26. "Net Zero is a Fantasy!" 5 ways to save the economy according to Luke Johnson, former Gails Chairman

With new economic policies forcing UK businesses to tighten their purse strings, how can we keep the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit alive, while also getting the economy back on track? In this episode of All About Business, I’m joined by Luke Johnson, the serial entrepreneur who spotted some of the UK’s most popular food brands, including Pizza Express, The Ivy and Gail’s Bakery. We discuss how to spot a winning investment, what the UK should be doing to promote entrepreneurship, and Luke’s five tips for reviving the economy. Luke Johnson is an entrepreneur known for expanding the Pizza Express brand. He also founded Signature Restaurants, which owned notable restaurants including, The Ivy, and Le Caprice. Luke is currently Chairman of Risk Capital Partners, a private equity firm. From 2015-2021 he wrote a regular column for The Sunday Times where he shared his business expertise. Timestamps 02:11 Who is Luke Johnson? 06:36 The traits entrepreneurs need to have 07:23 Pizza Express beginnings 11:36 Being a projector 13:40 The British business climate 23:19 Risk Capital Partners 26:03 Gail's Bakery 27:33 Luke's business formula 31:56 How we can encourage entrepreneurship in the UK 36:09 Luke's book and weekly column For entrepreneurs 40:56 Television and the arts 46:04 Future projects with Risk Capital Partners 49:05 Reed Interview Round Links Get Luke’s book Visit Luke’s website Check out Risk Capital Partners Follow Luke on LinkedIn Follow James Reed on LinkedIn All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at: www.reed.com This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk