Natty from Natty’s Jerk shares the story behind his journey from black cab driver to building a successful Caribbean food business. Taking us through the highs and lows of his journey, Natty explains how his Caribbean background, love of food and determination to build something of his own have shaped the business he runs today.

Growing up in a Caribbean household, food was always a big part of Natty’s life, from family celebrations to bringing people together. After working as a London black cab driver, Natty eventually turned his passion for food into a business, starting out cooking from home in Portsmouth before building Natty’s Jerk into an award-winning Caribbean food experience.

About Natty’s Jerk

Natty’s Jerk began in 2017, with Natty cooking Caribbean food from home in Portsmouth before demand led to a market stall on Commercial Road and eventually the opening of The Shack. The family-run business has since grown into multiple locations, bringing Jamaican flavours, culture, music and conversation to customers across the UK. In 2024, Natty’s Jerk was named Uber Eats’ Restaurant of the Year.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• Natty’s journey from working as a black cab driver to building a career in hospitality.

• How growing up in a Caribbean household shaped his relationship with food and cooking.

• The story behind starting Natty’s Jerk and turning a passion for Caribbean food into a growing business.

• Why food plays such an important role in Caribbean culture, celebrations and bringing people together.

• The highs and lows of starting and running a hospitality business.

• How Natty approached catering, events and feeding large numbers of people.

• The importance of staying true to your roots while creating a food experience that connects with customers.

• What keeps Natty motivated through the difficult parts of running a hospitality business.

Tune in for an honest conversation about Natty’s journey, Caribbean food, entrepreneurship and what it really takes to build something of your own in hospitality.

If you found this episode helpful, we encourage you to follow Simply Hospitality for more conversations with hospitality leaders, chefs and industry experts.

Hospitality insight expert Katy Moses, founder of KAM Insights, joins hosts Lucy and Ruth to unpack one of the biggest emerging trends facing the hospitality industry: the rise of GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. Drawing on consumer research and industry data, Katy explores how these medications could reshape the way people eat, drink and spend their money in hospitality.

As one of the UK's leading consumer insight specialists, Katy helps hospitality businesses understand changing customer behaviour before it impacts the market. In this episode, she explains why operators should be paying attention now—and how businesses can adapt to meet changing consumer needs.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• What GLP-1 medications are and why they're becoming one of the biggest talking points in hospitality.
• How weight loss drugs could change the way customers order food, alcohol and drinks when eating out.
• Why the industry should see this as an opportunity to innovate rather than a threat.
• The growing demand for healthier menus, smaller portions and more mindful dining experiences.
• How wearable technology, wellbeing and health-conscious lifestyles are influencing consumer behaviour beyond GLP-1 users.
• Why understanding customer data will help hospitality businesses make smarter menu and marketing decisions.
• Practical ways restaurants, pubs and cafés can adapt to attract both GLP-1 users and health-conscious consumers in the years ahead.

Tune in for an eye-opening discussion on one of the biggest shifts facing hospitality and discover how understanding tomorrow's consumer could give your business a competitive edge today.

If you found this episode helpful, we encourage you to follow Simply Hospitality for more conversations with hospitality leaders, chefs and industry experts.

Hospitality founder Trevor Hill, founder of Lead Well, joins hosts Lucy and Ruth to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today: founder burnout. Drawing on his own experience of building and running a restaurant and cocktail bar, Trevor shares how losing sight of himself led to burnout, and why looking after the founder is essential to building a successful, sustainable business.

After experiencing burnout following COVID, Trevor developed the Lead Well framework to help hospitality founders regain control of their businesses, protect their wellbeing and become stronger leaders. In this episode, he explains why founder health isn't just a personal issue—it's the foundation of every successful hospitality business.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why founder burnout is becoming increasingly common across the hospitality industry.
• The warning signs that you're running your business instead of leading it.
• How losing your identity outside of work can impact your relationships, confidence and leadership.
• Why delegation, structure and clear non-negotiables are essential for long-term business success.
• Trevor's four-week Founder First framework and how it helps hospitality operators regain control of their time and energy.
• Why sustainable businesses are built on sustainable founders.
• Remembering why you opened your business in the first place—and reconnecting with the passion that drives great hospitality.

Tune in for an honest conversation about founder wellbeing, leadership and building a hospitality business that works for you—not because of you.

If you found this episode helpful, we encourage you to follow Simply Hospitality for more conversations with hospitality leaders, founders and industry experts.