Oh For Food's Sake

AI is everywhere right now, but beneath the noise there’s a much more important shift happening in the food industry. In this episode of The Fearless Foodie, I break down what AI really means for food manufacturing and retail teams. Not from a technical angle, but from a human one. As AI takes on more of the technical and process-driven work, it’s exposing a gap that has been there for years. Skills like communication, confidence, influence, and critical thinking are quickly becoming the real differentiators. If you’re leading teams, managing change, or trying to stay relevant in a fast-moving industry, this episode is a straight-talking look at what actually matters and where to focus next. The post AI Is Not the Problem: The Skills Gap Food Leaders Can’t Ignore first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Welcome to Bethan’s Bite-Sized Bulletin - your quick-fire briefing on what’s happening across the food and drink industry. In under five minutes, journalist and Food Manufacture editor Bethan Grylls shares the latest headlines, trends and developments to keep you in the know. Explore more industry news at foodmanufacture.co.uk The post Bethan’s Bite Sized Bulletin April 2026 first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Innovation gets talked about a lot in food manufacturing and retail, but it’s often reduced to product launches and short-term wins. In this episode of The Fearless Foodie, I’m joined by David Hamilton, former Chief Innovation Officer at Kerry, for a grounded conversation about what innovation looks like inside a food business. We explore the messy, human side of innovation. The uncertainty, the nerves, the constant learning, and why building an innovative culture has far more to do with people, leadership, and curiosity than it does with pipelines and processes. If you work in NPD, technical, commercial, or leadership roles and want innovation to mean more than just another SKU, this episode offers a practical, honest perspective. The post Why Innovation in Food Isn’t About Products (And What It Really Takes) first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Switching off after work sounds simple, until you’re lying in bed replaying conversations, running through tomorrow’s to-do list, and wondering why your brain won’t slow down. In this episode of The Fearless Foodie, I explore what’s really going on when work won’t leave your head, and why it’s such a common experience in food manufacturing and retail. In an industry defined by pace, pressure, and constant change, many leaders spend most of their time in “drive mode” or high alert. I break down why that happens, what it does to your nervous system, and why rest isn’t a reward; it’s a core leadership skill. If you’ve ever struggled to switch off, felt permanently “on”, or worried you’re heading towards burnout, this episode offers practical ways to reset, without adding more pressure. The post Why You Can’t Switch Off (And What It’s Doing to Your Leadership) first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Welcome to Bethan’s Bite-Sized Bulletin - your quick-fire briefing on what’s happening across the food and drink industry. In under five minutes, journalist and Food Manufacture editor Bethan Grylls shares the latest headlines, trends and developments to keep you in the know. The post Bethan’s Bite Sized Bulletin March 2026 first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

This season finale of The Fearless Foodie steps away from tactics and to-do lists and looks honestly at what it feels like to lead in UK food manufacturing and retail right now. Across this season, one theme has kept resurfacing: leadership feels heavier. The pressure is constant. The stakes are high. And for many, especially those in middle management, it can feel like you’re carrying far more than your job title suggests. In this reflective episode, Amy names the patterns shaping team behaviour in fast-paced food businesses. Urgency becoming the default, responsibility sitting without authority, meetings losing depth, and managers absorbing emotional fallout just to keep things moving. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s you, whether you’re just not coping well enough, this episode offers something different. You’re not failing. You’re responding to pressure. And understanding that is where healthier leadership begins. The post When Everything Is Urgent: Food Leadership Under Pressure first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

This bonus episode of The Fearless Foodie takes a straight-talking look at International Women’s Day, and what actually changes careers in the food industry. Instead of focusing on slogans or surface-level celebration, Amy brings the conversation back to everyday leadership inside food manufacturing and retail. Because progression isn’t just about working harder. It’s about who speaks your name in rooms you’re not in. Amy explores advocacy, sponsorship, and the idea of “give to gain”. Not as corporate buzzwords, but as practical, day-to-day behaviours that shift opportunity, confidence, and culture. Whether you’re looking to support someone else, or wondering why your own career feels stalled, this short episode cuts through the noise and focuses on action. The post Stop Fixing Women: Start Backing Each Other first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Careers in food manufacturing and retail rarely follow a neat, straight line — and this episode is proof that that’s not a problem. Amy is joined by Katie Harvey, Food Lead at Greencore, for an honest conversation about career “squiggles”, sideways moves, and the skills that really matter when you’re building a long-term career in the food industry. From leaving university in tears to leading a team of 60, Katie shares the reality behind the CV. Together, they explore why transferable skills like communication, curiosity and empathy often matter more than technical perfection — especially in complex, fast-moving food businesses where decisions are rarely clear-cut. This episode is for anyone who’s worried they’ve taken a wrong turn, feels pressure to have it all mapped out, or wants to lead teams more humanly without losing performance. The post You Don’t Need a Career Plan — You Do Need to Work on Yourself first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

In fast-paced food and retail environments, work can feel far harder than it should. Projects stall, energy drains away, and leaders are left wondering why “good people” aren’t delivering. In this episode of The Fearless Foodie, Amy Wilkinson is joined by her right-hand woman and fellow coach Donna Ward Higgs to unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface in busy food businesses. Together, they challenge the lazy narrative that teams are disengaged or need “more training”, and instead explore the hidden friction points that slow everything down — unspoken behaviours, sticky systems, emotional labour, and cultures that avoid honest conversations. If you work in food manufacturing or retail and feel like delivery is harder than it should be, this episode will help you spot what’s actually getting in the way — and where to start if you want things to change. The post It Shouldn’t Be This Hard: What Really Slows Teams Down at Work first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Who really shapes decisions in the UK food system — and how much influence do you actually have from inside a food business? In this episode of The Fearless Foodie, Amy Wilkinson speaks with Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, to demystify how food strategy, policy, and industry change really happen — beyond the headlines and acronyms. Together, they unpack IGD’s role as an independent, industry-funded organisation bringing retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and government into the same room — and why collaboration (not competition) is becoming essential as pressure mounts across the food system. This is a grounded, honest conversation for anyone working in food manufacturing or retail who wants to understand the bigger picture, stay informed without overwhelm, and play a meaningful role in shaping what comes next. The post Why the Food Industry Is Entering a New Era of Change first appeared on Fearless Foodies.

Welcome to Bethan’s Bite-Sized Bulletin - your quick-fire briefing on what’s happening across the food and drink industry. In under five minutes, journalist and Food Manufacture editor Bethan Grylls shares the latest headlines, trends and developments to keep you in the know. Explore more industry news at foodmanufacture.co.uk The post Bethan’s Bite Sized Bulletin February 2026 first appeared on Fearless Foodies.