1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: Who is He's table for It's now a book. Paul McCartney, 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: Michael Kaine, Kamala Harris, David Beckham, Tina fey Elton John 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: and many more. It's full of stories, beautifully designed, and 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: a celebration of the way food connects us all. It's 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: available now wherever you buy your books. 6 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 2: I bought this black Armani suit. 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Bal you a eleven thousand pounds. 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 3: Yeah on eleven thousand pounds seventy discount in the sale. 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: So I did it. Yeah, and then probably and then 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 2: probably were in. 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,279 Speaker 1: What did that? What did that feel like? Buying an 12 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: Umi suit? It? Yeah? 13 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 3: That was That was a big moment, and that got 14 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 3: me my next job, which was. 15 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: Was in advertising. 16 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 3: This wonderful woman called me a Dixon, who gave me 17 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 3: my first job in advertising. 18 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 2: And she I don't need to listen to word I said. 19 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: She just loved my suit. 20 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: My mother used to tell me, Ruthie, always seek out 21 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: the quietest person in the room. It's advice I've carried 22 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: with me as so often those who have the most 23 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,559 Speaker 1: interesting things to say about themselves are also the ones 24 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: least inclined to tell you. This is true of my 25 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: friend Claire Hornby, the founder and CEO of ME and M, 26 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: one of the most successful international fashion companies in Britain. 27 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 1: As a designer, Claire wants women to feel confident, comfortable, 28 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: and at ease in the clothes they wear. Going into 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: her stores, seeing the skirts and the sweaters, the trousers 30 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: and the shoes, it's as if she anticipates what her 31 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: customers might need before they even ask. Today, Claire and 32 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: I are here to talk about food and fashion, food 33 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: and family, the ingredients of her life, the ingredients of 34 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: mine and the recipe of her success. So of all 35 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: the recipes and all the books and all the times 36 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: you've eaten here, are you chose well? 37 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 3: I've been practicing how to say this with my Italian 38 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 3: one of my Italian friends at work. 39 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: Zucchinie Brilliants, that right. 40 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 3: So you need five hundred grams of zucchini, one liter 41 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 3: of sunflower oil, and then for the batter, one hundred 42 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 3: and fifty grams of plain flour, three tablespoons of extra 43 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 3: virgin olive oil, three tablespoons of warm. 44 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: Water, and three egg whites. 45 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 3: You cut the zucchini into match sticks, place in a colunder, 46 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 3: sprinkle with salt and leave for half an hour for 47 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 3: the batter. Sift the flour into a bowl, make a 48 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 3: well in the center, Pour in the olive oil and 49 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 3: stir to combine. Add enough warm water to make a 50 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 3: batter the consistency of double cream, and leave for half 51 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 3: an hour. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold 52 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: into the batter. Pat the zucchi me dry, dip them 53 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 3: in the batter, then frying batches in the hot oil 54 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 3: until golden and crisp. Serve immediately, so dutifully read why 55 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: did you choose this recipe? 56 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: Of all? Do you make it? 57 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 2: Did you eat it? 58 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 3: It's always when we eat regularly and every that's what 59 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 3: everybody wants. They're they're just delicious, and they're so hard 60 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 3: to do well. 61 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: And I don't want them from anywhere else. 62 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: Just here it is. It's a really nice recipe. I 63 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: think simple. It's so simple. Again, you can do it. 64 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: You can make the batter and then put the egg 65 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: whites in at the end, and you know, dip the 66 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: dip the zucchina. I really like starting a meal. Also, 67 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: I was here last night and there were four people 68 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: I didn't really know that well. And then everybody has 69 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: a little bit you know, and you take it or 70 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: some people put it on their Are you the sort 71 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: of put it on your plate and take it off 72 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:57,839 Speaker 1: your own plate. 73 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 3: We've got to be quite quick because otherwise my husband 74 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 3: and Johnny he so we're always quite quick. Yeah, so 75 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,119 Speaker 3: we do again on our plate and from there. 76 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, did you grow up in a fact? Well, tell me, 77 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: let's start at the beginning. Tell me about Oldham? Where 78 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: did you grow up? Where was it? 79 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: So? 80 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 3: I grew up in a place called Saddleworth, which has 81 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 3: the highest concentration of pubs in the country. It's just 82 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 3: above a place called Oldham, which is in the north 83 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 3: north of Manchester. 84 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I was on I grew up on the Pennines. 85 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 2: It rained all the time. 86 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: And what was it like? Was your family? Tell me 87 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: about your parents and your. 88 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 3: So very very normal. My mum was a teacher. My 89 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 3: dad ran a small joinery company. They made doors and 90 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 3: windows and cabinets. They did a lot of work for 91 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 3: the university. But I remember going because they both worked 92 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 3: in our school holidays. 93 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 2: You know, I tagged. I tagged along with my dad 94 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: a lot. 95 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 3: So that sort of smell of would shaking with making things? 96 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 3: Did it potentially? 97 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 2: Yeah? 98 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 3: But yeah, I spent a lot of time in a 99 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 3: joinery shop. We're a very very close family. They were 100 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 3: phenomenal parents, endlessly proud, very normal, just very salt of 101 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 3: the earth family upbringing. 102 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: When you were if your mother was working, would you 103 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: always sit down to dinner in the evening? Yeah it was. 104 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 3: It was tea in the north those days, it was tea. 105 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:35,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, we ate at six. 106 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 3: I was very sporty, so I would always I'd come 107 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 3: home late from school and then I was always starving, 108 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 3: always starving, played so much sport, so then would always 109 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 3: sit down at sex and have Mum cooked. Did you 110 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 3: have the very wholesome food shepherds pies, meat pies, lots 111 00:05:57,880 --> 00:05:58,799 Speaker 3: of fish and chips. 112 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: Did you go abroad? Did they take you to other countries? 113 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: Did you go to France or Space? 114 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 3: My first trip abroad was when I was seven years old. 115 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 3: It was the summer of nineteen seventy six, so it 116 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 3: was hotter and you went in England in nineteen seventy six, 117 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 3: it was the hottest summer on record. We had a 118 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 3: host pipe band and we went on our first trip 119 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 3: to abroad to forment Terra, which makes it sound like. 120 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: We were really cool. They found out actually. 121 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 3: There was one apartment block just being built and we 122 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 3: arrived just because it wasn't quite finished, so it was 123 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 3: very cost effective way to go on holiday. 124 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 2: So we went to Formantera, which yourself, what did. 125 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: You love about it? 126 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 3: It was the first time I'd been anywhere like that, 127 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 3: so it was very exciting because it was the first 128 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 3: time I'd ever. 129 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: Got on a plane. 130 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 3: And you know, the water and Formentara is mind blowing. 131 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 2: It still blows my mind now. It's so blue and clean. 132 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,799 Speaker 3: And the salt marshes and lots of cycling. We cycled 133 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 3: ever it can cycle around the Pole Island. It's quite small. 134 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 3: It was the first time I seen live lobsters in 135 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 3: a tank, but then I didn't like that they were killed, 136 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 3: so I didn't like that. Those remember crying over the lobsters. 137 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: Do you think that the focus, your focus and the 138 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: work ethic from your parents did that form you in 139 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: your early years? I'm sure. 140 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 2: And they made me work for every single school holiday. 141 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 2: They made me work for my holiday money. So from 142 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 2: the age of fourteen I worked. It's on older market. 143 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 3: My dad found me a friend who had some damaged 144 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 3: shoes Italian shoes so I set up market stalls and 145 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 3: sole shoes on older market. 146 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: That was my first job Q fourteen. 147 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, and then I worked in and then as I 148 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 3: got bit older, I worked in denh in factories. So 149 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 3: it's lankash Is it was Lancashire. No, No, probably about sixteen. 150 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 2: I worked in factories and. 151 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: These weren't school holidays school holidays. 152 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 3: And then I worked in shops. I was a waitress, 153 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 3: I sold double glazing. I mean I worked and worked 154 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 3: and worked so they they I wasn't allowed to go 155 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 3: on holiday unless I'd earned my holiday money. 156 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, so there was a stayed with you do you 157 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: think as an adult? 158 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was also needs musk, like we didn't have money. Yeah, 159 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 2: you know it wasn't. 160 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 1: I don't think they did it to be to form you. 161 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 3: It was they needed the money. So and you know 162 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 3: that carried on when I came to London. I had 163 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 3: to work. I mean I worked all through my degree 164 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 3: at Manchester. 165 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 2: I worked. I got worked in the tyraq, I worked 166 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 2: in pizza restaurants. I worked where it worked. I mean 167 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 2: there was no there was no option. I didn't. I 168 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: had to make ends meet. 169 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so what was it like leaving home when 170 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: you got to Manchester. Let's see what's that. 171 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 3: I was going to stay living at home, but then 172 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 3: I met these two great girls and we actually and 173 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 3: so we lived together for my final three years, which 174 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 3: was good for me because I needed to break the 175 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 3: umbilical cord. So I didn't go away to school or 176 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 3: you know. It was a very poseted upbringing. But I 177 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 3: was very bullied at school. 178 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: How did that affect you? 179 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 3: You know, it's funny. You just did you really just 180 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 3: deal with it. I didn't want my mum to know 181 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 3: because I knew she get involved. So the first time 182 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 3: it happened, I actually ended up in hospital. 183 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: What did they do? 184 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 2: They tripped me? 185 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 1: They physically. 186 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 3: I was running down a hill and some boys tripped 187 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 3: me up and I skidded across the playground and smashed 188 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 3: into the sport the science block and knocked myself out. 189 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,080 Speaker 2: But I think I then put. 190 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 3: Texted my mom from it because I was worried that 191 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 3: it get worse if my mum knew so, and then 192 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 3: I had this hero friend who stopped it all. 193 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: You did you have food isshoes at all? Growing up? 194 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: Did you ever have anything that you thought about eating 195 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: in a certain way to Did you eat anything you 196 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: wanted and never felt? 197 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 2: Yeah? 198 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: Love food, yeah, love food. And if you play a 199 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: lot of sports. 200 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: You need a lot of food. 201 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, so with the sports and sport was great. So yeah, 202 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: and what about fashion in those early years? Did you 203 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 1: know that because you were saying that you made things 204 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: you watched. 205 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, we forgot the most important. 206 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: How did your mother dress? Did she? Did you think 207 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: clothes were important to her? Yeah? 208 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 3: We shopped a lot together. We used to sneak it 209 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 3: in so my dad didn't say, but we made clothes together, 210 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 3: and trousers, and I do remember standing in front of 211 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 3: the mirror thinking about pocket position and length and shape. 212 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: And so it's amazing what you do with your children. 213 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 3: How it can you can become you know those it's 214 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 3: the small things that matter. 215 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: It's like cooking, like or you know, many many things 216 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: that you you know when you and they you know 217 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: you might not have been interested at all, but that 218 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: you were interested and that she could do it. Yeah. 219 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: Formed do you have any of the clothes that you 220 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: made with her? Did you get Yeah? 221 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 3: I remember this one pair of trousers which we got 222 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 3: horribly wrong. Whereas when I got to school, everyone teas 223 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 3: me that I look like at the Bear, and I. 224 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: Have this kind of lens out now where. 225 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 3: When the design teams present me with things, I have 226 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 3: a list of characters that you might look like if 227 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 3: you wore those, because if it's a bit overly, you know, 228 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 3: there's like bo Peep, there's Dennis the Menace, there's bupe 229 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,599 Speaker 3: at the Bear, There's I can't remember them all, but 230 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 3: there's no, no, no, we can't make that. They'll look 231 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 3: like this, or I've got a very visual sort of 232 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 3: no no no, that's a bit milk Madi. 233 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 2: No, no no. But it's a great big trend and 234 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 2: like we're leaving that trend behind. 235 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's plenty of others. I really wanted to talk 236 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: to you about how because you know, I started a 237 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: restaurant very small. You started something that is now very big. 238 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 1: And we went to La together and when I was 239 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: in New York, I went shopping at me. Are you 240 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: in other cities in America? Yeah? 241 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: We have started. 242 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 3: So we're now in what will be the next one, Stanford, 243 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 3: Palo Alto, we're in Atlanto, Dallas, we're close to signing 244 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 3: in Washington, and we're looking at the cargo and Miami 245 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 3: and yeah. 246 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: And also so so again looking back, this trajectory of 247 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: going from making close at home was Manchester Fashion School 248 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: when you went there, Yeah. 249 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 3: Well I wanted to be a fashion buyer, so studied 250 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 3: fashion marketing. Retail marketing was called Manchester and that segue 251 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 3: to me getting a job at Harold's. So I was 252 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 3: on the graduate training scheme at Harrods. And I wanted 253 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 3: to become a fashion buyer. 254 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: So you didn't necessarily want to design, you're not trained. 255 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 3: Still, my role at ME and M is really customer strategy, product, 256 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 3: product strategy, brand strategy. Yeah, you know, growth strategy, locations. 257 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 3: But I wanted to be a fashion buyer, which is 258 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 3: why I did that degree, and then why I ended 259 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 3: up on the graduate training scheme at Harold's. One of 260 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 3: the girls that I lived with at Manchester, her father 261 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 3: had an apartment in London, so that's how I afforded 262 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 3: to live in London. So I was very lucky because 263 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 3: I didn't have any money at all. And you know, 264 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 3: I mean, if you remember those first salaries there nineteen 265 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 3: ninety two, ninety two, the salary for working in eleven 266 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 3: thousand pounds, so and you know you had to decide 267 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 3: whether you were going to go on the tube or 268 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 3: buy a sandwich or by newspaper. You know, there were 269 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 3: decisions around the very basics in life. But then what 270 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 3: I used to do was use my staff discount in 271 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,599 Speaker 3: the sale to go and buy. 272 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 2: Beautiful things. 273 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 3: When Georgia Emani died, I did think back and think, well, 274 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 3: you know you helped me a lot. 275 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: Do you think about that when you're when you're choosing 276 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: clothes for your for women to wear to interviews to it. 277 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 3: Really matters that first impression. It shouldn't matter, but it 278 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 3: still does. 279 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: What is your experience of being on the other side 280 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: of the table when you're interviewing. What do you look 281 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: for someone who comes for a job interview do obviously 282 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: the way they dress, so they mostly wear me and 283 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: them when they come for an interview with you, No, 284 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: would you like? That doesn't matter? 285 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 3: It matters that they've been into a store and bothered. 286 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: That really understands. It depends what job they're going for. 287 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 3: Normally you're looking for you're really wanting to see whether 288 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 3: they really are passionate about what you're doing, because passion 289 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 3: counts that absolutely everything. 290 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: When you interview people who're just talking about interviews. Do 291 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: you ever go with them to a restaurant because a 292 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: lot of people that I've talked to say that they 293 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: would always at some point I want to take somebody 294 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: they were working closely with to a restaurant, because you what, 295 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: it's like a date, isn't it. You know, if you 296 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: go on a date you discovered are they coming to 297 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: the waiter? Do they get impatient if the food is laid? 298 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: Do they share? You know, you learn, you learn about someone. 299 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 3: Do you feel that, Yeah, I've done that a couple 300 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 3: of times and what did you learn? 301 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: Yeah? 302 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 3: You learn a lot, you really do. I do a 303 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 3: lot of customer research in restaurants. 304 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: Well, tell me about that. 305 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 3: So when I chose Madison Avenue in New York eight 306 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 3: in all, you know, I went and had breakfast in 307 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 3: the right places and supper in the right places in London. 308 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 3: You're seeing the customers and what they're wearing. 309 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: And when you in terms of your business about how 310 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: many you say that five about five hundred people work 311 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: for you and you're doing for five hundred, how have 312 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: you grown? I know how I've grown. You know, we've 313 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: grown slowly. We've grown from well originally two chefs. It 314 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: was myself in rows, the two people. One of us 315 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: would make sandwiches, one of us would make a pasta, 316 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: and we had nine tables. But in a way for me, 317 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: those restrictions were so helpful. If I had just come 318 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: into this space and said we're going to open a restaurant, 319 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: it would have been a disaster. But you also started. 320 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 2: I didn't know what I was doing. I mean I didn't. 321 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 2: I literally I was clueless. I mean I know I didn't. 322 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: You must have known, because you succeeded. 323 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:56,479 Speaker 3: Very much like you, though started incredibly small, definitely started 324 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 3: a business that taught me a lot, which was the wrong. 325 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 2: Business, yarmor room. 326 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 3: So we went, I know there's a gap in because 327 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 3: I'd worked in advertising for twelve years, so oh, you 328 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 3: have to look for a gap in the market. So 329 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 3: I looked for the gap in the market and there was. 330 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 3: There were the land where sort of revolution hadn't really 331 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 3: started then, so everything was a bit nothing. There was 332 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 3: nothing beautiful to wear at home. So we made really 333 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 3: beautiful landwear, as you as you know, and you bought 334 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 3: it for Rose when she was poorly, but it was 335 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 3: too niche an idea. 336 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: It wasn't going to grow. 337 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,719 Speaker 3: So we changed very quickly to me and em and 338 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 3: that was a combination of me and my business partner, Emma, 339 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 3: and then Emma left the business quite early on. We're 340 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 3: still very good friends. We're still in book club together. 341 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 3: We're going to book club tonight. But that was the 342 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 3: start of the growth because we could there was no 343 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 3: shortage of ideas. But because we started online, we suddenly 344 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 3: realized that we were to consumer business, which meant that 345 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 3: we weren't selling through wholesale, which meant we were only 346 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,239 Speaker 3: looking after one margin, which meant that we could make 347 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 3: beautiful clothes for less. And then I remembered all my 348 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 3: love of luxury through my days at Harold's. So a 349 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 3: combination of my love of trousers, my from making clothes 350 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 3: with my mum, my sort of consumer insight from advertising, 351 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 3: my love of luxury from horsf I think if you 352 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 3: melt it all together, you get me an m And 353 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,679 Speaker 3: because of our because we stuck to one route to market, 354 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 3: we were able to make the clothes for less. So 355 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 3: we suddenly had this and then we grew into this 356 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 3: modern luxury positioning. And then we added British because we've 357 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 3: realized people didn't know we were British, so we now 358 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 3: position ourselves as British modern luxury and that was very 359 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 3: important going into America to have that positioning. So and 360 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 3: you know when we became famous for trousers, and there 361 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 3: are very few businesses trousers are the most difficult things, 362 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 3: are they because the fit of them is very technical 363 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 3: and they fit on you know, women are very different 364 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 3: around the bottom area, so you've got to be very patient. 365 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 3: And we built up lots of DNA around our fit, 366 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 3: which I actually did myself in the early days with 367 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 3: this incredible fit technician from she was She's German, she 368 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 3: called Ursula, and we created lots of different trouser shapes 369 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 3: and I'd say, I don't like it like that. I 370 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 3: think it should fit like this, and she was very patient. 371 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 3: She go okay, well let's adapt it like this, and 372 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 3: she was like a scientist. And then we started to 373 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 3: get talked about in the press as the trouser whisperers 374 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 3: and the trouser geeks, and that was when the thing 375 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 3: started to get going. 376 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 2: So those foundation pieces. I was thinking about. My favorite 377 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 2: dish with. 378 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:07,679 Speaker 3: You outside of zucchini wish, is that how you do 379 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 3: mozzarella because for some reason it's just the right giving 380 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 3: us about how you can respin mozzarella endlessly. Yeah, so 381 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 3: I always have it so good, like no one can 382 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 3: make it like you, and how you design all the 383 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 3: ingredients that go with it, but are always different. 384 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 2: It's the same with a pair of trousers. 385 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 3: You have to start with the beautiful bass fabric and 386 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 3: then you can put lots of different ingredients with it 387 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 3: and you can wear that trouser every single day looking 388 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 3: completely different. 389 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: I think there is a parallel between, but you do, 390 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: you know, I've been thinking a lot about ingredients lately, 391 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: whether I'm interviewing a writer and his ingredients or her 392 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: ingredients or words, or you know, interview a business person 393 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:55,199 Speaker 1: and their ingredients are financial equations, but you know, and 394 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: yours are fabric and yours are designed, and yours is technical. 395 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: But if we don't have right ingredients and they don't 396 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: have to be the most expensive ingredient, but the quality 397 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: of the ingredient is where you start from, whether it 398 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: is a word, or it is a tomato or it 399 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 1: is a cotton, And then the technique that that then 400 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,679 Speaker 1: that you create doesn't it makes it, you know, very 401 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: if you have that basis, then you can move forward. 402 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 3: Sounds really simple, actually incredibly difficult to deliver. 403 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, unless you put on of course, you can't hide yeah, 404 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 1: and you can't Yeah. You can't hide behind a bad fabric. 405 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, can't hide behind it. 406 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 3: If you're going to do perfect simplicity ingredients, each one 407 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 3: has to be perfect. 408 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: For women who are working and doing what we do 409 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: and also have a family that we care about and 410 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: iry members coming to see you with Johnny, coming to 411 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: see you with your children, have incredible lunches. So what 412 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: how is that with your children and your dogs and 413 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: your horses. 414 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 3: Life for children is a marathon, not a sprint. And 415 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 3: I think if you can remember that, and actually listening 416 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 3: to Anya Heimach once on a podcast was very important 417 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 3: because she's similar to me. She's got five children to juggle. 418 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 3: I think she's got two of her own. I mean, 419 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 3: she's a working, juggling juggernaut of a mother. I remember 420 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 3: her saying that it's the really important things that matter, 421 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 3: you don't remember the bits in between. So just always 422 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 3: making sure that you're at the right things. You can't 423 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 3: be at everything, but you can be at you can 424 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 3: be at the you know all of the things that 425 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 3: they'll remember, the holidays, the weekends, the cooking, the shows, 426 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 3: the sports matches, and I mean, I have been known 427 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 3: to have meetings on the sidelines. 428 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: I've heard. 429 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 2: I've heard, yeah, but it doesn't last forever. 430 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 3: It's just it's twenty year sprint, right, But it's you've 431 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:02,360 Speaker 3: got to make sure you hit all the key moments. 432 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: The other day, I was coming back in the taxi 433 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: to home and I said to the driver, could you 434 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: just go a bit faster because my son's at home 435 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: and I really want to see him. And he said, sure, 436 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: I'll try, But you know, why didn't you get somebody 437 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: else to pick him up from school? And I wanted 438 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: to say, he's fifty watch it's not a storable. I 439 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: rather planner that I thought I had a child that 440 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: could just be picked up from school. So I would say. 441 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 4: To all of you parents, not only is it a 442 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 4: it's a marathon, but it never ends, you know, I 443 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 4: think they you know, you kind of show him to 444 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 4: see your child, but no matter what age they are, 445 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 4: and you're divided because you also were supposed to be 446 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 4: somewhere else and you change directions. 447 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: So but I think that. 448 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's so true, and you remember back 449 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 3: to all of the moments where you were really super 450 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 3: stressed because you were late for a round match or something, 451 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:05,159 Speaker 3: and you realize, really, you know, something just happened. 452 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: But it all aggregates happy childhood, I think. 453 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 3: But yeah, I love that, still racing home to see 454 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 3: you're fifty on your. 455 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: Old I started the River Cafe in nineteen eighty seven 456 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: with Rose Gray, and she died in twenty and ten, 457 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 1: and so there was a change and a loss and 458 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: a direction that we had to sort of go in. 459 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: And when you went to just said that you change 460 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: for being me and m almost to me, you know, 461 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: and didn't. It wasn't through a loss of me, me, 462 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: me and me. It wasn't through the loss of final 463 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: loss of death. And in fact you're saying that you 464 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: are going to a book club tonight. But it must 465 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: have been a big change for you to go from 466 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 1: having somebody started work with to going to being on 467 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: your own. Can you tell me what that was like. 468 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 3: We've both got some resilience built in there, I think really, 469 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 3: because losing your business partner is scary, and obviously yours 470 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 3: was a tragedy, but. 471 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 2: I think it was the making of. 472 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 3: Me, to be honest, because I had to learn the numbers, 473 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 3: and I'd let Emma do the numbers, and I was 474 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 3: doing the products and the brand and the customer stuff, 475 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:32,640 Speaker 3: and I think I'd become lazy around the numbers. 476 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,160 Speaker 2: And actually the numbers really matter. 477 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 3: And I study the numbers like you do daily, in 478 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:40,679 Speaker 3: fact sometimes hourly. 479 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, And. 480 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,920 Speaker 3: If you don't understand the numbers, you can't make the 481 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,120 Speaker 3: right things because the numbers are telling you one thing, 482 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 3: and then you need a large dollarp of intuition to 483 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 3: go with it. 484 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 1: Every day, I wake up in the morning and I 485 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: get a text saying this is how many covers you had, 486 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: this was the average spend, and this is the total. 487 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: And then I look at I have what you know. 488 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: At the end of the month, I know what we did. 489 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: Although then I see what we did at the same 490 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: time this week. If this is, if this is May, 491 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: what was in April? April? And then a year ago, 492 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: you know this is we all just look at where 493 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 1: we are. I get results very fast. Richard, who as 494 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: an architect or friends of ours who make movies take 495 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: a lot longer to understand where they are in the world. 496 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: I see it every day and it's crucial for me, 497 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: you know, whether I need it every single day, but 498 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 1: I do. And I think if we had fewer covers 499 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 1: but we made more money, or we made more money 500 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: but we had let you know, more covers, or or 501 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: who was in and what what the what the average 502 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: spend is? I can tell much health, how much? Yeah, 503 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 1: the same, how much wine is being drunk? You know, 504 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: because that always listenings up. So all that knowledge is crucial, 505 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: I think, is it Stunstan? 506 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 2: Who you know? 507 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 3: Well, who's one of our early investors. One said to me, 508 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 3: you can run your business off seven numbers and every 509 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 3: day know those seven numbers and you'll be able to 510 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 3: run a business. 511 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,679 Speaker 2: And it was the one of the best bits of 512 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 2: business advice I ever had. 513 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 3: So stay being data obsessed and customer obsessed gets you 514 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:20,360 Speaker 3: a long way. 515 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, but do you know the seven yes? What are they? Well? 516 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: Average order value? Average order value? Yes, So that's the 517 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: one you mentioned. 518 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 2: Absolutely critical. 519 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 3: If you don't, if that doesn't stay stable, then you've 520 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 3: got to. 521 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 2: Get more customers. So how many customers are you acquiring? 522 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:41,399 Speaker 2: How many customers are you losing? 523 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 3: So acquisition retention, the cost of acquisition, the lifetime value, 524 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 3: and your three margins. Really, so I've probably done more 525 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 3: than seven there. But are you hitting your worry less 526 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,040 Speaker 3: about intate margin now, but your exit margin, which. 527 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 2: Is your margin after discounting. 528 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 3: And then obviously profit profit critical, so sometimes you can 529 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 3: be missing your revenue but hitting your profit. 530 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 2: So it's just so interesting. 531 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:18,920 Speaker 1: I just love it. 532 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 2: Because it keeps your clothes. 533 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 3: People go your board always learning. 534 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, when you said you had a global best seller, 535 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: what would be your global best sellers? 536 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 3: Varies all through the year, so you know right now, 537 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 3: I would say, if you looked at our top twenty 538 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 3: best sellers, eighteen. 539 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 2: Of them will be dresses and you'll have it. 540 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 3: But in September it will all shift to jackets and 541 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 3: trousers and it were so it varies through the year. 542 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 3: And that's why because you base your business on ingreek. 543 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 3: I was, I'm appointing to you the River Cafe, but 544 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 3: you're you work on seasonality of ingredients. We do, and 545 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 3: actually we do a similar thing, which is we work 546 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 3: on the seasonallys of how people feel and how they 547 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 3: want to wear. So we'll see a big shift to 548 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 3: trousers and suiting in September October and then they'll move 549 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 3: to coats and if you bring we find if you 550 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 3: bring your coats in in August, no one really wants them, 551 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 3: and then they're bored. 552 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 2: By October at your ingredients will have gone off. 553 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: I has to say, you know, we love Yeah, there's 554 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: so many similarities and so many but I was wondering 555 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: back to your going full circle to your parents and 556 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: your family. I know you had a tragedy in that 557 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: both your parents died within half an hour of each other, 558 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: but did they understand they see your success? 559 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,959 Speaker 3: So I always say that me and m starts with 560 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 3: my mom. Yeah, And of course my dad was large 561 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 3: part of it. It was him that made me q on 562 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 3: older market at six am in the morning. 563 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: But it was the love of clothes. 564 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 2: That I did with my mom, you know, made clothes 565 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 2: with my mum. 566 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 3: And yes, my father had been very ill for two 567 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 3: years and my mom had been clearing the house out 568 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 3: and she had put memory boxes together for my brother 569 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 3: and I because when my dad died, my mom and 570 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 3: I were going to do the house up and we 571 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 3: had all these plans and anyway, the tragedy struck, my 572 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 3: mom was on the phone to me and she had 573 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 3: a brain hemorrhage, and she died, and they died with him, 574 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 3: as you say, within half an hour of vation. 575 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: I was going to tell you that your father had died. 576 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 4: She was. 577 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 3: I was supposed to be coming back. I was supposed 578 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 3: to be getting to my father. So we were making 579 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 3: plans for me to get to my father to say 580 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 3: my final goodbye, and weirdly, she died actually a couple 581 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 3: of minutes before him, and I had to go on 582 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 3: a plane. So it was I'll love forget the British 583 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 3: Airway staff. They were so kind, they were unbelievable. But 584 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 3: I then had to go back to their house, and 585 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 3: of course I'd always planned to go back to that house. 586 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 2: With my mum. 587 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 3: And remember they'd never moved, so the house that I 588 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 3: was born in was where they died. And I went 589 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 3: to look for her passport, and I found all our 590 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 3: old patterns and needlework cases and the sewing machine, and 591 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 3: it was all there, and she'd put it in this 592 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 3: place as the memory of what we did. 593 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 2: And at that moment the doorbell ran and it was 594 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 2: a me and m package. 595 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: Well that is a that is a full all down 596 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: to mumbles circle down to your mom. Well, you can cry, 597 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 1: we can try. I would cry. Brought chas to my eyes. 598 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: And if you think that the tragedies you've been through, 599 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: the joys you've been through, the children you've raised, the 600 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: life you've led, and all you've done from you know, 601 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: with with the control, with the rigor with the ingredients, 602 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 1: with the demands, there's also times when you need comfort, 603 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: and so we go to food for joy, We go 604 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: for sharing. Your mother taught you, you teach your children. 605 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: It's a way of being together. We appreciate the zucchini 606 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: fretty and there is a sense of the way food 607 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: is in our lives, so it can be for sharing 608 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: and excitement and as for comfort. Before I say goodbye 609 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: to you on this rating now day, if you do 610 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: reach for food for comfort, is there food that you 611 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: would reach for? Yeah? 612 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 2: My mum Shepherd's pie made her style. 613 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: With peas and ketchup. Hm hmm, okay, not very real. 614 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: Tell me describe it, tell me about it. 615 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 3: She put lots of hidden vegetables in so lots and 616 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 3: lots of vegetables with the mince and red wine and 617 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 3: lots of tomatoes. 618 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 2: But it was the mash. 619 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: Then lay it up with lots of cheese. 620 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 2: And sliced tomatoes, so. 621 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 1: You would just eat it with ketchup. She didn't put 622 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: it in the recipes. She didn't put it in the 623 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: ketch up on the side. 624 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 3: Peas yeah, heinds ketchup. 625 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: Thank you, Claire, beautiful, Thank you. Ruthie's Table for was 626 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: produced by Alex Bell, Robbie Hamilton and Sad Rogers with 627 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,280 Speaker 1: Andrew Sang and Bella Cillian. This has been an atomized 628 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: production for iHeartMedia.