Old Waconians: Ones to Watch

You left CHS in 2012. Where has life taken you since?

I left CHS to pursue my passion for performing. I trained at one of London’s top dance schools, which opened doors for me to perform with a contemporary dance company. I then went on to work with The Disney Company, first in Paris and later in Hong Kong, giving me the skills and creativity to later bring into my own business.

Alongside performing, I trained to become a Barre and Yoga instructor, aspirations that were first established on the athletics tracks at CHS. I’ve always had a deep desire to teach and share my knowledge
with others, helping people to enhance their physical health and well-being. This passion led me to meet my business partner, who shares my vision.

Together, we founded Feast & Flow. We now host well-being events across the country, primarily focusing on transforming well-being within the workplaces. Our mission is to make well-being easy and accessible for everyone, helping individuals lead healthier and happier lives.

Workplace well-being is your business. How did you come about co-founding Feast & Flow?

Well-being has always been a passion of mine, driven by my desire to help others grow and thrive. When I met my business partner Jake, we discovered a shared vision that started our journey.

Initially, we set out to host retreats, but we soon received a request to replicate one of our events within a workplace. Our eyes were then opened to how many companies were lacking in the wellbeing department and not offering their employees the support they needed. Since then, we have proudly supported hundreds of companies in enhancing their well-being strategies and we are committed to maintaining this momentum to positively impact their overall performance and employee satisfaction.

You create and curate experiences. What have been your favourite moments so far?

Nothing beats the energy in the room when one of our sessions ends, be it Yoga, Mindfulness, Sound Meditation, or Breathwork. The deep sense of relief and lightness that washes over everyone in the room is one of my personal favourite feelings. The immediate feedback and the exchange of emotions and energies that follow are incomparable, there’s an unspoken connection that leaves a lasting impact that nothing else can match.

Creating experiences is at the heart of what we do and some of my favourite moments are when I witness not just my own vision but the collective vision of my team come to life. One standout memory was collaborating with a company that I personally love and was on the top of my goals, on an event that required a quick turnaround—in just a week.

During this time, I happened to be in Hong Kong, entrusting others to handle tasks I typically lead. Delegating responsibilities, especially when I’m known for being hands-on, has always been a challenge for me. However, their execution was exceptional! It’s moments like these where I know our guests leave feeling calm, weightless and inspired to take charge of their well-being.

Some of our Old Waconians run companies. How can they support their employees’ wellbeing?

Of course…. to book in Feast & Flow events! But on a more serious note, my best advice is to actively listen to what your employees need. Each individual has unique requirements and those needs can evolve over time. It’s essential to provide support in a variety of ways to address different aspects of well-being.

Well-being isn’t limited to just fitness or mental health support, it encompasses a broad spectrum of factors, including financial assistance, childcare support, stress management initiatives and opportunities for team bonding. By taking a comprehensive approach and being responsive to your employees’ diverse needs, you create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and empowered to thrive.

From Cheadle Hulme to Hackney. Tell us about your career path.

From the age of 15, I worked part-time and during school holidays in restaurants and pubs locally and in Norfolk, where my grandparents lived. After finishing my last A-Level exam, I moved to work in a restaurant in Cambridge before landing a scholarship with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts on their Specialised Chef program. The program included three 12-month placements in top establishments around the UK. I was placed at Cliveden House, working under Michelin-star chef André Garrett in his flagship restaurant.

After this tenure, I worked abroad for a number of years in top restaurants in Norway and South Africa, as well as working on super yachts in the Mediterranean and chalets in the Alps. I then returned to London, landing a Senior Sous Chef role at Galvin La Chapelle, a one Michelin star restaurant in Spitalfields Market.

You’re co-owner of the London-based restaurant Rogues. What’s the backstory of how Rogues came about?

While working at Galvin La Chapelle, I met my business partner Zac Whittle, who was the executive chef at the time. We started doing pop-ups on our days off and this transitioned into us leaving our roles and starting our own company in 2019. We squeezed in three months of pop-ups before the first lockdown. We fell through the cracks for any furlough, grants, or government support, so we pivoted to an online grocery store. We used our wholesale restaurant supply chain to bridge the gap when supermarkets were failing to meet demands in London. This allowed us to pay rent during lockdown periods, alongside doing some events
when possible.

We then ran a very successful six month residency at The Hackney, a Bethnal Green events venue in Spring 2021. We found our permanent site in January 2022 and using a bounce-back loan and all the profits made from the residency, we opened Rogues that March. We expanded the restaurant into the neighbouring unit a year later, and six months after that, we opened Rogue Sarnies, our wood-fired sandwich shop. We’re now in the process of developing a point-of-sale and online ordering system with a partnering tech company.

The hospitality industry can be hard. What drives you?

Initially, it was the love of the craft and the buzz of a professional kitchen. I’ve always loved making things and using my hands; the process of creating something from nothing, whatever the medium. Food allowed me to do that in a very stimulating, high pressure, high-intensity environment. This combination had me hooked from day one.

More recently, I’m spending more time behind my laptop than the stove. This has its perks and drawbacks but has been necessary to push the business in the right direction and ultimately ensure staff wages are paid and the lights stay on. I still enjoy the process of creation and development; now it’s more business-related than food. That being said, my dream retirement would be a smallholding/B&B where I could get back behind the stove for a few days a week. A pipe dream at the moment for sure, but a man can dream.

For the aspiring chefs out there, what are your top tips for breaking into the industry?

Especially in the early days, it’s all about work ethic. Be the first one in and the last one out of the kitchen. Always try to work smarter, faster, and harder than anyone else, and you will eventually find that you are running rings around everyone. Be humble, be nice, don’t burn bridges, and never stop learning. Always ask questions and understand what it is you are doing or trying to achieve. Hospitality is one of the most amazing industries as it gives anyone a fair shake of the stick. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter your background, sexual orientation, or gender—everyone gets a fair chance. So in terms of getting your break, it’s pretty straightforward. If you turn up at your favourite restaurant with a knife roll, an apron, and a good attitude, asking to work, you’d be surprised at what doors open for you.

You left CHS in 2013. Was there a particular teacher who inspired you?

It was my grandparents who inspired me to pursue my career as they were very successful within the industry in my early years. Cheadle didn’t offer cooking past GCSE and so it wasn’t geared up to helping pupils pursue a career down that avenue. In my opinion, for a lot of schools hospitality can often be considered as a part time gig to tie you over while at university or between jobs. However, I did have some fantastic teachers along the way.

My form tutor in Sixth Form, Mr. Foster, was always incredibly encouraging with my slightly alternative career choices. My GCSE English teacher, Mr. Parkin got me to start enjoying literature properly and to actually look forward to an English class, which was a serious feat. The skills and confidence attending a school like Cheadle gave me have been pivotal to my development from a chef to a business owner. I was at Cheadle from 4 to 18 and enjoyed my time there greatly.

From Manchester to Monte Carlo. How did you get started in the world of motorsport?

When I was 8 years old, my father took me to watch a rally race in the forests of Yorkshire. You could hear the cars roaring in the distance before they came into view, like beasts. They would appear sideways, flying by and spraying the fans with gravel and mud. As they disappeared, the sights and sounds of the engines echoing through the forests, along with the smell of fuel and brakes, left an indelible imprint on me. I was captivated by the sport.

Several years later, I started driving old cars in fields and discovered I had a natural talent. With the help of my father and some family friends, I began competing in the UK Junior Rally Championship at age 15 and won. By age 19, I had secured my first professional contract. I love the sport and got into a lot of trouble missing Fridays to go to rallies back in my CHS days!

2019 saw you become the first British Rally Driver in 52 years to become FIA European Rally Champion. Can you share the key to your success?

I worked my way up the ranks step by step, championship by championship. It was a challenging road, with funding being my greatest obstacle rather than Europe’s best drivers and most difficult and dangerous roads.

Despite many hurdles, giving up was never an option; I always had a deep belief that I could win. Self-belief, hard work, and resilience were the keys to winning the European title.

In 2023, you raced against 9X FIA World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb. What was it like to meet one of your heroes?

Anyone with an interest in Motorsport knows Loeb is arguably the best driver in history, including Formula 1 drivers. So to compete against him and challenge him closely for victory was a surreal experience. Beating him on a stage and standing alongside him on the podium was a moment of affirmation which meant more than any championship title or result. He was also a top bloke and down to earth!

You are always looking ahead to the next goal. What’s on the horizon for you?

This year I aim to win the British title, and be the first rally driver in history to win both the British and European titles. I hope this will propel me to the WRC World Rally Championship for the 2025 season.

The British Championship is fiercely competitive this year with many professional drivers and teams, and is covered by ITV. My ultimate ambition is to have the opportunity to fight for the World title in the coming years. I know I have the speed, ability, and mindset, I just need to earn the opportunity with one of the WRC manufacturer teams.

From School to Snacks. What has been your journey since leaving CHS?

When I left Cheadle my year out became a whacking three years. I travelled through Australia, Indonesia and Europe but spent the majority of my time in Perth, Australia. It was a fantastic experience – the university of life I like to call it. I developed life skills and became in tune with what I was really passionate about – clean food and mental health (empowering people to feel good). Australia is where I leaned into raw cooking and plant-based food.

Moving back to the UK I helped kick off SUCCO juice bar in Manchester where I produced raw and plant-based products such as your classic energy balls. As a hobby, alongside writing for a magazine about health and fitness (another passion of mine), I set up Raw Bake Station. We
were predominantly selling at the market stalls and gaining customer insights. I decided to go full-time with Raw Bake Station and secured a unit space in Altrincham. We worked hard on growing our name around the Manchester area and selling into coffee shops and juice bars. It was from there, the brand grew.

We got into chains like Planet Organic, Whole Foods, and As Nature Intended, but scaling up from there proved to be more difficult than I realised. To move away from a lifestyle business and into a scalable business we needed to pivot and change up what we were producing. Instead of chilled products with a short shelf life, we created the cookie range – an ambient product with a much longer shelf life and easier to produce in greater volumes.

We outgrew our unit space and had to outsource production, finding a factory down south to work with. At that point we got into stores like the Coop and WHSmith travel stores. I went on Dragon’s Den (probably a bit prematurely) and then got accepted onto 2 accelerators. I moved to London and through the accelerators I excelled as an individual, as an entrepreneur, and the business turned a real corner. It’s been a real journey of organic growth.

You’re Founder and Director of D*MN GOOD, formerly Raw Bake Station Ltd. What was your inspiration for setting it up?

I suffered from severe disordered eating when I was younger so I wanted to create products that I enjoyed eating but wouldn’t feel guilty about. Initially I was making goods for myself, then friends and family, then the juice bar, and it spiralled from there. Now we are a brand that’s pushing on mental sustainability – empowering people to feel d*mn good in their own skin.

I always struggled around food, body image, diet and self, so I’m passionate about building healthy relationships with food. I want to help people on their journey by providing snacks that are better for you but with a really strong message around mental health.

D*MN GOOD – the re-brand – why, how and what are you most proud of?

The rebrand has been so successful for us. Since launching in October 2023 we’ve quadrupled our monthly sales – but what I’m most proud of is our messaging. We worked with a creative agency to focus on our WHY and to put a real purpose at the core of the brand.

We now hold events – run clubs, walk clubs, yoga clubs – bringing the brand message to life. It starts with human connection, it involves movement and it ends in d*mn good energy. The branding is super striking and colourful, and with the backstory it all comes together. With Raw Bake Station everything that we started with was done internally. Now we have a strong solid brand that a lot of people can relate to.

This year, your manufacturer went into administration. How did you overcome this challenge?

In February, we were given 2 days’ notice by our factory of their closure and understandably, we were in panic city. I wasn’t prepared to give up and spoke to about 50 different manufacturers across the UK. Things will always go wrong and you have to move quickly and adapt. We put all our other projects to one side and focused on this problem.

It was mentally challenging but our new factory is an entirely wheat, gluten and dairy free site, which is a much better fit for us, and even better – they have a much larger capacity. We now have several back-up factories so we won’t bump into the same problem in the future. It all worked out well in the end, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

Tell us about the organisation ‘SEED’ that you support.

They’re an eating disorders charity based up north that we came across when we rebranded. Personally, I had struggled with disordered eating so wanted to choose a charity that was close to my heart. They offer support for individuals that are in the midst of an eating disorder but also after. The work they do is incredible and I’m an ambassador for them as well. The SEED charity are currently looking
for donations to continue their work, I’d be very grateful if you would lean in and support this wonderful cause.

You left CHS in 2012. What did you learn at school that still influences you today?

I absolutely loved my time at Cheadle. Along with travelling it made me the person I am. I  et some incredible people there and it was generally a positive experience. I learnt kindness, inclusivity, to go after your dreams, to be bold, and to be yourself.

What’s your takeaway message for budding entrepreneurs?

You have got to be genuinely passionate about what it is you are wanting to do. It’s the passion that will get you through the difficult days. Get involved with a lot of accelerators, they help you build as an entrepreneur. Never be scared to ask for help and advice from others who have been there and done it. A lot of people are willing to support you and I’d be very happy for anyone to reach out to me for a chat too! Be brave, be bold and confident. Never forget you are D*MN GOOD!

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