Challenger Chats

A conversation with Noam Bar, co-founder of Ottolenghi, one of the UK’s most well-known food brands. A brand inspired and influenced by the shared Israeli and Palestinian roots of its co-founders, Noam Bar, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. We talk through Noam’s 20 year journey with Ottolenghi, from its origins as a cosy neighbourhood deli in Notting Hill and its evolution into a global lifestyle brand and pioneer of plant based cooking whilst navigating the perils and opportunities of brand extension.

Show Notes

In this fifth episode of Challenger Chats our host Adam Spencer is joined by Noam Bar, co-founder of Ottolenghi. 
 
Noam, along with co-founders Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (later joined by Cornelia Staeubli), launched their first site in Notting Hill back in 2002. They now have a collection of critically acclaimed Ottolenghi delis and two iconic restaurants in London; NOPI in the West End and ROVI in Fitzrovia. 
   
The brand is best known internationally for its collection of hugely popular cookbooks which challenged the way that home chefs and critics alike thought about plant based cooking. It also has a growing range of ambient and chilled products for retail, and has more recently branched out into tablewares, continuing its evolution into a globally recognised lifestyle brand with its own unique, aspirational aesthetic. 
   
Noam has been an integral part of the Ottolenghi story since its inception, and leads the group’s strategic development. In this chat we discuss Noam’s background including his early entrepreneurial foray into the telecoms sector, his subsequent pivot into food, the risks and opportunities of brand extension, how Noam and the team have tackled the challenges triggered by the Covid crisis and what’s coming next for this iconic Challenger brand. 

  
Links:
  
Ottolenghi: https://ottolenghi.co.uk/
 
 
Socials:
 
Ottolenghi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ottolenghi/
 
Ottolenghi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OttolenghiUK/
 
Ottolenghi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ottolenghi
 
Ottolenghi on Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ottolenghi/
 
 
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What is Challenger Chats?

Welcome to Challenger Chats. A series of no holds barred conversations with business leaders and the Founders of some of the UK's hottest consumer facing brands, where we’ll pop the hood and look under the bonnet to see what makes them tick.

We’ll get them to open up and speak from the heart, telling us about the road blocks they’ve encountered, what causes them to lose sleep at night and what they love, and hate, about today’s consumer.

Challenger Chats is powered by Tamweel, an M&A and Private Equity deal doing business that specialises in advising the UK’s best and brightest Challenger Brands.