Challenger Chats

Apr 22 2024
Challenger Chats Podcast artwork

Welcome to Challenger Chats. A series of no holds barred conversations with business leaders and the Founders of some of the UK's hottest consumer facing brands, where we’ll pop the hood and look under the bonnet to see what makes them tick. We’ll get them to open up and speak from the heart, telling us about the road blocks they’ve encountered, what causes them to lose sleep at night and what they love, and hate, about today’s consumer. Challenger Chats is powered by Tamweel, an M&A and Private Equity deal doing business that specialises in advising the UK’s best and brightest Challenger Brands.

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Challenger Chats Episode #8 with Rod McKie

Apr 22 2024 52 mins  
Season II of Challenger Chats has officially landed! A collection of raw, unfiltered conversations with the movers and shakers behind the UK's best and brightest Challenger Brands. Kicking off Season II in style, we’re thrilled to have Rod McKie in the hot seat - one of the UK’s most experienced hospitality operators with a resume that reads like a who’s who of the hospitalit

Challenger Chats Episode #7 with Nisha Katona MBE, Founder of Mowgli

Dec 16 2021 53 mins  
A conversation with Nisha Katona MBE, Founder and CEO of Mowgli Street Food and best selling recipe book author. Nisha has built one of the UK’s most exciting restaurant brands in Mowgli. It has blossomed into a business of scale with a loyal and cult following. It’s focus on staff welfare, community and job creation makes it one of the sector’s leading ESG operators; whilst

Challenger Chats Episode #6 with Joanne Mathews, Founder of Ten Health & Fitness

Sep 03 2021 53 mins  
A conversation with Joanne Mathews, Founder and CEO of Ten Health & Fitness, a leading wellness business that bridges the gap between the medical community and fitness markets. We talk through the origins of Ten as a result of an unfortunate but ultimately happy accident, Jo’s fundraising journey, and how it’s made her a more effective leader, and take a deep dive into the

Challenger Chats Episode #5 with Noam Bar, Co-Founder of Ottolenghi

Jul 08 2021 37 mins  
A conversation with Noam Bar, co-founder of Ottolenghi, one of the UK’s most well-known food brands. A brand inspired and influenced by the shared Israeli and Palestinian roots of its co-founders, Noam Bar, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. We talk through Noam’s 20 year journey with Ottolenghi, from its origins as a cosy neighbourhood deli in Notting Hill and its evolution int

Challenger Chats Episode #4 with Robin Rowland OBE, Operating Partner at TriSpan

Apr 20 2021 65 mins  
A conversation with hospitality sector legend Robin Rowland OBE. Robin boasts a long and varied career in hospitality, as operator (perhaps best known for taking YO! Sushi from 2 to over 100 units) and more recently as investor with global private equity fund TriSpan. In a wide ranging conversation he shares amongst other things his insights into the future of hospitality in a post

Challenger Chats Episode #3 with Matt Grech-Smith, Co-Founder of Swingers

Feb 18 2021 63 mins  
A conversation with Matt Grech-Smith, co-founder of Swingers, one of the movers and shakers in the world of Competitive Socialising. We talk about the meteoric rise of the Swingers brand, Matt's experience of raising capital from Cain International, and why they think they'll succeed in the US where others have failed.

Challenger Chats Episode #2 with Joan Murphy, Co-Founder of Frame

Dec 16 2020 47 mins  
A conversation with Joan Murphy, co-founder of fitness and lifestyle brand Frame. We talk about Joan’s whirlwind experience of raising capital from Piper, the perils of social media, the need for authenticity when building a brand and regular old chit chat about babies, boardrooms and pole vaulting (as you do)!

Challenger Chats Episode #1 with Charlie Gilkes, Co-Founder of Inception Group

Oct 19 2020 53 mins  
A conversation with Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, London’s leading experiential hospitality business. We talk about Charlie’s entrepreneurial journey, starting off at the age of 3 selling hand drawn pictures to his neighbours all the way through to establishing a collection of some of the finest hospitality brands in London.

Listen here if you're new to Challenger Chats.

Sep 25 2020 1 mins  
Challenger Chats, hosted by Adam Spencer, is a series of no holds barred conversations with the business leaders and Founders of some of the UK's hottest consumer facing brands. Adam will pop the hood and look under the bonnet to see what makes these businesses tick, what drives its people and what life is like behind the wheel of a Challenger Brand.