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From strength to strength: The journey of a food business CEO

Posted: Thu 27th Feb 2025

6 min read

Discover the journey of Vanda's Kitchen's co-founder, Rob Pattwell, overcoming challenges to build an inclusive catering brand fuelled by resilience and passion.

Running a business like Vanda’s Kitchen goes far beyond just creating meals. It’s a personal journey of resilience, growth and finding strength in life’s challenges.

From my roots in sports and fitness to the trials of building a business during lockdowns, every experience has shaped the path to where Vanda’s Kitchen is today, a haven for inclusive, allergen-conscious food by way of our shop or catering service.

The inspiration behind Vanda’s Kitchen

Health and fitness have always been a part of my life. Whether in the gym or on the field, I’ve been committed to keeping active. But when it came to food, I noticed a glaring gap. Many options lacked flavour, balance and the nutrients needed to fuel an active lifestyle. I wanted to change that.

That passion sparked the creation of Vanda’s Kitchen, where every dish is crafted with care, packed with nutrients and designed to deliver taste alongside health benefits. Over time, the focus grew to address dietary needs like gluten and nut-free meals.

For me, this became personal as I realised later that gluten affected my own body. This discovery added fuel to the mission of making meals that cater to diverse dietary requirements, ensuring that no one feels left out.

In the early days, we worked closely with gym-goers and bodybuilders, many of whom had strict eating habits. Their specific needs taught me the importance of creating meals that could adapt to anyone’s health goals. That ethos remains central to everything we do.

Finding strength in challenges

Every entrepreneur faces struggles, but the COVID-19 lockdowns were an unprecedented challenge. Like many small businesses, we had to adapt quickly or risk losing everything.

For me, survival meant making hard decisions, like selling homes, cars and anything that wasn’t essential. Detaching from material things wasn’t easy, but I knew it was necessary. Simon Squibb talks about this a lot.

Watch Simon Squibb's inspirational talk from StartUp Show 2025:

I did it back in 2021, so I wasn’t living the dream exactly back then, but growing the company now is the dream in progress and growing within a community.

Living frugally became a part of the journey. No holidays, no luxuries, just a relentless focus on keeping the business alive. These sacrifices taught me to act decisively and move forward without dwelling on setbacks. Leadership, I’ve learnt, requires clarity, courage and the ability to let go of what doesn’t serve the bigger picture.

Influence of family

Strength doesn’t just come from challenges; it comes from the people around you. My brother, who is autistic, has been a quiet source of inspiration throughout my life. Growing up alongside him taught me patience, empathy and the importance of inclusivity.

His perspective on the world has shaped how I approach both life and business. Also, many things growing up in Ireland in the 80s weren’t easy however, I would not change it for the world.

At Vanda’s Kitchen, inclusivity isn’t just a business strategy, it’s a value rooted in my personal experiences. From ensuring our meals are allergen-conscious to fostering a welcoming environment, I draw from the lessons I’ve learnt with my brother: everyone deserves to feel seen, valued and catered to.

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Building a vision for the future

Despite the struggles, the vision for Vanda’s Kitchen has always been clear. Feedback from customers keeps us motivated and the move to the City of London has given us greater visibility. But there’s so much more to achieve.

The goal is to establish Vanda’s Kitchen as the top inclusive catering brand in London. With the right investment and resources, I envision opening multiple locations across the city, bringing our gluten and nut-free offerings to even more people.

Life as a CEO: Balancing challenges and growth

Balancing work and life as a CEO is no easy task. There’s always something demanding attention and burning the candle at both ends feels inevitable. But I’ve started taking small steps to find balance – morning walks to clear my mind, stepping away from the laptop earlier and looking forward to the longer days of summer.

Fitness has always been my anchor. While I’ve had less time for lifting weights or boxing lately, these activities remain a part of who I am. And as someone from Kerry, Ireland, staying grounded comes naturally. There’s always someone ready to remind you where you come from.

Lessons in leadership and resilience

Leadership is about having the bottle to make decisions, even when the outcomes are uncertain. Mistakes are part of the process, but the key is staying connected to your why. For me, it’s about creating something meaningful a business that serves people, supports their health and fosters inclusivity.

Celebrating milestones

Every milestone reminds me why this journey matters. Seeing our products stocked in Selfridges was a huge moment of pride, as was moving from Stoke Newington to the heart of the City of London. These achievements prove that persistence and hard work pay off, even when the path is anything but easy.

Looking ahead: Fuelling growth and inclusivity

Vanda’s Kitchen is more than a business, it’s a mission to make dining safe, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone. From catering corporate events to hosting pop-ups, we aim to bring people together over meals that nourish both body and soul.

As we continue to grow, I remain committed to the values that started it all: health, inclusivity and a relentless drive to deliver excellence. Whether it’s through expanding to new locations, launching innovative meal options, or finding ways to reach more people, the journey is far from over.

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Rob PattwellVanda's Kitchen

My journey to founding Vanda's Kitchen is a story of passion, health, and evolution. From a childhood spent in a small town in County Kerry, Ireland, with a strong focus on sports and health, to creating a growing catering company in london focused on a gluten and nut free emphasis, my life has always revolved around well-being and inclusivity. Well us Irish are known for the "crack" :-) Growing up, sports, especially football, shaped my character. Playing competitively taught me discipline, teamwork, and the critical importance of nutrition in optimising performance and recovery. This lifelong passion for fitness sparked an interest in healthier living and mindful eating a value that stayed with me as I explored career opportunities and eventually started my own business. Moving to London in 2016, going to Middlesex University and then onto various IT jobs with 10 years at IBM and now still running a seperate Consulting role alonside Vanda's Kitchen. In 2020, I co-founded Vanda's Kitchen in London with my then-business partner, Debora. Originally, we embraced the organic and vegan lifestyle, gaining accreditation with the Soil Association and the Vegan Trademark. Our early vision was to provide fresh, healthy meals made with premium, sustainably sourced ingredients for individuals and corporate clients across the city. However, as time went on, our own health experiences reshaped the company's mission. Both Debora and I faced personal dietary challenges, particularly with gluten and nuts. I discovered how eliminating these ingredients alleviated long-standing health concerns, and Debora found similar results. These revelations inspired a pivotal shift in Vanda's Kitchen, steering us away from organic certifications and vegan trademarks to focus on gluten and nut-free offerings. While the early branding and accreditation efforts were valuable, we realised the administrative demands of maintaining these labels were diverting attention from what truly mattered—creating high-quality, inclusive meals and catering services that were required. This focus on gluten and nut-free options allowed us to better serve a growing community of people with similar dietary needs. By prioritising the health and trust of our customers, we ensured that our meals became a safe and reliable choice for anyone navigating allergies, sensitivities, or specific preferences. Our journey transformed Vanda’s Kitchen into what it is today: a company that delivers delicious, inclusive food for all, while maintaining the values of freshness and care. At Vanda’s Kitchen, we offer a diverse menu of gluten and nut-free meals, including hearty hot lunches, vibrant salads, and satisfying treats. These are meticulously prepared and crafted to meet high standards of quality and taste. Our storefront at 42-44 Carter Lane, in London’s St. Paul’s area, serves as a hub for locals and professionals alike, while our catering services have become a trusted name for corporate events, private parties, film shoots and beyond. We are also proud of our retail partnerships, including the availability of our quiches and other exclusive products soon to be in Selfridges. Expanding into retail has allowed us to bring our mission of accessible, high-quality products to even more people and this is one area I want to expand further. Reflecting on the evolution of Vanda’s Kitchen, I see a journey deeply aligned with my life’s passions and personal challenges. The lessons learned from sports about resilience and focus have shaped my approach to business, while the experience of managing health issues has instilled a personal connection to the work we do. Lockdowns further added to my mental strength as with the company started and investment I made some tough decisions which changed my life. But grit and determination are engrained so I continued and still here in 2025. As we continue to grow, our mission remains simple but impactful: to create meals that are both delicious and inclusive, catering to people who want food they can trust without sacrificing flavor or variety. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust and support of our customers, staff, and partners who have helped us turn a vision into reality. Together, we’ve created more than just a food business—we’ve built a community that values health, inclusivity, and the joy of eating. Whether you’re a business in need of catering, a family looking for wholesome meals, or someone with specific dietary needs, Vanda’s Kitchen is here to provide food that nourishes and satisfies. For more about our journey, menus, or collaborations, visit our shop near St. Paul’s or follow us on social media. Me personally want to contact with many high quality current and up and coming business entrepreneurs for collaborations and mutal assistance. I am also available for a chat as I dont sleep much! Thank you for being a part of our story and I look forward to working with at the wonderful Enterprise Nation to further promote.