Monkhouse Food & Drink is a brand communications agency — working with premium food and drink brands; primarily SMEs and dynamic start-ups, plus working with industry trade shows both UK and overseas — retail and food service. I have been working in the food, drink and hospitality sector for over twenty years. A second business, Monkhouse Granary, is a family-run conference centre based in Shropshire on our tenanted sheep and arable farm! My work with businesses through my agency has taken my involvement way beyond marketing and communications, as strong trusting relationships have developed; more guidance and support with overall business communications strategy and decisions. This led to me embarking on the Meyler Campbell mastered programme for executive business coaching — to fine-tune my skills. I now coach individuals and teams from a wide range of business sectors; food and drink, finance, law, media, education, horticulture… My focus is not a sector but businesses where my practical and very real approach to business will be valued. I have strong understanding of SMEs and their challenges and how this experience can be of benefit to the more corporate world. The need to think quickly, smartly and with agility. The issues surrounding growth and the need for more strategic thinking in SMEs and how in larger businesses/ teams — there needs to be a sharing of knowledge and expertise through an open and honest approach to effective team working. I feel that there is real value in the knowledge of SMEs and start-ups, being reflected in the thinking within larger organisations. I am not a ‘trainer’ — I am a communicator.
