Practical conversations for people who run food businesses.The Ceres Podcast is a long-form podcast for people in food, hospitality, and the fish and chip trade.Hosted by Stelios Theocharous of Ceres | Pure Food Innovation, alongside Mark Petrou, Kelly Barnes, David Nicolaou, and David Miller, the podcast brings together operators, chefs, suppliers, producers, and hospitality voices for honest conversations about the realities of the industry.We talk about what is actually happening on the ground: pricing, margins, customer behaviour, menu strategy, marketing, trade pressures, and the decisions that shape real businesses.No rushed soundbites. No glossy nonsense. Just practical experience, hard-won lessons, and proper conversations with people who care about the trade.If you run a food business, work in hospitality, or want to understand where the industry is heading, this podcast is for you.
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80/100
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The Ceres Podcast is a arts podcast hosted by Ceres | Pure Food Innovation, with 249 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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Ceres | Pure Food Innovation hosts The Ceres Podcast, a arts show with 249 episodes published.
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Episode #249
#249 - Kate Mills (Stokes Sauces) | Family Business & Food Trends
Jul 30, 20261h 24mS9
In Episode 249 of The Ceres Podcast, Mark Petrou is joined by Kate Mills, Business Development Manager at Stokes Sauces. Kate shares her remarkable journey from growing up in a family-run hairdressing business, through careers in textile design, sportswear and insurance, to becoming one of the most recognisable figures in the UK fish & chip industry. Along the way she explains how family values, creativity and a passion for people shaped her approach to business. The conversation then explores the story behind Stokes Sauces, from Rick Sheepshank's commitment to quality ingredients and British manufacturing, to building an award-winning brand now sold around the world. Mark and Kate also take a deep dive into the changing foodservice landscape, discussing: How GLP-1 weight loss medication is changing customer behaviour. Why protein is becoming a major purchasing driver. The growth of fried chicken and what it means for fish & chip shops. Portion sizes, menu engineering and improving margins. Consumer trends, online ordering and attracting younger customers. Why premium condiments can elevate both the customer experience and profitability. Rather than simply identifying challenges, Kate shares practical ideas that fish & chip shop owners can implement today to remain relevant, profitable and competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Sharpen your decision making with the Ceres Calculators . Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today. Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Podcast Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and receive monthly offers.
#248 - Potato Prices Fall, SSP Changes, Farmed Cod & Running a Fish & Chip Shop in a Heatwave
Jul 23, 20262h 2mS9
In Episode 248 of the Ceres Podcast Podsquad, Stelios Theocharous is joined by David Miller, Kelly Barnes and Mark Petrou for another wide-ranging discussion on the biggest issues currently affecting fish & chip shops. This episode covers: • The latest market update on cod, haddock, hake and potato prices. • Why falling potato prices may not last as long as many expect. • The UK's new Statutory Sick Pay changes and what they mean for independent businesses. • How employers can balance supporting genuine illness while protecting their businesses. • Handling customer complaints, online reviews and protecting staff morale. • Whether farmed cod could become part of the future of the fish & chip industry. • Insights from the English Fish & Chip Awards. • Trading through extreme summer temperatures and adapting staffing to changing customer demand. • Practical discussions on stock control, labour planning and maintaining profitability during quieter trading periods. As always, the Podsquad shares honest opinions, practical experience and real-world advice from operators who work in the industry every day. Hosts: Stelios Theocharous David Miller Kelly Barnes Mark Petrou Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today. Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Podcast Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.
#246 - May Podsquad: Trade Reality & Market Pressure
May 18, 20261h 48mS9
In episode #246 of The Ceres Podcast, Stelios is joined by the Podsquad team — Kelly Barnes, David Miller, David Nicolaou and Mark Petrou — for a May roundtable on the realities facing fish and chip operators right now. The discussion covers trade in 2026, changing customer behaviour, rising food and supply chain pressures, pricing, market updates, social media, online reputation, copycat businesses, alternative fish species, and the difficult commercial decisions behind closing a site. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today. Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Podcast 📮 Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.
#245 - Jamie Russo & Charlie Collins on Fish Prices, Delivery Apps, Margins and the Future of Fish & Chips
May 12, 20261h 38mS9
In this episode of The Ceres Podcast, Stelios is joined by Jamie Russo from Redcloak Fish Bar in Stonehaven and Charlie Collins from Frydales in Leicester for an honest operator-to-operator conversation about the current state of the fish and chip industry. Originally planned as a Q&A episode, the conversation quickly turns into a deep discussion around what's really happening in the trade right now: Are shops actually making money? Why are fish prices still so volatile? Are delivery apps helping or hurting independent shops? Does the traditional fish and chip shop model still work in 2025? Are menus becoming too big and complicated? Why are customers spending differently now? And what happens next for the industry? Jamie and Charlie both run successful fish and chip businesses day-to-day and are former Young Fish Frier of the Year winners, bringing practical insight from two very different parts of the UK. This episode covers everything from cod vs haddock, frozen-at-sea fish, potato pricing, staffing pressures and rising costs, through to pizza businesses, customer psychology, supermarket competition and the changing future of takeaway food. A candid, unscripted discussion between three operators living the realities of the trade every day. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today. Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Podcast 📮 Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.
#244 - Welsh Fish & Chip Operators on Trade, Tech and the Future
Mar 31, 20261h 37mS9
In Episode 244 of the Ceres Podcast, Stelios introduces the first Welsh roundtable, hosted by Zohaib Hussain of Zero Plus Fish Bar in Cardiff. Joining him are Ryan Hughes of Ship Deck Fish and Chips in Caerphilly, Danny White Mier of Enochs in North Wales, and Jemma Hennighan Evans of Hennighans in Mid Wales. Together, they discuss what fish and chip shop operators across Wales are seeing on the ground right now: getting more customers through the door, the reality of delivery platforms, how digital content and branding affect sales, the challenge of moving customers beyond cod, and where the industry may be heading over the next decade. This is a practical, honest operator conversation covering pricing, community, menu development, customer behaviour, marketing, and the changing shape of the fish and chip trade in Wales. Download your FREE copy of the Fish & Tips E-Book and boost your business today. Ceres Facebook Page Ceres Podcast 📮 Join the Ceres email list to keep updated and get monthly offers.
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