Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

Challenger Chats

Claim This Podcast

by Tamweel

12 episodes

Updated Weekly

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧

Podcast Authority

Beta

PoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality38

Social0

YouTube0

Engagement30

Learn more

Podcast Overview

Welcome to Challenger Chats. A series of no holds barred conversations with business leaders and the Founders of some of the UK's hottest consumer facing brands, where we’ll pop the hood and look under the bonnet to see what makes them tick. We’ll get them to open up and speak from the heart, telling us about the road blocks they’ve encountered, what causes them to lose sleep at night and what they love, and hate, about today’s consumer. Challenger Chats is powered by Tamweel, an M&A and Private Equity deal doing business that specialises in advising the UK’s best and brightest Challenger Brands.

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

9/25/2020

Visit Website View on Apple Podcasts RSS Feed

🇺🇸 Charts #3

Outreach generated

Apple 142

Spotify 827

Instant mention tracking

Perfect fit!

Unlock The Full Podcast Authority Score Report

See how your podcast performs across key metrics

Podcast Authority

Beta

PoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality38

Social0

YouTube0

Engagement30

Learn more

Excellent Areas

Good Performance

Growth Opportunities

excellent

Episode Length

19 minutes

Performing excellently!

good

Show Experience

11 episodes over 4.5 years

Recommendations available

Unlock the full report to see detailed tips

poor

Publishing Consistency

Every 149 days

Recommendations available

Unlock the full report to see detailed tips

+16 More Metrics

Unlock comprehensive insights including:

• YouTube presence analysis
• Social media reach metrics
• RSS compliance scoring
• Podcast 2.0 features
• Technical standards

What's Included in Your Full Report

Detailed Analytics

Complete breakdown of all 19 authority metrics
Personalized recommendations for each metric
Industry benchmarks and comparisons
Technical RSS feed analysis and compliance scoring

Growth Strategies

Step-by-step action plans for improvement
Quick wins to boost your score immediately
Pro tips from successful podcasters

Get your free podcast insights report

See how your show performs across every key metric

Instant delivery

No spam

Attract Better Guests

High authority scores make your podcast more attractive to industry leaders and influencers who want to appear on credible shows.

Secure Sponsorships

Sponsors look for podcasts with proven authority and engagement. Your score demonstrates your podcast's value to potential partners.

Grow Your Audience

Understanding your strengths and weaknesses helps you make data-driven decisions to expand your listener base effectively.

2 verified contact emails on file for Challenger Chats

Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.

See contact details

Recent Episodes

July 16, 2026

Challenger Chats Episode #11 with Bobby Hashemi

Bobby Hashemi: Coffee Republic, Pizza Union, and the case for going slow <a href="https://tamweelcapital.com/challenger-chats-podcast/">Challenger Chats</a> is back with a vengeance🔥! Trust us when we say, this one is a cracker (or more like a spicy diavolo)... as we sit down with Bobby Hashemi, founder of <a href="https://www.pizzaunion.com/">Pizza Union</a>, one of London's most-loved pizza brands 🍕 and co-founder of Coffee Republic ☕, the brand that helped kickstart the UK's coffee shop revolution in the 90s..From leaving Lehman Brothers to co-founding and subsequently floating Coffee Republic, then crossing over to private equity, Bobby has been there, done that, and has got the t-shirt. Now, twelve years into building Pizza Union, his philosophy has shifted - he's convinced that slowness, not speed, is the real founder superpower.Bobby shares his journey - the highs, the hard-won lessons, and why doing it in a more considered way the second time round means doing it better.Guest: Bobby Hashemi, Founder, Pizza Union Host: Adam Spencer, Tamweel Capital 🔑 Key takeaways🐢 Slow is a superpower. Bobby's single biggest lesson from doing this twice: the ability to say no, and to grow only as fast as the business needs to, beats chasing scale for its own sake.🍕 Simplicity is the moat. Pizza Union sells 15 pizzas and three salads — full stop. That focus is what lets it undercut the market on price without cutting quality.🧑‍💼 Founders aren't always managers. Bobby's candid on this: the skills that build a business aren't the same skills that run one, and that's fine.📍 Site selection is the real risk. Not financing, not marketing — it's picking the right four walls. Bobby's rule of thumb: could the site plausibly do 10x its annual rent in sales?🤖 AI is a thought partner, not (yet) an operator. Useful for a lean, founder-led business like his; he's happy to let bigger players test kiosks and AI ordering first.❤️ Success looks different at 55 than at 35. Financial milestones gave way to a simpler measure: health, honesty, and doing work he loves. ⏱️ Chapter timestamps01:14 | 🇮🇷 Growing up in Iran, and a smuggled Big Mac 04:56 | 💡 The real "lightbulb moment" — and starting Coffee Republic 07:31 | ☕ The first site nearly flops (and a lucky break next to Vogue House) 08:40 | 👫 Building the business with his sister, Sahar 12:23 | 📸 Fame, scrutiny, and life as a public-company founder 15:21 | 🔁 Crossing over to private equity with Luke Johnson 19:32 | 🎯 Advice for founders considering private equity 21:15 | 🍕 Where the idea for Pizza Union came from 25:14 | ❓ Why pizza, and why now 26:15 | 💰 Keeping prices low without cutting quality 27:58 | 🛎️ The case for counter service 29:30 | 🔄 Doing it again: more cautious, or more confident? 31:56 | 🐂 Growth discipline vs. speed — the In-N-Out Burger playbook 36:38 | 🗺️ Site selection: the real make-or-break decision 40:48 | 📊 The KPIs Bobby actually watches 44:24 | 🤖 Where AI fits into the business today 49:43 | 😅 The hardest part of being a founder-CEO 52:44 | 🔮 Will Pizza Union still look the same in 20 years? 54:56 | 🧭 The long-term plan for Pizza Union 56:12 | 🌙 What keeps him up at night 57:37 | 🐢 The best advice he's been given: "slowness is a superpower" 59:04 | ⚡ Quick-fire round 1:03:09 | 🌟 Has his definition of success changed? 1:04:08 | 🔜 What's next for Bobby and Pizza UnionLinks: Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at <a href="https://www.finacharleson.com/">https://www.finacharleson.com</a> Pizza Union: https://www.pizzaunion.com/ Bobby Hashemi: http://www.unionven.com/people.htmlSign up for Tamweel News and Insights: <a href="http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z">http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z</a>

March 25, 2025

Challenger Chats Episode #10 with Steve Grocutt

Challenger Chats is back with another deep dive into the world of game-changing brands! This time, we sit down with Steve Grocutt, founder of Cornish Bakery, to uncover the incredible story behind one of the UK’s fastest-growing bakery brands. With a firm belief that “Bakery is the new Coffee Shop”, Steve has built a business that has redefined what a bakery is, does and can be. Cornish Bakery is a modern bakery creating beautiful, welcoming, community spaces where people can relax, connect, and enjoy exceptional, freshly made food and coffee. From its humble beginnings in Mevagissey, Cornish Bakery is growing fast with a current trading estate of 66 stores and counting, in bustling tourist hotspots, charming market towns, and vibrant city centres across the country. Its formula? Authenticity, quality, and a deep understanding of what today’s customers want. Steve shares his journey - his bold vision, the lessons learned along the way, and what it takes to build a standout hospitality brand that is shaking things up on the high street. In this episode we explore: ✅ The origins of Cornish Bakery and what inspired Steve to start ✅ The challenges of scaling while maintaining quality and culture ✅ The secret ingredient behind Cornish Bakery’s success ✅ How he dealt with letting go of the reins and transitioning from ‘Founder CEO’ to ‘Founder Investor’ ✅ What’s next for the brand and its continued expansion If you’re passionate about entrepreneurship, hospitality, or simply love a great brand and founder story, this episode is not to be missed! Links: Fairgame: <a href="https://megans.co.uk/">https://thecornishbakery.com/</a> Sign up for Tamweel News and Insights: <a href="http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z">http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z</a> Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at <a href="https://www.finacharleson.com/">https://www.finacharleson.com</a>

December 4, 2024

Challenger Chats Episode #9 with Richard Hilton

Richard Hilton, founder of Gymbox and Fairgame, shares insights on brand marketing, entrepreneurship, and leadership, drawing from his experience in fundraising and CEO development.

12 total episodes available

Deep-dive analytics for Challenger Chats

Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

What is Challenger Chats?: Welcome to Challenger Chats. A series of no holds barred conversations with business leaders and the Founders of some of the UK's hottest consumer facing brands, where we’ll pop the hood and look under the bonnet to see what makes them tick.

We’ll get them to open up and speak from the heart, telling us about the road blocks they’ve encountered, what causes them to lose sleep at night and what they love, and hate, about today’s consumer.

Challenger Chats is powered by Tamweel, an M&A and Private Equity deal doing business that specialises in advising the UK’s best and brightest Challenger Brands.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates weekly.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

Legal Disclaimer

Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.

All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.

We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.

By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.