#185 - Hospitality Meets Shereen Ritchie - Leadership, Laughter, and Learning

Sometimes the guest chooses you and they don't even know it.I'd been a fan of the work that today's guest had been doing for quite some time so I was beyond thrilled when she said a big Essex yes to coming on the show.I'm joined by the dynamic and Epic Shereen Ritchie, CEO of Buns from Home. Shereen shares her incredible journey in the hospitality industry, emphasising the importance of authenticity, embracing one's uniqueness, and the value of entry-level roles in nurturing future leaders. **Key Discussion Points:**1. **Authenticity & Uniqueness:** Shereen underlines the power of being true to oneself and embracing what makes you unique, a message that resonates deeply in both personal and professional realms.2. **Ed Sheeran's Support:** A heartfelt discussion on Ed Sheeran's support for Buns from Home (and a humorous and ambitious contemplation of having him appear on the podcast in the future).3. **Leadership Lessons:** Shereen’s experiences from her various roles across companies like TGI Fridays, Las Iguanas, and Leon, offer insightful lessons on leadership, mentorship, and the significance of developing young talent.4. **Industry Impact of COVID-19:** The episode delves into the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry, including the community-driven efforts to support the NHS and the shift to virtual business interactions.5. **Inspirational Anecdotes:** Shereen shares memorable and humorous moments from her career, including a virtual meeting mishap and a mistaken identity at an awards ceremony involving Angela Hartnett.6. **Buns from Home:** Discover the extraordinary growth story of Buns from Home, a bakery that began during lockdown and now boasts 15 sites, thanks to its rapid innovation and sustainable business model.7. **Impactful Food Memories:** Shereen and Phil explore the emotional significance of food memories and the role of hospitality in creating lasting, positive impacts on people's lives.8. **Dynamic Leadership:** The evolving landscape of leadership takes centre stage as Shereen speaks on having a supportive team, understanding business processes, and the importance of nurturing talent.**Memorable Quotes:**To encapsulate Shereen's wisdom and energy, we have curated some of her most impactful quotes from the episode, check our social through the week. You’ll hear her heartfelt advice on enjoying the present moment, her belief in the power of the hospitality industry, and her thoughts on leadership and nurturing future leaders.**Important Links:**- [Buns from Home](https://www.bunsfromhome.com) - Explore the bakery that’s taking the hospitality world by storm.- [Leon Restaurants](https://leon.co) - Learn about Shereen's impactful tenure at Leon.- [TGI Fridays](https://www.tgifridays.co.uk) - Discover the brand that shaped Shereen's foundational years in hospitality.**Tune in to this episode of Hospitality Meets to gain valuable insights on leadership, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, and the heart-warming journey of Shereen Ritchie. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a seasoned professional, Shereen’s story is sure to inspire and uplift you.**For full show notes, complete transcripts, and more episodes, visit [Hospitality Meets Podcast](https://hospitalitymeetspodcast.co.uk).*Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform.***Keywords:** Shereen Ritchie, Buns from Home, Hospitality Meets, Leadership, Hospitality Industry, Ed Sheeran, COVID-19 impact, Food Memories, TGI Fridays, Leon Restaurants, Mentorship, Business Growth, Sustainability.The GuestShereen is mum of 2 (Mason Wolf and Tigerlily Reign), eternal optimist and possibly Jon Bon Jovi's number 1 fan. Shereen also has 25 years of experience in everything hospitality, PR and construction and is a leader with a difference. She can give you a masterclass in how to lead by inspiration, she creates teams with the strength of lions, and her ‘Only Way is Essex’ upbringing taught her to add glitter and unicorns to everything.She believes that business success involves balancing operational and commercial considerations with human ones. She has a proven track-record in building, leading and managing high-performing teams that have delivered outstanding revenue performance in exceptionally tough market conditions.Her approach has helped her to turn around enterprise performance, routinely beat budgets, and create and launch a new digital business in just three weeks. She is known for agility, determination and a relentlessly positive attitude that motivates and inspires those around her. She does not back down from a challenge and her teams have made the impossible a reality.As the former UK Managing Director of LEON she led the brand through its most successful, as well as its most challenging time. Prior to this and after a stint in PR and Construction she ‘returned home’ to hospitality and joined Las Iguanas where she grew the business and supported the sale of Las Iguanas to Casual Dining Group.Shereen is currently the Chief Executive Officer for the independent London bakery brand, buns from home. The brand that was born during the pandemic has taken the city and social feeds by storm. With ques around the block morning, noon and night, the rapidly growing brand is not only expanding its bakeries but launching into retail and cookbooks.Having started her journey in hospitality at 15 years old, she got an evening job cleaning tables at TGI Fridays. Little did she know at the time that this part time job would shape her future in the most significant way. She can still teach you the TGI Fridays trick of how to hold 6 glasses in one hand!The SponsorToday’s episode comes to you in partnership with 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/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy