Podcast Summary

Podcast: James Reed: All About Business
Host: James Reed (Reed Global)
Episode: 55. Fame, Failure & a 12-stone Weight Loss: The Journey to 2 Michelin Stars | Tom Kerridge
Guest: Tom Kerridge
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid, energizing conversation between James Reed and Tom Kerridge, one of Britain's most celebrated chefs. Kerridge shares the story of his unconventional rise in hospitality, from dishwasher to owner of several Michelin-starred pubs and restaurants. The discussion traverses mentorship, authenticity, business building, failure, personal reinvention, and the major challenges facing the British hospitality trade. Listeners are treated to actionable advice about leadership, growth, and resilience, all delivered in Tom’s characteristic warmth and realism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tom’s Unlikely Start and the Power of ‘Battlefield Promotion’

• Entry into Hospitality: Started washing dishes at 18 out of necessity (01:37). Fell in love with the energy and diversity of kitchen life rather than food itself.
• “Battlefield Promotion”: Rose through the ranks as positions became available—often suddenly (04:21).

"Normally it means when somebody gets fired…you’re now the pastry chef, right?" — Tom Kerridge (04:30)

• Team Value: Emphasizes the importance of team contribution—starting small can have a big impact if you perform with commitment (05:16).

Mentorship, Attitude, and Career Development

• Mentorship: Key to growth in kitchens; everyone remembers a teacher or mentor who shapes their professional standards (06:22).
• Attitude Over Skills: When recruiting, Tom prioritizes passion and drive over pay or background:

"If your first question is, how much do I get paid?...you’re not the right person for this job." — Tom Kerridge (19:55)

• Empowering the Next Generation: Long tenures are encouraged at Kerridge’s venues, where mistakes are treated as growth opportunities (17:47).

Building Michelin-Starred Pubs with Authenticity

• Hand and Flowers: Opened in 2005 with his wife, aimed to create a place they’d want to visit—Michelin-level food in a relaxed, pub environment (12:03).
• Breaking Fine Dining Perceptions:

"I love Temples of Gastronomy, but I hate a hush dining room…I want people to enjoy themselves, make noise, have fun, have a laugh." — Tom Kerridge (12:56)

• Organic Growth: New venues were spun off only when the right people were ready to lead; no rushed expansion (16:03).

Fostering Loyalty and Growth in His Team

• Staff Culture: Head chefs commonly start young and rise within the group over years, fostering trust and institutional memory (17:23).
• Embracing Mistakes:

"If we do do that, we put our hands up…But it is only a plate of food. What’s the worst that can happen?" — Tom Kerridge (17:45)

Personal Challenges: Weight Loss and Sobriety

• Transformation Motivation: Approaching 40, Tom faced serious health warnings, reflecting on mortality and his unsustainable lifestyle (23:54).
• Losing 12 Stone:

"I lost a chef; I lost a whole…member of the kitchen brigade." — Tom Kerridge (23:47)

• Sobriety Journey: Planned and self-managed, Tom quit drinking, acknowledging the relationship between drive, pressure, and escapism (25:14, 25:59).
• Diet Shift: Focused on a low-carb diet and regular swimming, developing discipline for health—now weightlifting is his main exercise (28:22).

Neurodiversity as a Superpower in Hospitality

• Embracing ADHD in Kitchens:

"If you’ve got an ADHD brain, it’s actually…it’s calm in space. It’s amazing." — Tom Kerridge (30:50)

• Kitchens and Neurodiversity: Many successful chefs thrive due to (not despite) neurodivergence, which allows them to find calm or hyperfocus amid professional chaos (30:53).

Business Philosophy & Strategic Growth

• No Interest in Roll-Out Concepts: Prefers authentic, owner-driven restaurants where care is evident versus impersonal chain concepts (32:16–34:30).
• Delegation and Team Retention: Success comes from knowing one's weaknesses, distributing responsibilities, and celebrating staff as part of a business "family":

"We do a big party every year…so it feels like it’s a part of something" — Tom Kerridge (37:13)

Changes and Challenges in British Hospitality

• Shifting Tastes: Modern British cuisine is now influenced by the country’s diversity, making it vibrant and eclectic (37:32–39:28).
• Biggest Challenges: VAT and Taxation:

"VAT is the biggest thing in hospitality…the rest of Europe sits at anywhere between 8 and 12%, in the UK it’s at 20% and that’s a massive difference." — Tom Kerridge (39:36)

• Industry at Risk: Rising costs and wages, combined with high taxation, make even full restaurants struggle to remain profitable—Tom calls for a VAT reduction to 10% and a Minister of Hospitality (43:37, 44:56).

Life, Work, and What’s Next

• Routine and Motivation: No Monday morning dread—each day brings new energy and excitement (48:05).
• Looking Ahead: Hopes for economic stability and continued growth within his business, possibly with more personal time (49:01).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mistakes and Learning:

"Don’t get so hung up at the beginning on what you think is a mistake. Just learn from it really quickly, fail fast…" — Tom Kerridge (08:43)

• On Authenticity:

"Books are written because they’re a passion point. Otherwise, again, like restaurants, they don’t work unless you’re authentic about them." — Tom Kerridge (23:25)

• On Changing Industry:

"No one’s asking to make loads of money out of the industry. What we’re asking for is the industry to just exist and survive, right?" — Tom Kerridge (42:13)

• On Career Fulfillment:

"I’ve never had a Monday morning feeling and that’s…I count that as so lucky because…every day is something new." — Tom Kerridge (48:05)

Timestamps for Important Topics

• Early Life & Kitchen Start: 01:37 – 04:10
• Mentorship & Career Progression: 06:22 – 08:28
• Opening the Hand and Flowers: 10:08 – 12:56
• Approach to Team Growth: 16:03 – 19:00
• Recruitment Philosophy: 19:45 – 21:00
• Books & Diet Journey: 22:02 – 23:53
• Sobriety & Personal Change: 23:54 – 28:22
• Neurodiversity in Kitchens: 30:17 – 31:35
• Business Expansion & Delegation: 32:09 – 37:11
• Changing Food Trends: 37:32 – 39:28
• Industry Challenges (Tax/VAT): 39:34 – 44:22
• Final Reflections & Future: 47:58 – 49:48

Final Thoughts

Tom Kerridge’s journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom: whether discussing his transformation, resilient business building, or championing his industry’s future, he is unguardedly honest and passionate. His story offers inspiration far beyond hospitality, emphasizing that authenticity, adaptability, and nurturing others are the cornerstone of meaningful leadership.