Organic labels might look all wholesome and earthy on the shelf, but behind the scenes, it’s a chaotic cocktail of red tape, sky-high fees, and some seriously eyebrow-raising rules.

This one’s about two friends running a cracking little tea and coffee business. They’re sourcing responsibly, passing independent tests, and doing everything by the book... except getting that fancy Soil Association stamp. Despite ticking all the organic boxes, they faced a £20,000 fine simply for using the word organic without the official seal of approval.

Yep, turns out being organic isn’t enough. You’ve got to pay to say it. And when you’re a small business trying to keep things honest and ethical, forking out thousands for paperwork isn’t always on the cards. So, they ditched the certification and chose to maintain transparency and ethical practices instead.

Cue a much bigger conversation about food labelling, supply chain secrets, and whether the whole system actually helps the good guys or just makes it harder for them.

Grab your ethically sourced brew and settle in for a chat that’s part uplifting, part infuriating, and very, very caffeinated.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

Stella Liebeck’s coffee burn case has been the butt of jokes for decades, but the real story? It’s anything but a punchline.

Back in 1992, 79-year-old Stella spilled a cup of McDonald’s coffee in her lap. Sounds minor, right? Except the coffee was served at a ridiculous 180 to 190°F and caused third-degree burns that left her needing skin grafts and two years of treatment. She asked McDonald’s for $20,000 to cover her medical bills. They said no.

Turns out, they knew their coffee was dangerously hot but kept it that way so it wouldn’t go cold on commuters. The jury wasn’t having it and handed over $2.7 million in punitive damages, plus $160,000 for her medical costs.

The case ended up changing the way the whole industry handles hot drinks, from temperature controls to those dramatic “CAUTION: HOT” warnings on every takeaway cup. Not so funny now, is it?

Stick the kettle on, just not that hot, and get ready for a fiery conversation that still burns today.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.