Hospitality Meets... with Phil Street

The Story of... The Angry Gardener
What do luxury hotels, practical jokes, Palm Beach, New York, Beijing, Japan, Hong Kong, a very angry gardener and a 30cm ruler have in common?
Yep, this week's guest Rory Slater, Managing Director for COMO Hotels in London.
And trust me...
Some of these stories are almost too good to be true.
Rory's journey started with a love of food, inspired by his mum's Cordon Bleu cooking, before joining the legendary Savoy Group management programme with dreams of becoming a chef.
Fast forward a few decades and that journey has taken him across four continents, some of the world's finest luxury hotels, and into leadership roles that have tested not only his skills, but his character.
In this episode we chat about:
Why becoming a chef wasn't quite what he imagined
Life on the legendary Savoy Group management programme
Why everyone should spend time working night shifts
Hospitality practical jokes, from soufflé pumps to spaghetti drying lines
Running luxury events in Palm Beach
Launching rooftop bars in New York
Building a career across Beijing, Japan and Hong Kong
Opening luxury hotels around the world
Why choosing the right owners matters just as much as choosing the right company
The role mentors have played throughout his career
The unforgettable Easter egg hunt that was nearly destroyed by one very determined gardener
Standing up for his team, even when it meant challenging someone incredibly powerful

Along the way we explore curiosity, leadership, resilience, culture, integrity and why some of life's greatest opportunities arrive wrapped up in uncertainty.
Of course, this episode is packed with the sort of stories that make Hospitality Meets... well... Hospitality Meets.
There's the night a woman was caught slipping business cards under hotel bedroom doors, leading to an unforgettable chase through the corridors... before Rory found himself lying flat on the carpet with a ruler and some sticky tape trying to retrieve every last card before guests woke up.
Then there's the Easter egg hunt.
Honestly... you'll never look at an Easter egg hunt in quite the same way again.
But beneath the laughter are some brilliant lessons too.
💭 "Take the opportunity when it comes."
💭 "You work for good owners."
💭 "Take your job seriously... but don't take yourself too seriously."
And perhaps the most powerful takeaway of all:
💭 "You look after your team."
Whether that's standing by your colleagues in difficult moments, embracing new cultures, or moving halfway around the world because an opportunity feels right, Rory's story is a wonderful reminder that great careers aren't always carefully mapped out.
Sometimes they're built through curiosity.
Sometimes through courage.
And occasionally...
Through surviving an angry gardener.
Funny, thoughtful and packed with wonderful stories from one of hospitality's true gentlemen.
Enjoy.
Show Partner
A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app.
It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones.
To find out more, head to RotaCloud

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Six years ago, Robert Richardson joined me on Hospitality Meets for the very first time.
Back then, he was a hotel General Manager with a passion for people, wondering what the next chapter might look like.
Neither of us could have predicted what came next.
Fast forward six years, and Robert returns to the show as CEO of the Institute of Hospitality, leading a global professional body with more than 17,000 members, overseeing record membership growth, driving the Institute's Charter ambition, and helping shape the future of our industry.
It's amazing what can happen in six years.
In this episode we chat about:
The leap from hotel General Manager to CEO
Leading an organisation through unprecedented change
Why the Institute is experiencing its strongest membership growth in years
Championing professional development across hospitality
The Youth Council and why the next generation matters more than ever
The journey towards Chartered status
Learning to overcome imposter syndrome and the fear of public speaking
The stories we tell ourselves... and how they can hold us back
Why leadership is about stewardship, not ownership
The power (and pitfalls) of social media
Building organisations where people genuinely feel they belong

Along the way we explore leadership, confidence, legacy, positivity, personal growth and why hospitality remains one of the greatest industries in the world for developing people.
Of course, this wouldn't be Hospitality Meets without a few memorable stories...
🤣 Accidentally being announced as the new CEO while being tagged as a completely different organisation on social media.
🤣 Rehearsing every speech exactly seven times before stepping onto a stage.
🤣 Seriously considering quitting on the morning of his first major keynote... before discovering the world didn't end after all.
And perhaps the most powerful moments of the conversation come when Robert steps away from the role of CEO and shares the experiences that have shaped him personally.
From the fear of receiving an urgent cancer referral that thankfully proved to be a false alarm, to speaking openly about the reality of living through an eight-year stalking ordeal, it's an honest reminder that leadership doesn't make us immune from life's challenges.
If anything, it simply means learning how to keep showing up in spite of them.
There are also some wonderful takeaways throughout the episode:
💭 "No one develops from a place of comfort."
💭 "You will always get an answer. You might not like the answer, but you'll always get an answer."
💭 "It's so easy to be positive and so lazy to be negative."
💭 "Be the voice for positivity."
More than anything, this is a conversation about growth.
Growth as a leader.
Growth as an organisation.
Growth as a person.
Six years ago, Robert joined me as a hotel General Manager.
Today, he returns leading one of hospitality's most respected organisations.
It's a wonderful reminder that careers aren't built overnight—they're built one opportunity, one uncomfortable moment, and one conversation at a time.
A thoughtful, honest and uplifting conversation with someone who continues to lead with humility, purpose and positivity.
Enjoy
Show Partner
A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app.
It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones.
To find out more, head to RotaCloud

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

What do a biochemist, a Chinese mansion house, Heathrow Airport, 250 burger restaurants, a pub turnaround, student accommodation, retirement living, and more than a few bottles of Mao Tai have in common?
This week's guest... Duncan Garrood.
And trust me...
You're going to want to hear this one.
Duncan's career began in a laboratory as a scientist with a PhD in Biochemistry.
It then took him through Unilever, a decade living in China, Heathrow Airport, the Middle East, Punch Taverns, Bill's Restaurants, family entertainment, student accommodation, and now Riverstone Living.
Most people spend a career trying to follow a plan.
Duncan spent his, basically just saying yes.
In this episode we chat about:
Why a scientist decided business looked more interesting
Being told on a Wednesday that he was moving to China on Sunday
Living next door to 13 Chinese families in a former colonial mansion
Putting Walls ice cream on the Great Wall of China
The business lessons hidden inside industrial quantities of Mao Tai
What airports can teach us about hospitality
Why great service is often revealed when things go wrong
Growing a business from $150 million to $1 billion
Running out of cows whilst scaling Shake Shack
Transforming Punch Taverns during one of the biggest shifts in pub legislation
Reimagining Bill's Restaurants
Using people, not capital, to drive growth in leisure
Treating students like customers
Why later living might be one of the most exciting sectors in hospitality today

Along the way we explore leadership, customer experience, entrepreneurship, curiosity, reinvention, and the power of saying yes to opportunities before you're entirely sure how they'll work out.
One of my favourite stories came from Duncan's time in China.
After fifteen dinners with a potential business partner, countless toasts, and enough Mao Tai to test the resilience of a small nation, the gentleman put his arm around him and declared:
You are my little brother."
Moments later, he passed out.
Business was secured.
As leadership lessons go, it's certainly more memorable than most MBA programmes.
There are also some absolute gems throughout the conversation:
💭 "We're not here to put years on your life, we're here to put life in your years."
💭 "If you don't take the opportunities when they come, the things you're missing out on are unknown."
And perhaps my favourite takeaway of all:
💭 "I've literally never regretted saying yes to any of these opportunities."
Because that's really what this episode is about.
Not airports.
Not pubs.
Not burgers.
Not retirement living.
It's about curiosity.
It's about adventure.
It's about having the courage to step into the unfamiliar.
And trusting that you'll figure the rest out along the way.
Funny, thoughtful, insightful and packed with stories.
A brilliant conversation with a man who's spent a lifetime proving that some of the best opportunities arrive disguised as uncertainty.
Enjoy
Show Partner
A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app.
It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones.
To find out more, head to RotaCloud

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

What do a kitchen porter, a Swedish adventure, a hotel fire, a freezing swimming pool, and the CEO of one of Britain's most iconic hotel groups have in common?
This week's guest is John Badley, CEO of Andrew Brownsword Hotels.
Today, John oversees a collection of some of the UK's most beautiful and historic hotels.
But his story starts somewhere much humbler.
A teenage job sweeping a car park for £10, a desperate desire to escape the cold, and a sister who eventually gave in and let him become a kitchen porter.
The rest, as they say, is history.
In this episode we chat about:
🧽 How a car park sweeping job became a lifelong hospitality career
🍽️ Starting as a KP and working his way through the kitchen ranks
⭐ The pursuit of rosettes and the lessons learned in fine dining
🇸🇪 Why a move to Sweden changed his perspective forever
👨‍🍳 The unusual role that saw him wearing chef whites and a three-piece suit at the same time
📈 The leadership lesson that came from being rejected for promotion
🔥 Managing one of hospitality's most devastating crises when a hotel was destroyed by fire
🏊 The infamous swimming pool experiment that taught a painful lesson about guest perception
🧭 Why every leader needs a North Star
🤝 The impact of mentors, including hospitality legend David Guile
💡 Why curiosity remains one of the most underrated leadership skills
🚀 How Andrew Brownsword Hotels is building for the future whilst protecting its remarkable heritage
Along the way we explore leadership, resilience, commerciality, culture, curiosity, and the extraordinary opportunities hospitality can provide for those willing to keep learning.
One of my favourite moments came when John shared the lesson that transformed his career.
After being repeatedly overlooked for promotion, he was finally told the reason:
"If we promote you, who's going to look after this kitchen?"It was a difficult conversation at the time, but it taught him one of the most important leadership lessons of all:
Your success is measured not by what you can do, but by what your team can do without you.
Another standout moment came when discussing leadership and performance.
"Consistency beats intensity."A simple phrase, but one that underpins John's entire approach to leadership, culture and long-term success.
There was also a wonderful reminder of the mindset that has carried him from kitchen porter to CEO:
"There's always something else I didn't know. So I wanted to go and learn it."And perhaps the most powerful takeaway from the entire conversation:
"Make the mistake."Not recklessly.
Not repeatedly.
But don't become so afraid of failure that you stop trying new things altogether.
There are also stories involving Swedish adventures, luxury hotels, thousands of firefighters, frozen swimming pools, and enough leadership wisdom to fill a management textbook.
Funny, thoughtful, honest and packed with practical lessons.
A brilliant conversation with one of hospitality's most grounded leaders.
Enjoy.
Show Partner
A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app.
It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones.
To find out more, head to RotaCloud

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

What do dough balls, coffee, Covid crisis meetings, global expansion, and one very determined mum have in common?
This week's guest is Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director of WatchHouse.
Today, WatchHouse is one of the most exciting hospitality brands on the planet, with 29 locations across the UK, USA and Dubai, and ambitious plans to reach 100 sites globally over the next few years.
But Caroline's journey started in a very different place.
A teenager destined for a science degree, a year spent slightly losing her way, and a mum who effectively packed her bags and sent her to hospitality university whether she liked it or not.
Thankfully, she did.
In this episode we chat about:
How an agricultural college accidentally launched a hospitality career
Spending a year working in France and becoming fluent in French
The early days of ASK and opening restaurants across the UK
Living above the restaurant and learning hospitality the hard way
The legendary Dough Ball Incident
Growing brands from start up to national success
The move from restaurants into Planet Organic
Leading through Covid and creating daily "Cobra Meetings" to keep teams aligned
Learning to step up when uncertainty is everywhere
Overcoming imposter syndrome and finding confidence on stage
The mentors, cheerleaders and leaders who changed her life
Why EOS has become one of the most powerful tools behind WatchHouse's growth
The ambitious journey to 100 WatchHouse locations worldwide

Some of my Favourite Quotables
"Visions are irrelevant without great people"
"Everything is about people. Everything"
"I was a really good waitress. I'm telling you now, I could handle a big section"
"We didn't really know what we were doing. We were just finding out as we went along"
Along the way we explore leadership, resilience, culture, friendship, hospitality careers, and the extraordinary impact great people can have on the direction of our lives.
One of my favourite moments came when Caroline reflected on receiving a message from a former team member years later, thanking her for the role she'd played in shaping his career and life.
It's a beautiful reminder that in hospitality, we often have a far bigger impact on people than we ever realise.
Funny, thoughtful, inspiring and packed with lessons for anyone building teams, leading people, or simply trying to figure things out as they go.
And yes...
There is a story involving enough dough balls to fill half of Bristol.
Enjoy.
Show Partner
A big shout out to today’s show partner, RotaCloud — the people management platform built specifically for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from one simple, web-based app.
It also makes life easier for teams, allowing staff to check rotas, request holiday, and pick up extra shifts directly from their phones.
To find out more, head to RotaCloud

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy