About this episode

Patrick McDermott interviews Thomas Pass and Sam Tate about their innovative approach to contract catering and company culture.

Season 3, Episode 6 – Built to Flex: Thomas & Tate on Culture, Tech and Doing Things Differently This week on Food Service Matters, host Patrick McDermott is joined by Thomas Pass and Sam Tate, the dynamic duo behind Thomas & Tate — one of the UK’s most agile and values-driven contract catering businesses. Known for their distinctive strengths — Tom in sales and client growth, Sam in culinary operations — the two share how their yin-and-yang leadership model drives innovation, clarity, and culture. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore: Why they rejected off-the-shelf systems in favour of custom-built tech How real-time data drives smarter buying decisions and reduces food waste What radical candour means in practice — and why it works Why getting access to new business remains their #1 challenge And how they’ve built a Top 10 Employer by investing in people and purpose Thomas & Tate aren’t just growing a company — they’re rethinking what great food service looks like from the inside out. Tune in for an honest, energising episode full of takeaways for anyone building a modern food service brand.

People in this episode

Host: Patrick McDermott

Guests: Thomas Pass, Sam Tate

Topics covered

• contract catering
• leadership
• innovation
• food waste
• company culture
• data-driven decisions

Keywords

• food service
• contract catering
• leadership model
• custom tech
• real-time data
• food waste reduction
• employee investment
• Top 10 Employer

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Thomas & Tate

Places: UK

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