28th June 2026

Opening Reflection — Meeting a Fellow Disruptor

This week I gave myself a little treat.

I went along to a book signing by Simon Woodroffe, the founder of YO! Sushi.

I’ve always admired Simon.

Not because he built a successful business, but because he represents something that has become increasingly rare: a genuine entrepreneur.

The word entrepreneur gets thrown around far too easily these days.

It seems everyone who starts a business immediately calls themselves an entrepreneur.

I’m not sure that’s true.

In fact, I think there’s a great deal of confusion about what entrepreneurship actually is.

Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Now before anyone gets upset, let me explain.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a business owner.

Running a successful business is difficult.

It takes commitment, discipline and resilience.

But being an entrepreneur is something different.

If you copy a tried-and-tested formula, in my view you’re not necessarily being entrepreneurial.

You’re running a business.

Take coffee shops as an example.

There are thousands of independent coffee shops up and down the country.

Most of them are run by hardworking people.

But the entrepreneur wasn’t the person who opened the latest coffee shop on the high street.

The entrepreneur was the person who saw an opportunity to create something entirely new and build it into a global phenomenon.

The entrepreneur was Howard Schultz at Starbucks.

He didn’t just open a coffee shop.

He changed how people consumed coffee.

He changed behaviour.

He created a movement.

That, to me, is entrepreneurship.

Creating Something That Doesn’t Exist

The same applies to companies like Apple.

Steve Jobs didn’t simply build computers.

He continually reinvented what people thought technology could be.

Computers.

Music players.

Phones.

Entire industries were reshaped because someone was prepared to challenge conventional thinking.

That’s what fascinates me about entrepreneurs.

They don’t ask:

“How do I do what everyone else is doing?”

They ask:

“What if we did it differently?”

The Black Farmer Question

So where does that leave me?

Do I genuinely consider myself an entrepreneur?

I think I do.

Not because I’ve built a business.

But because I’ve spent most of my life trying to challenge assumptions.

When I started The Black Farmer, there wasn’t a guidebook.

There wasn’t a manual.

Nobody had created a food brand quite like it before.

People thought it was risky.

Some thought it was mad.

Others thought it couldn’t be done.

Which is often a good sign you’re onto something interesting.

The Black Farmer wasn’t created simply to sell sausages.

It was created to challenge perceptions.

To tell a story.

To prove a point.

To show that someone from a background like mine could build a nationally recognised brand.

The Best Compliment

One of the highlights of meeting Simon this week was talking about those early days.

Both YO! Sushi and The Black Farmer started around the same period.

At the time, YO! Sushi was regarded as completely original.

People thought Simon was out there.

Different.

A disruptor.

During our conversation he said something that genuinely pleased me.

He said that if YO! Sushi was original, then The Black Farmer was equally out there, challenging convention and changing perceptions.

Coming from someone like Simon, that’s a compliment I will treasure.

Because it’s praise from an originator.

Someone who understands what it means to build something that doesn’t fit neatly into existing categories.

Stories Matter More Than Products

I’ve probably said this many times before, but I still believe it.

People don’t buy products.

They buy stories.

The best brands in the world aren’t built on products.

They’re built on meaning.

People buy into what those brands represent.

The products are simply the vehicle.

The Black Farmer has always been about more than food.

It’s about possibility.

It’s about challenging assumptions.

It’s about showing people that barriers are often smaller than they appear.

Heatwaves and Reality

Away from philosophical thoughts, Britain appears to be having another heatwave.

Personally, I rather enjoy it.

After spending January and February staring out at grey skies, empty streets and customers hiding indoors, it’s hard to complain about sunshine.

Although, as always, business finds a way of reminding you that every opportunity comes with a challenge.

More customers are coming out.

Which is good.

But air conditioning costs rise.

Which isn’t.

This week alone I’ve had two members of staff faint because of the heat.

So whilst the sunshine brings customers, it also brings costs and complications.

Business has a wonderful habit of never letting things become too straightforward.

Hope Remains My Companion

One thing that hasn’t changed in more than twenty years of running a business is the importance of hope.

Hope has been one of my most loyal companions.

When things have been difficult, hope has kept me moving.

When logic suggested giving up, hope whispered, “Keep going.”

When opportunities appeared impossible, hope suggested they might not be.

The older I get, the more I realise that every entrepreneur needs hope.

Not because it’s rational.

But because creating something new rarely is.

Closing Reflection

Meeting Simon Woodroffe reminded me of something important.

Entrepreneurship isn’t really about making money.

It’s not even about running a business.

At its heart, entrepreneurship is a creative act.

It’s about seeing the world as it is and imagining what it could become.

It’s about challenging assumptions.

It’s about refusing to accept that the status quo is the only option.

And perhaps that’s why entrepreneurs are often misunderstood.

Because before every successful idea became obvious, it first looked slightly ridiculous.

Thankfully, there are still people prepared to look ridiculous.

Here’s hoping there always will be.

Onwards.