Advertise on podcast: Bees' Knees Comms-Cast

Guest: Clare Hill, Regenerative transition coach and farmer runs Roots to Regeneration program, where she helps farmers transition to regenerative methods. Topics covered: Clare’s career journey, regenerative farming, storytelling for change, coaching, overcoming barriers. Key message: Storytelling is key to driving the adoption of regenerative agriculture. It helps inspire change, overcome barriers, and connect with diverse audiences to foster broader acceptance. Role of communication: Use real-life stories to engage and educate diverse audiences. Tailor messaging to specific groups (farmers, consumers, businesses). Share successes and challenges openly to build trust. Utilise multiple platforms (social media, farm visits, groups) for broader outreach. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

In this episode we speak to Professor Lorna Dawson CBE, head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute and discuss forensic applications of soil, food provenance, rural crime, science communication, regenerative farming, soil health, and public engagement and why storytelling is key to making science relatable.  In this instance, this is to ensure the role and importance of soil gets the attention it deserves in our food systems, legal structures, and public policy.   The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

The Bees’ Knees Comms Cast - Alexia Robinson, Founder of Love British Food In this episode of The Bee’s Knees Comms Cast, we sit down with Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, an initiative that has been driving grassroots change in the food and farming sectors for over two decades.    Alexia shares the story behind British Food Fortnight and how her innovative, community-driven approach to communications is making a lasting impact on attitudes towards, and adoption of British food and recognition of the value of sustainability. Key highlights: The origins of Love British Food: Alexia reflects on the challenging period after the foot and mouth outbreak and how British Food Fortnight was created to inspire consumer confidence in British produce, while providing farmers with a platform to showcase their work.Bottom-up communication: Love British Food’s campaign approach focuses on grassroots, community-driven action rather than top-down directives. Alexia explains how empowering individuals at a local level, such as farmers, chefs, and catering teams, helps create lasting behavioural change.Partnerships that matter: From engaging with food service giants like Green King and Aramark to partnering with public sector organisations like the NHS and in schools, Alexia discusses how Love British Food has expanded its reach to drive sustainable food choices on a larger scale.Changing attitudes in schools and beyond: Alexia shares the success of a food education guide created for schools, endorsed by government bodies, and how it’s helping to instil a love of British food in future generations.The role of communications in sustainability: We explore the importance of communicating sustainability goals and how Love British Food’s approach is creating meaningful, long-term connections between British food producers and consumers.The power of community networks: Alexia talks about leveraging established networks and organisations like the Women’s Institute, National Trust, and young farmer’s groups to spread the message of buying British and supporting local food.Join us as we explore how Love British Food is reshaping the food sector through the power of community-driven communication, making British food synonymous with sustainability, nutrition, and support for local farmers. Listen to the episode and get involved in British Food Fortnight every September. For more information on how to participate, visit Love British Food. Episode Timestamps: 1:09 - Introduction to Love British Food and British Food Fortnight5:35 - The founding story of Love British Food and the vision behind it10:32 - The bottom-up approach: how grassroots efforts are driving real change17:01 - Engaging the public sector and NHS catering teams24:41 - Changing procurement practices and empowering change makers28:51 - The role of schools and community networks in spreading the message36:23 - The importance of multi-channel communication in sustainability39:23 - Closing thoughts and how you can get involved in British Food FortnightFollow the podcast on your favourite platform so you don’t miss an episode!   The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

00:03:40 – methods and importance of effective communication 00:09:54 – measuring outputs vs outcomes of campaigns 00:15:24 – Open Farm Sunday 00:18:54 – young people programme 00:21:31 – barriers to engaging young people 00:24:22 – working with wider organisations and patrons 00:26:13 – the role of the farming community 00:27:34 – other initiatives in food, farming and environment education The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

0:00:05 - Introduction and welcome to Sarah Bolt 0:00:54 – Discussion on sustainability in the UK dairy sector 0:02:04 - Barriers and obstacles to sustainability in dairy farming 0:03:50 - Opportunities for sustainability in the dairy sector 0:05:16 - Research on soils and carbon storage 0:10:25 - Holistic dairy management and its connection to soil health 0:14:11 - How Sarah Bolt's work supports farmers in responding to supply chain demands 0:16:07 - Engaging the public on sustainability in food and farming The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

0:04:25 - Discussion of changing mood of businesses thinking about sustainability 0:10:40 - Example given of complexity in supply chains using deforestation 0:17:12 - Discussion of greenwashing fears from companies investing in sustainability  0:23:16 - Discussion of what could prevent confidence in sustainability programs 0:27:31 - Importance of authenticity and transparency in sustainability claims 0:32:46 - Emphasis on importance of collaboration at all levels 0:36:15 - Bringing discussion to importance of culture and people within workplaces 0:39:41 - Final discussion on examples that have made big impacts The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

0:09:10 - Suez's vision and goals for sustainability leadership 0:11:31 - Evolving business models towards circular economy principles 0:15:51 - Changing approaches to communication and engagement 0:20:05 - Addressing behaviour change in waste management  0:25:59 - The importance of data in decision making 0:32:03 - Examples of successful reuse and repair initiatives 0:34:17 - Impactful Doncaster contamination reduction campaign The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

Episode timestamps:  [00:01:30] Introduction to Harry Mayhew and the inspiration behind Ember Snacks[00:04:00] The significance of Ember's roots on the Suffolk family farm and its impact on the business’ mission[00:06:45] How Ember stands out with its no sugar, no sweeteners policy and its support for British agriculture[00:10:15] The challenges and milestones in Ember's journey to market presence and consumer trust[00:13:50] The role of sustainability in building customer loyalty and the importance of B Corp certification[00:17:25] Harry's vision for Ember's future in challenging traditional snacking habits and expanding its reach[00:20:40] Closing thoughts and where to find Ember SnacksLinks and resources: Follow Ember Snacks on Instagram and Facebook    Email us at [email protected] for suggestions, enquiries, or to share your sustainability story Acknowledgements: Hosted by Catherine Linch, Pinstone   Special Guest: Harry Mayhew, co-founder and CEO of Ember Snacks Produced by Pinstone - telling authentic sustainability stories Subscribe and review:  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners passionate about sustainability and innovation. Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming, and the environment. Join us as we shine a spotlight on the people, brands, and businesses making a real difference in the world. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

You might know our podcast previously as the Agri Food Comms-Cast but under our new look, we’ll be talking to inspirational guests behind brands and organisations that have a sustainability story to tell. Our common thread has evolved and this time around, it’s authentic sustainability storytelling and where organisations are making a difference, with their purpose being their north star!  Get in touch to let us know what you think, get involved or suggest a speaker for future episodes.  The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

The Agri Food Comms-Cast is back for episode 5 of season 4! This month our host, Catherine Linch, welcomes managing director of Glebe Farm Foods, Rebecca Rayner. They are most famous in farming circles for taking a hardline stance against multinational Oatly who attempted to sue them over the name and branding of Glebe’s PureOaty oat milk. In this true ‘David and Goliath’ story, Rebecca offers the point of view of the family owned independent, which gained the support and trust of the consumer to not only win the case, but capitalise on the marketing opportunity to give immense leverage to the emerging brand. Rebecca delves into the farm’s gluten-free oat milk ‘farm to fork’ journey, with growing, milling, processing and marketing all handled directly by the company – a rare thing in today’s often extended supply chains The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

In this month’s episode of the Agri Food Comms-Cast, we’re delving into the audio channel of podcasting; two years on from launching the Agri-Food Comms Cast. Host Catherine Linch welcomes Johann Tasker, chief reporter at Farmers Weekly and co-host of the Farmers Weekly Podcast. Johann joins us to discuss how their podcast is structured and its range of focus, format, and frequency. Alongside them is marketing director at The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and sustainable marketer Gemma Butler who is also host of the ‘Can Marketing Save the Planet?’ podcast, who explains the role for podcasting within a wider content strategy. They also explore the techniques for captivating an audience and we even get an insight into some of their favourite podcasts. Definitely worth a listen for anyone considering producing their own podcast. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

The Agri-Food Comms Cast was first broadcast on Earth Day 2022, and delves into the opportunity for businesses to engage more proactively with the environment. In episode three, season four of the podcast, our host, Catherine Linch, is joined by founder of Sustainability Impact Agency, betternotstop, Hannah Cox, who is also a B-Corp Ambassador and B Leader. They are joined in conversation with inspirational business woman Carmen O’Neal, founder of gin producers, 58 and Co, a Certified B Corporation. The B Corporation Movement is a certification open to ‘for profit’ companies to undergo a rigorous assessment to show they meet high social and environmental standards, along with transparency and accountability. Becoming a B-Corp is proven to have a positive impact on business and staff teams, as well as benefiting the environment and wider society. In the podcast, we ask why businesses choose this path, and how to make the transition authentically – and importantly, avoid ‘greenwashing’. We also explore the communications opportunities for improving internal engagement and how brands can add value and improve customer perception and loyalty. As a team, Pinstone are excited to begin their B-Corp journey, and look forward to the proactive and positive impact the team can have on society and the climate. See attached below for more information. UK B-Corp Performance Research Report November 2020 UK B-Corps performance review The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

The Agri-Food Comms Cast delves into the value of ‘asking the audience’ and the approach behind the AHDB’s Shape the Future ballot. In episode two of season four of the podcast, our host Catherine Linch is joined by Roseanne Thomas, Director of Communications at AHDB. The Shape the Future ballot provides the opportunity for 100,000 farmers and growers in the UK to have their say and influence where funding is directed. While knowing your audience and using market research is a staple for the comms industry, It’s the first time in its history that the levy board has ever taken this approach. We ask if it’s a change that’s needed to AHDB’s activities; or is it more the case that they need to do a better job of reaching out to raise awareness and make what they do more accessible to those that fund them. We also challenge Roseanne on how the AHDB intends to roll out the findings from the ballot once the results are in. The Shape the Future ballot intends to help AHDB glean insight into the needs of farmers and growers and aid funding decisions going forward. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

The Agri-Food Comms Cast is back with a bang! In the first episode of season four, Catherine Linch delves into the role of different communication platforms, from the ultimate ‘long form’ book to the fast-paced world of social media. In particular, we explore how food and farming topics can present a challenging dialogue between town and country. Our first guest, journalist, broadcaster, founder of Just Farmers Media Portal and Nuffield Farming Scholar, Anna Jones, joins Catherine to introduce her brand-new book ‘Divide: The Relationship Between Town and Country’. With the current climate of polarised attitudes to food and farming, it’s easy to have an ‘us and them’ mentality, but Anna’s book aims to break this mindset by demonstrating how both communities have an opportunity to come together for good. This thought-provoking topic encourages us all to find common ground with each other so that we can reap the benefits, socially, politically, and culturally. We also hear from agri-media professional Emily Davies, who describes herself as a digital storyteller and provides valuable insight on the power and the pitfalls of social media for propelling stories and comms strategies to a wider audience. This fast-paced comms channel has proven beneficial for many brands seeking to build awareness, but the episode importantly touches on the issues social media users need to be aware of when consuming content on social platforms including biased algorithms and lack of accountability. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk 

A returning sense of normality has been highlighted with the kids heading back for a new school year. So, in keeping with the theme of new beginnings, this special episode of the Agri-Food Comms Cast explores the numerous routes to taking the leap into #AgCareers. A career in agriculture can entail much more than working on a farm, with the #FarmToFork initiative demonstrating just that. There is a vast range of careers throughout the food supply chain with numerous industries supporting the farming sector such as science, finance, policy and, of course, communications! Christine Tacon CBE, chair of Red Tractor and the MDS scheme, joins our host Catherine Linch to discuss the wealth of opportunities available to those who want to climb the ag career ladder. These include the well-known MDS graduate scheme. This dedicated two-year programme delivers first-hand experience through diverse work placements to give candidates broader experience and insight into what the sector can offer. Christine highlights the challenges that agricultural employers are up against when promoting their vacancies to fresh-faced graduates. Many are oblivious to the diversity and dynamism of roles within the agricultural sector. She says big-name brands often take the lead when it comes to graduate employment, due to students’ lack of knowledge about the scope of the sector. A shining example of how graduates can get ahead in ag, is our second podcast guest. Pinstone account manager and face of NFU campaigns – Ali Parker. Ali gives us an insight into her personal career journey from graduating from The University of Reading, to how the NFU graduate scheme paved the way for her career in comms at Pinstone. Ali is part-way through the Tesco Future Farmer Foundation programme and explains to us how these initiatives have advanced her knowledge of the sector, and encourages others to explore the various routes available. At Pinstone, we’re passionate about career progression and providing opportunities to climb the career ladder is something that really resonates with us. If you haven’t already, check out our Pinstone Ladder blog series where you can read more about Ali’s journey with Pinstone and the Tesco Future Farmer Foundation scheme. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk