Still Building

Born in a hotel, thrown out of university

Built the UK’s biggest hospitality recruitment business, Lost control of it, Lost his driving licence, Broke his back.

You'd think this was a lesson in how not to do it?

But far from it!

This week on Hospitality Meets, I sit down with Roddy Watt, recruitment pioneer, hotel strategist, owner of one almighty black book and living proof that setbacks are not full stops, they’re commas.

In This Episode

1. Why most careers start by accident
2. “Aim at nothing and you’ll hit it” (a dartboard life lesson)
3. Building a 200 person recruitment empire
4. What happens when venture capital meets optimism
5. The week that tested everything
6. Why attitude beats experience
7. Why high performers don’t get a free pass
8. Relaunching again… because why not?

Built. Lost. Still Building

Roddy helped shape hospitality recruitment in the UK.

15 offices.

Hundreds of consultants.

Market leader.

Then came the flotation.

The numbers.

The pressure.

The reality check.

And a particularly memorable week involving:

• Losing his company

• Losing his driving licence

• Falling off a horse and breaking his back

His summary?

“That was a week.”

No violin music. Just perspective.

And learning that sometimes your worst week becomes the beginning of your next chapter.

This episode is funny, honest, slightly outrageous in places, and packed with lessons you only get from someone who’s been around the block a few times

🎧 Listen now: https://linktr.ee/Hospmeetspod

Show Partners

A big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

From Baptism of Fire to Michelin Leadership

This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Douglas Balish - Executive Chef and Director at Grove of Narberth, Hotel Chef of the Year, and a man shaped by some of the toughest kitchens in the business.

From washing dishes in Ayrshire…

To getting “pans thrown at his head”

To learning to run in kitchens where nobody walked…

To leading his own Michelin starred brigade

And all of the lessons that come with that

This is a candid episode about pressure, humility, growth — and the fine line between breaking someone and building them.

In This Episode

1. Starting out as a 15 year old dishwasher in Scotland
2. Walking away from university to chase kitchens instead
3. The brutal reality of early Michelin kitchens
4. Why some pressure builds you, and some destroys you
5. Taking demotions to grow faster
6. Working at Bohemia and being completely out of his depth
7. The intensity of Whatley Manor
8. Moving to Australia to work at Quay
9. Why leadership is not one size fits all
10. Creating dishes when nobody’s ever let you create before

Baptism of Fire

Douglas doesn’t sugarcoat it. His early Michelin experience was brutal.

80-hour weeks.

Staff accommodation from hell.

Being told he was useless.

Working until nothing fazed him.

And yet, he doesn’t look back with bitterness.

He looks back with perspective.

Because for him, that pressure didn’t break him.

It sharpened him.

Not because bullying is good (Obviously) but because understanding why something is happening matters

The Psychology of Kitchens

There’s a fascinating thread in this episode. Douglas nearly studied psychology. Instead, he learned it in kitchens.

He talks openly about:

1. Realising he wasn’t as good as he thought
2. Being publicly humbled
3. Being dropped down the ranks
4. Taking ownership instead of walking away

And most importantly, how that shaped the leader he is today.

He’s clear:

Management isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Some chefs need an arm around them.

Some need structure.

Some need challenge.

The job is knowing the difference.

From Scotland to Sydney

His journey takes him through:

1. Jersey
2. The Cotswolds
3. Australia
4. Back

Building a Regenerative Farm Stay

This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Caitlin Owens, Managing Director and co-owner of Fowlescombe Farm, a luxury farm stay in Devon built on regenerative farming principles.

What started as a family meat farm became a pub

What started as a consulting career became a hospitality adventure.

What started as “how hard can it be?” became… chlorine spraying out of beer lines.

This episode is about naivety, chaos, regenerative farming, and why hospitality might just be the most beautifully human industry of them all.

In This Episode

1. Quitting consultancy during lockdown to learn hospitality in Switzerland
2. Running a pub during the wild summer of 2021
3. The science (and danger) of cleaning beer lines
4. Why hospitality operates permanently on the edge of chaos
5. What consulting really taught her (hint: it’s not insurance maths)
6. Bringing regenerative farming into luxury hospitality
7. Why “low choice, high quality” beats endless options
8. The rise of the farm stay experience
9. Describing humanity to a Martian (yes, really)

From Farm to Fork, For Real

Fowlscombe isn’t just “farm to table” as a marketing line

The farm is regenerative

The soil health is measured

Animals fertilise the land naturally

Monoculture is avoided

The hospitality exists because of the land, not the other way around

Chaos, Sheep & Beer Showers

Running the family pub (The Millbrook) during post-lockdown mania meant:

1. Chlorine explosions in the cellar
2. Smelling permanently of ale
3. A sheep on a lead turning up for the village nativity
4. A horse tied to the drainpipe while the chef fed it carrots

Skills from “Outside” Hospitality

Caitlin didn’t climb the traditional hospitality ladder.

Her background in consultancy gave her:

1. Structured thinking
2. Clear communication
3. Confidence with tech providers
4. The ability to not be messed around by suppliers

A reminder that hospitality doesn’t need to be a closed shop.

Different backgrounds make stronger teams.

Regenerative Hospitality

For Caitlin, sustainability isn’t just environmental.

It’s about:

1. Less waste
2. Fewer food miles