15th February 2026.
Opening Reflection
Things remain tough.
And when business is tough, I sometimes find myself asking a very simple question:
Why would anyone choose to be an entrepreneur?
Surely no sane person would willingly put themselves through this level of uncertainty, pressure, and turmoil.
In my case, the answer is straightforward:
I have no choice. I’m unemployable.
And sometimes in life, not having a choice is the best position to be in.
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Why Leave Safety?
Which leads to another question:
Why would anyone voluntarily leave a corporate job to start their own business?
This week I met two women who did exactly that. They left corporate careers to start a company called SheSpot — a sexual wellbeing brand designed to help women overcome shame and guilt around embracing their own pleasure.
Now that is a brave brand proposition.
It takes courage to start any business in this climate. It takes even more courage to build one around a subject that still makes people uncomfortable. My hat goes off to them. Even when conditions are harsh, it’s good to see young founders willing to give it a go.
Because despite everything, there is still something magnetic about entrepreneurship.
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The Honest Conversations
One of my regular customers at the Television Centre farm shop runs a PR company and has done for nearly as long as I’ve been in business.
The reason I enjoy seeing him is simple: we can be honest with each other.
No pretending.
No motivational quotes.
No fake positivity.
People new to business often feel they must project confidence at all times. But the truth is, running a company is a constant mix of doubt and determination. You need people you can be real with.
Entrepreneurship can be lonely. Honest conversations are oxygen.
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Back in the Kitchen
This week I returned to my cheffing roots.
At 68, it’s exhausting. But cooking is like learning to drive — you never lose it. The rhythm comes back quickly. The timing. The instincts.
The reason I’ve been back in the kitchen isn’t nostalgia. It’s necessity. We need to tighten systems, cut costs, speed up processes — without compromising quality.
That’s the eternal retail challenge:
How do you serve good food quickly and efficiently without becoming soulless?
There’s something grounding about getting your hands dirty again. It reminds you that business isn’t spreadsheets — it’s execution.
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Spotting Talent
We had an 18-year-old girl start with us this week.
She may not know it yet, but she is destined for great things.
There’s something fascinating about spotting talent early. Some people just carry themselves differently. Curiosity. Awareness. Hunger. Confidence without arrogance.
What is it that makes some people stand out while others blend into the background? I don’t fully know. But I do know when I see it.
I look forward to the day I can say to her:
“You started your first job with us — and we saw it before anyone else did.”
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Green Shoots
Sales have improved slightly this week. At White City, I get the sense more people are discovering us. Brixton’s meal offering is gathering momentum. And more customers are picking up our sausages in supermarkets.
They’re not fireworks.
They’re not dramatic wins.
But they’re movement.
And movement matters.
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Bootstrap vs Investment
I heard an interesting term this week: bootstrap. It essentially means building a business without external investment.
It seems everyone’s dream is to raise funding. I’ve never had investment. At times like this, I’ll admit, I do sometimes wish I had that financial cushion.
But I know what the price would be.
Control.
Freedom.
Autonomy.
And I value my freedom too much.
Debt is heavy. But loss of control is heavier.
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The TV Illusion
The Apprentice and Dragons’ Den are back on our screens.
I find them frustrating.
They present entrepreneurship as theatre — quick pitches, dramatic negotiations, instant decisions. What they don’t show is the grind. The sleepless nights. The supplier disasters. The slow months. The relentless uncertainty.
They don’t show the emotional stamina required.
Real business isn’t a 60-minute episode. It’s 20 years of persistence.
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Closing Reflection
So yes, things are still tough.
And yes, sometimes I question why anyone would choose this life.
But perhaps that’s the wrong question.
The better question is this:
If you feel you have no choice but to build something of your own — if you are wired to challenge, to disrupt, to create — then perhaps entrepreneurship isn’t a choice at all.
Perhaps it’s just who you are.
Unemployable.
And grateful for it.
Onwards.
