Episode
#246 - Hospitality Meets Conrad Brunton - Cockroaches in the Bloodstream
- Published
- Mar 11, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3811
- Processing state
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- https://www.hospitalitymeets.co.uk/
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Summary
Show your support for Hospitality Sector Letter to the Chancellor What happens when two people who love a bit of unstructured behaviour get together for a structured conversation? The answer? Lots of unstructured conversation This week I sat down with Conrad Brunton , founder of Tonic Talent , passionate hospitality advocate, charity champion, networking powerhouse… and a man who clearly believes that if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly . Before we get into his journey. Conrad is seeking your help. If you have even a tiny sliver of love for Hospitality, please follow the link at the top of the page and put your name to support his open letter to the chancellor To his story, From washing pots at 14, to running the best fish and chip shop in England (Genuinely), to bankruptcy, to building a respected recruitment business and one of the Midlands’ most influential hospitality networks, Conrad’s story is packed with resilience, humour, honesty, and a few brilliant war stories. Including… dropping a potato down the shirt of a senior British politician just before he went on stage Yes. That actually happened. But underneath the laughs is a deeper conversation about pride in your work, why hospitality people are wired differently, and the importance of standing up for an industry that so many of us love. In this episode, Conrad and I get into… • Starting in hospitality at 14 as a KP and discovering the “buzz” of kitchens • The concept of restaurants being “a cockroach in the bloodstream” (credit: Sir Terence Conran) • Working at incredible places like Simpsons, Malmaison and the Fat Duck • Opening a fish and chip shop, and eventually being named the best in England • What bankruptcy really teaches you about resilience and self-belief • Why recruit…