MIDWEEK BONUS EPISODE - Although this podcast is aimed at anyone who loves food and drink it has a natural slant towards people who work in or around hospitality.   

And If you listen to these conversations regularly, you’ll have noticed that certain issues keep cropping up. So as well as chatting about these issues, and trying to get people to think about them when choosing where to spend there money, it’s pretty awesome to also be able to give some advice as to how as an industry we work together.  One way we do this is to meet up at shows and listen to speakers or brainstorm situations.   

So In this episode we’re going to look at some of those issues and touch on what topics are going to be discussed at the Independent Hotel show this month. 

So for example,  words like ‘craft’, ‘artisan’ and ‘boutique’ have been borrowed by bigger brands, giving the impression that they are as bespoke as the little guy. But actually, if you listen to my chats with Joel from Bad Hand Coffee, or Pete from Bakehouse 24 or Claire from Chococo, you’ll realise they really aren’t.    

Online Travel Agencies  – known as OTAs in the trade – are another one. They’re great when you want to book a trip or room within a couple of clicks, but tough for the small hotels at the other end, who pay big in commission.   

Oh, and then there’s Trip Adviser. Don’t get me started!   

Instead let’s meet Miranda Martin, who runs The Independent Hotel Show, which takes place in Olympia, London on Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th October.   And if your inspired or irritated by any of the topics in this conversation, you can dive deeper by popping along to the show yourself, or I’m sure we’ll be touching on many of these topics again in future episodes of the podcast.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter at humans of hospitality .co.uk.