chat to Sunna Van Kampen, CEO, Founder & Biohacker of Tonic HealthSunna used struggle to find the energy for life and work. As he began to research, he found the products we rely on aren’t what they seem. Something had to change With better immune health we can banish sick days and live life.Tonics' high dose vitamin drinks were born from a blocked nose and a makeshift science lab in Sunna’s kitchen. Through years of research and testing (in real labs) they made Tonic clean, natural and plant-powered for max absorption.The products are backed by science and are the highest dose all-in-one compared to anything else on the market. That’s what it takes to get your immune system up to full speed.During the interview, we chat to Sunna about:His drive and career to date Personality traits for someone who would need to work and be a success in the FMCG sectorLaunching products in other supermarkets and in other countriesThe power of sleepRecommended reading and mindset

In this episode, we chat to Paul Scanlon, Co Founder & Managing Director of Mahala BotanicalBorn in France of Irish parents, Paul has lived in many countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, South Africa and now, the UK.He joined the Alcohol Industry in 1996 as a Commercial Manager for Jameson Irish Whiskey, part of Pernod Ricard, where he held various senior commercial roles. Paul subsequently moved to the UK to become International Commercial Director of Chivas Brothers, working extensively across Europe, the Americas and Asia.In 2014, Paul became the Managing Director of Pernod Ricard South Africa.  Following over 20 successful years at Pernod Ricard, Paul set up his own Beverage Consultancy and since then has worked with both Start Ups as well some leading premium Gin, Rum, Hard Seltzer and Alcohol Free spirit brands. Combining his passion for impeccable quality, the No/Low beverage category and South Africa, he partnered with Danielle to launch the Mahala Botanical brand.“Maha

In this episode, we chat to Jeff Webster and Amy Moring, Co-Founders of Hunter & Gather.Jeff and Amy are a British Couple, that are on a mission to improve our health! With rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and depression on the up year after year, it’s time for us to provide you with the tools that you need to thrive.As a lifelong coeliac Amy has always looked at the back of foods for their ingredients and over the years, She was shocked by the number of added sugars, chemical preservatives, and ingredients she couldn’t recognise which are increasingly being added to our foods.Jeff suffered with acne, asthma and IBS as a teen and eating a conventional diet of high sugar and carbs just was not working. A chance encounter with a medical professional showed me a new path of eating an ancestrally inspired real food diet free from refined sugar, grains and inflammatory oils.Jeff's health improved drastically, and they knew from then that they had to share this message far and wide to help others too. Th

In this episode, we chat to Paul Davison, Managing Director of Serios GroupFormed in February 2020, Seriös Group is a boutique consultancy specialising in the delivery of professional services across multiple industry sectors. The founding directors all have a proven track record in delivering projects for large blue-chip organisations.The headquarters are in the vibrant city of Newcastle Upon Tyne, maintaining a London presence as they work with clients both UK-wide and internationally.From Data Engineering, Data Architecture, IoT Analytics, BI & Reporting.During the interview, we chat to Paul about:His drive and career to date What Serios Group doesUsing Data for making decisionsReal Estate and Facilties management embracing the shift to smart techCreating a bespoke player performance platform cabalable of analysing teams, games, players for a North East Football TeamWhat’s around the corner for Serios GroupWhat Paul wished he had known when he started outRecommended reading and mindset

In this episode, we chat to Nick Hird, Co Founder of ViDrate30,000 people surveyed and less than 1% drink 8 glasses of water per day!!Co- founders Rob & Nick, along with the ViDrate team are passionate about healthy living and a healthy environment. ViDrate has been created to help you drink more water.The customers of ViDrate have become more and more conscious of sugars and artificial sweeteners in their drinks, we feel it is our responsibility to support them in this lifestyle change they are trying to achieve. There is still a long way to go in helping people to consume the best form of enhanced hydration. This lifestyle change for all age groups is the mission of ViDrate.As a collective, we are on the verge of a plastic revolution and ViDrate is pioneering this movement in the world of drinks. Though ViDrate are only using the tiniest of plastic (0.4g) in their packagin, soon they aim to offen an even greater, environmentally friendly product.During the interview, we chat to Nick about:His drive and