James Reed: all about business

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

05 May 2025

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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.Timestamps02:11 Who is Luke Johnson?06:36 The traits entrepreneurs need to have07:23 Pizza Express beginnings11:36 Being a projector13:40 The British business climate23:19 Risk Capital Partners26:03 Gail's Bakery27:33 Luke's business formula31:56 How we can encourage entrepreneurship in the UK36:09 Luke's book and weekly column For entrepreneurs40:56 Television and the arts46:04 Future projects with Risk Capital Partners49:05 Reed Interview RoundLinksGet Luke’s book Visit Luke’s websiteCheck out Risk Capital Partners Follow Luke on LinkedInFollow James Reed on LinkedIn All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at: www.reed.comThis 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

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James Reed: all about business

James Reed: all about business

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

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from James Reed: all about business

62. How to stack revenue: The 3 levers that grow any food local business | Pete Russell

How to spot the next billion dollar opportunity before everyone else | James McHugh

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