Episode 5 | Can you build a bookshop simply around your own tastes?: Seb Reilly, Plunder (Ramsgate, Kent)

Most businesses start by asking what their customers want.Seb Reilly did the opposite.After leaving what he calls a "proper job", Seb opened Plunder in Ramsgate: a pirate-themed independent bookshop, tearoom and immersive smugglers' museum. He didn't commission market research, chase publishing trends or try to stock every bestseller. Instead, he built the place he wanted to spend time in, filled the shelves with books he genuinely loves and trusted that the right people would find it.It's an approach that seems to fly in the face of conventional business advice, yet a year after opening, Plunder has become one of Ramsgate's most distinctive independent businesses.In this episode, Seb talks about choosing conviction over trends, why he wants to "be more pirate", the surprising history of smuggling on the Kent coast, and what it means to build not just a bookshop, but a destination.We also discuss:Why Ramsgate was the obvious place to open an unusual businessBuilding a pirate-themed bookshop, tearoom and museum under one roofCurating shelves around passion rather than publishing trendsHow independent businesses can help reshape a town's identityWhy "be more pirate" has become a philosophy for life and businessSeb's book recommendations:📖 The Last Man by Mary Shelley – the overlooked novel Seb believes surpasses Frankenstein, and one he recommends more than any other.📖 Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy – Seb's favourite novel of all time.About Bookshop StoriesBookshop Stories explores the people behind independent bookshops and the places they call home.Follow the podcast for future episodes, and read the companion essay for this episode on the Bookshop Stories Substack.