Joy is Shopkeeping, with Oliver Spencer

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In this episode we talk to our neighbour, British fashion designer Oliver Spencer, the self-taught tailor and shopkeeper behind Oliver Spencer menswear. He left art school to run a stall at Portobello Market, which left him with an enduring love of garments, fabrics and shopkeeping. After a decade running formalwear brand Favourbrook, he started Oliver Spencer menswear out of a shop on Lamb’s Conduit St, to offer contemporary tailoring with a relaxed, modern style, which has now expanded to three shops, and an international online business, stocked in Liberty and Selfridges. In 2023 he co-founded adventure travel magazine Secret Trips, indulging his life long love of travel, featuring recommendations from a collective of writers, photographers, stylists and publishers for under-the-radar destinations, independent hotels, and the restaurants the locals don't want you to know about.

This was such a wonderful conversation and one we could have continued for hours. We talked about the joy of shopkeeping and of building small businesses, the simple pleasure he found in taking the helm at the barbecue on a recent photoshoot, and his early memories of St Mawes, a place full of memories and many firsts. It was a pleasure to talk trader to trader about the world of shopkeeking and retail, Itamar made a sartorial confession, and we got to the bottom of that special feeling that putting on a tailored suit brings. Outside of the fashion world, we discussed Oliver's love for travel, what a Spencer family holiday looks like, and how this lifelong adventure has turned into a new venture, Secret Trips.

Thank you for listening to this latest episode of our season all about Joy. In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Additional Sound: Paul Ford

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

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