Why We Started Hungry Communications (And Why We Do Things Differently)

Event Pr and Marketing. Summer festival

Starting Hungry Communications wasn’t some big, thought out plan.

It came from years of seeing how PR should work and how often it doesn’t.

We’re a small, family-run PR, marketing and events agency, working with food and drink brands across the UK.

What didn’t work for us

Sam started out as a journalist, then moved into a large London PR agency. On paper, it was exactly where he’d wanted to be – interesting clients, big campaigns and steadily moving up the ladder.

But the higher he got, the further away he was from the part of the job he actually enjoyed.

He spent less time speaking to journalists. Less time with clients. More time managing, reviewing, overseeing.

Which wasn’t why he moved into PR in the first place.

And that’s something we see often in the industry and hear from clients regularly. The more senior you become in many agencies, the less hands-on you are.

Grower event for Pr and marketing agency with Jazz
A grower event organised for JAZZ™ Apple

The problem with PR

There’s a lot of good work in PR but there’s also a lot that didn’t sit right with us.

Too much jargon for one. We like to talk like people talk.
Too much overpromising. We’ll tell you what we can do and what will work.
Too much distance between the idea and how it all turns out. We’ve had people say to us:
“I know you can’t promise results…”

And they’re right, no one can guarantee exact pieces of coverage.

But you can know what’s likely to work well.
You can have relationships with journalists and understand what works for them.
And you can build a plan that gives a brand the best possible chance of success.

That’s where experience, media contacts and being hands-on really matters.

Why we started a PR and marketing agency

We wanted something different and we wanted to work by our own rules.

We’re a small, family-run team where everyone is involved. We talk to each other, we use our strengths and we know what we’re good at.
The people coming up with the ideas at Hungry are the same people making them happen.
There is no chain to pass you down. It’s us.

Jack joined a few years in, also from a journalism background. This means we naturally see both sides. We know what makes a good story, but also what makes someone actually want to talk about it.

And Hannah (that’s me) came from a PR and marketing background across fashion and digital – bringing that wider view of how PR fits into a brand as a whole, not just as coverage for coverage’s sake.

Between us, we make a great team and we love working together.

We all like people. We like building relationships. We like getting stuck in.

The team at hungry communications a food and drinks marketing agency
L-R Sam Houston, Jack Houston and Hannah Isichei

How we work (and why it works)

We do the work.

From the first idea…
To pitching it…
To seeing it out in the world. Whether that’s someone reading it, eating it, sharing it, or talking about it.

We’re involved in the whole thing. And because we’re small, we can move quickly, try things, change direction, and actually make things happen.

There’s no handover moment where things lose energy. We’ll bring the energy from start to finish and keep pushing until we get the results. We still get a buzz from seeing the results to this day.

We don’t just think about PR, we look at how it connects across marketing, events and the whole brand.

Sam houston, Hannah Isichei and Jack Houston standing on a fruit farm in Kent in front of a tree

The kind of brands we love

Food and drink is at the heart of what we do and it always has been.

We come from a big family, and a lot of life has revolved around food. Big meals, trying new places, sharing recommendations, planning what we’re going to eat next.

So working with food and drink brands feels natural to us. We genuinely love it, and that makes a difference.

From startups to more established brands, what matters most to us is:

  • A strong product
  • A story worth telling
  • Founders who are up for it
  • And a willingness to try something a bit different

We like doing good work, being hands-on, and helping brands grow through PR, marketing and events.

That’s why Hungry exists.

And if you want to find out more, we’d love to chat.

Press Coverage of the Month: Putting Budvar’s New MD in the Spotlight

Budvar Advert for Budvar 0.0 bottle

This month’s pick for Press Coverage of the Month was an easy choice. The announcement of Rich Sanna’s appointment as Budweiser Budvar UK’s new MD went far and wide across the trade press, giving him some well-deserved recognition for his hard work and the part he’s played in growing the business.

Rich Sanna’s appointment as Budweiser Budvar UK’s new MD

A particular highlight was securing a profile in The Grocer, giving readers a chance to get to know Rich as he prepares to take on the new role.

At Hungry Communications, we always enjoy getting to know the people behind the brands we work with. Their experiences, ideas and personalities often make for some of the most interesting stories, and working with Rich on this piece was a lovely example of that.

The coverage

With Rich preparing to take over as MD in January 2027, following a period of strong growth under outgoing managing director Jitka Vlčková, there was plenty to talk about.

We worked with Rich and the Budvar team to bring the story together, sharing it with journalists across the beer, drinks and grocery press, many of whom we’ve built strong relationships with over the years.

The announcement appeared in titles including The Drinks Business, The Brewers Journal, Beer Today, KamCity, and Drinks Retailing.

Alongside that news coverage, we secured an opportunity for Rich to feature in The Grocer’s My Alternative CV series.

Written by Charles Wright, it’s a lovely introduction to the person behind the role, covering everything from Rich’s early football career to a memorable job interview involving an abattoir. There’s plenty of personality, which is exactly what makes this kind of profile so fun to read.

Read Rich’s profile in The Grocer.

Why this one worked so well

1. There was a good story behind the news

A new MD is an opportunity to talk about where a business is heading. In Budvar’s case, it also gave us a chance to share how far the UK business had come.

Its growth provided useful context for journalists and their readers, giving the appointment story substance and a clear sense of momentum.

That’s always part of our thinking: what will make this news interesting to the people reading it?

2. We could help readers get to know Rich

The appointment announcement shared the business news. The Grocer profile gave Rich space to show more of his personality.

We worked with him on the piece, helping bring together the experiences and stories that made his answers his own. These are often the details people remember, and they can make a senior figure feel much more familiar to readers.

It was a great opportunity to introduce Rich as he gets ready to take on the new role.

3. The Grocer was a particularly rewarding result

Anyone working in food and drink PR will know how competitive it can be to secure a profile in The Grocer. It’s a title we’re always pleased to see our clients featured in.

For Budvar, this meant an opportunity to introduce Rich to a valuable grocery audience, including retailers, buyers and industry peers.

It also gave us a different way to tell the story, sitting alongside the appointment coverage with a more personal look at the incoming MD.

4. The wider coverage mattered too

We’ve picked out The Grocer as a favourite, but the spread of coverage was an important part of the result.

Each publication has its own readers and interests. Appearing across beer, drinks and grocery titles helped share Budvar’s news with different parts of the trade.

Taken together, those pieces gave the announcement a much wider presence and created several opportunities for people in the industry to hear about the business and its new leadership.

The bigger picture

We love working on founder stories and profile pieces because they give people a chance to see the human side of a business. Getting to know someone’s experiences, personality and ambitions can help readers connect with the brand they represent.

With Budvar, the new MD appointment gave us a clear piece of news to share. The value of our work was in taking it far and wide across the trade press, then building on that announcement with an opportunity for readers to get to know Rich himself.

Combining business news with a personal profile helped raise his visibility as he prepares to take on the role. It’s an approach we use with founders and senior leaders to raise their profile, share their expertise and help them become recognised and trusted voices in their industry.

A great spread of coverage and a chance to show the person behind the business. That’s why this one stood out for us this month.

Have some business news to share, or a founder or team member with a story worth telling? We’d love to hear about it. Get in touch with Hungry Communications to see how we can help.

One day in the orchard, plenty of stories to tell: bringing JAZZ™ Apple to life

The Jazz Van at Chandler and Dunn in Kent for a PR Event

Food and drink PR events can bring plenty together in one day. Our latest orchard visit with JAZZ™ Apple combined apple picking, Olympic athletes, a school visit and a magazine interview.

Organised from start to finish by Hungry, the event took place at Chandler & Dunn in Kent. Grower Charlie Dunn welcomed a local school, JAZZ™ ambassador Jazmin Sawyers and three JAZZ™ Apple Foundation athletes.

JAZZ Apple van at Hungry Communications’ food and drink PR event in Kent

Our team kept the day running smoothly, making sure everyone got the most from their visit. Alongside the activities, we coordinated press interviews, photography and social media filming for JAZZ™.

Bringing food and drink PR events into the orchard

There’s something special about spending the day in an orchard. You get to see the growing and collection process and it’s fantastic to be shown around by the person who is leading the farm and the business.

Charlie took the school children into the orchards to explain what happens during harvest and what to look for in a great JAZZ™ apple. With tractors passing and apples ready to pick, there was plenty to see, ask about and taste.

Charlie Dunn holding freshly picked JAZZ apples at Chandler & Dunn farm

The children picked their own apples before Charlie led a ‘Bake Off-style’ judging session to find the best of the bunch. It was a lovely way to get everyone involved and turn a conversation about apple quality into something practical and fun.

For JAZZ™, it was an opportunity to connect children with the people and work behind the apples they see on supermarket shelves.

Bringing the ambassador partnership to life

Jazmin joined the children throughout the visit, walking through the orchards with them and answering their questions about life as an athlete.

Having that time together made the ambassador partnership feel personal. The children chatted to Jazmin. They heard about her sport and then had a go themselves, seeing how their own jumps compared with a professional long jumper’s distance. She even brought her medals along to try on.

Jazmin Sawyers leading a schoolchildren’s Q&A at Hungry’s JAZZ Apple food and drink PR event

Lunch was outside in the orchard, with JAZZ™ activity books to keep everyone busy and plenty of apples to enjoy. Those smaller details helped carry the brand through the day in a way that fitted naturally with the experience.

Putting the JAZZ™ Apple Foundation in the spotlight

We were also joined by Aliyah Afolabi, Tammy Oshinowo and Tiana Oreoluwa Odugbesan, three athletes supported by the JAZZ™ Apple Foundation.

The Foundation provides financial support to individuals, groups and good causes, encouraging healthy eating, physical activity and opportunities for young people.

Jazmin Sawyers with JAZZ Apple Foundation athletes in the orchard

Bringing the athletes together with Jazmin gave us a chance to tell that story through the people involved. Jazmin interviewed them during the visit, helping us capture content that introduces their ambitions and the support behind them.

It also gave the school children the chance to meet young athletes working towards their goals, alongside someone who has competed on the Olympic stage.

Making time for the grower’s story

Alongside the school visit and athlete activity, we arranged for Countryside magazine to attend and interview Charlie.

The conversation explored the farm, the progress of the harvest and the challenges that this year’s weather has brought to apple growing.

With everyone already together in the orchard, it was a valuable opportunity to give a journalist direct access to the grower and the setting behind the story. Our team was there to coordinate and support the interview alongside the wider event.

Creating content beyond the day

With growers, athletes and schoolchildren all experiencing the orchard together, there was no shortage of material to capture.

We produced photography, social media interviews and content throughout the visit, covering everything from apple picking and tastings to the Foundation athletes’ conversations with Jazmin.

JAZZ Apple Foundation athletes with Jazmin Sawyers on a tractor

Planning that content alongside the event meant we could make time for interviews while capturing the spontaneous moments too. The result was a bank of material for JAZZ™ to use beyond the visit, sharing its grower, ambassador and Foundation stories across its channels.

Food and drink PR events with Hungry

The Hungry team organised the event from start to finish and was on site throughout, supporting the school visit, orchard tour, tastings, press activity and content production.

It’s the kind of project we love: taking several parts of a brand’s story and finding a way for them to work together. The children enjoyed a hands-on day out, the athletes spent time with Jazmin, the journalist heard directly from Charlie, and JAZZ™ came away with fresh content and stories to share.

Planning food and drink PR events takes more than a great location. We bring together the people, press activity and content to make the day work harder for your brand. Get in touch to talk about your next project.

AI search: 5 ways to help people find your food and drink brand

Google search box with an AI Mode button and suggested questions about cameras, running routes and coffee makers.

We’ve been exploring AI search for brands here at Hungry, particularly what it means for food and drink businesses. Each week seems to bring something new to try, something useful to learn and something we’re perhaps less sure about. We’re still working out where it fits into our lives and businesses, but it makes sense to get to know it.

For food and drink brands, one place to start is with a simple question: how is your brand’s story being told by AI? We’ve been exploring AI search for food and drink brands here at Hungry, and there are a few useful things you can try.

You may already be turning to ChatGPT or Gemini for questions you would once have put into Google. Imagine you’re buying a bottle of gin for a friend. You could open a few websites and compare the options. Or you could explain that your friend likes citrus flavours, that you’d like a British producer with an interesting story and that your budget is £40.

With AI, you can explore suggestions, ask about the makers and find out where to buy, all in the same conversation. Before visiting a brand’s website, you may already have learned quite a bit about it.

That’s what we’ve been looking at here at Hungry. AI search can bring together information from different places, so it’s useful to check what it says about your brand and who is helping tell that story. Here are five things you can do to start finding out.

1. AI search for brands: what does it say about yours?

Start by asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Google AI Mode: “Tell me about [brand]. What does it make, who is behind it and where can I buy it?”

Next search in your preferred AI search again. Try: “What does [brand] make, who is behind it and where can I buy it?”

Are the answers right? Has it missed something important?

It may be useful to note down: Did it find you, are opening times correct, is pricing correct, contact information available, location/website, where to buy and other details which may be important. Note if the details are accurate, inaccurate or if there is something missing.

Then start a fresh conversation without naming your brand – a non-branded search. For example if you’re a brewery, ask these questions one after another in the same conversation:

“Which independent British breweries make pale ales that would be good as a gift?”

“What about breweries in Lancashire?”

“Can I order a mixed case online for under £35?”

Google AI Mode answer about independent British breweries, showing the question, AI response and supporting links.
Google AI Mode shows the written answer below your question, with supporting links on the right in this example.

Try a few ways of asking, including words a customer might use, such as ‘best’, ‘local’ or ‘gift’

Does your brewery appear as you narrow the options? Is it mentioned, linked or recommended for a reason? Save the questions and answers with the date and tool you used. Try a few variations too. One answer is a snapshot, but it can give you a useful starting point.

2 Answer the questions behind the purchase

Think about what your customers want to know beyond the product itself.

Who is it for? What’s the occasion? Do they care where it’s made, who founded the business or how the ingredients are sourced? A retailer will have different questions again, about case sizes, distribution and supply.


Google AI Mode answer about how breweries source ingredients, showing linked brewery names and supporting sources from publications and brand websites.
Google AI Mode links to brewery websites and a drinks publication when answering a question about ingredients. It’s worth checking which sources appear for your own brand.

Write down the questions you’re already asked and use them to improve your product pages, FAQs and content.

Explain a flavour, share a serving idea or tell people why you chose a particular ingredient.

3. Make the basics easy to find and check

Start with the product pages on your website. Would someone who has never heard of you find everything they need to decide whether to buy? That could include ingredients, allergens, flavour, pack size, price, where to buy and delivery details. For alcoholic drinks, include the ABV.

Some details may seem obvious to you, but could make all the difference to someone choosing a product. Think about trade buyers too. Can they find case sizes, supply information and someone to contact?

Write these details clearly on the relevant website pages, rather than leaving people to read them from a photograph of the packaging.

Then check the information on retailer and distributor websites. Ask for anything outdated or incorrect to be updated, so customers get accurate information wherever they find you.

4. Give your social content enough context

Your social content can reach beyond your followers. Public posts and videos can also appear in AI search answers, giving people another way to discover your brand and hear from the people behind it.

A cocktail reel or a beautiful product shot can catch someone’s eye. Make sure the caption helps them understand it too. Name the brand and product, explain what you’re showing and share a useful detail about the flavour, ingredients or how it’s made. Add clear on-screen captions to videos too.

Let people hear from the people behind the brand: a founder explaining an ingredient, a brewer talking through a new release or a chef sharing a recipe. Link back to your website too where possible.

5. How PR can help your brand appear in AI search

Open the articles, stockist pages and reviews linked in AI answers.

Are the facts right? Do they explain what makes your product interesting? You may find an old description is still doing the rounds, or that an important part of your story is missing.

This is where PR can help.

Coverage in a trusted newspaper, food title or drinks publication can give your story independent credibility. These articles may also become sources for AI answers, which gives relevant, well-informed press coverage another valuable role in helping people discover your brand.

Give journalists and relevant publications a story worth sharing, whether that’s the people behind the business, a distinctive production process or the thinking behind a new product. Help stockists tell it accurately too.

At Hungry, this brings together the PR, content, social and digital work we do with food and drink brands.

The easiest way to get familiar with AI search for brands is to try it for your own business.

Three things to try this week

  • Ask an AI search tool one customer question without naming your brand. Check the answer and its sources.
  • Improve one product page by answering a question your customers regularly ask.
  • Use that question for a social post, sharing a useful answer and linking to more detail on your website.

If this has made you curious about how your brand appears in AI search, we’d love to hear from you. We can help you explore what’s being said, spot what’s missing and decide which content to create next.

Hannah at Team Hungry

Quick JAZZ™ Apple Quesadillas: A Back-to-Routine Recipe

food photography

At Hungry Communications, our recipe development for food brands is built around the moments people are already talking about. September means children returning to school, summer holidays ending and work diaries filling up again, so quick lunches, after-school food and speedy weeknight meals are firmly back on the agenda.

Our recipe of the month is designed for exactly that. These Quick JAZZ™ Apple Quesadillas combine crisp apple, melted cheese, red onion, chilli and coriander in toasted tortillas. They take just a few minutes to cook and work equally well as a lunchtime dish, an after-school snack or something speedy after work.

food and drink recipe development

At Hungry Communications, we develop recipes around the moments people are actually experiencing. Back-to-school, back-to-work and quick midweek food are all strong seasonal hooks, giving journalists and food writers useful content at precisely the time their readers are searching for it.

Of course, content like this is planned long before the school gates reopen. Our editorial calendar looks months ahead, taking into account the different lead times across monthly magazines, newspapers, websites and social media.

We develop and photograph seasonal recipes in advance, so they are ready to send at exactly the right moment, whether a journalist is planning a September issue six months ahead or looking for a recipe to publish tomorrow.

Why Recipe Development Works for Food and Drink Brands

Recipe development gives food and drink brands a natural way to demonstrate how their products can be used and enjoyed.

We work with recipe developers, chefs and other food experts to find combinations that suit the product, the brand and the wider story. When possible, we also style and shoot everything in-house, creating a complete bank of words and images that can be used across PR, websites, social media and wider marketing.

Recipe content is consistently in demand across women’s lifestyle titles, food and drink publications, newspaper food pages and online recipe sections. Many national and regional news websites also publish recipes every day, creating regular opportunities for relevant, well-timed content.

Crucially, a good recipe allows the product to sit naturally at the centre of the story. The brand name appears in the ingredients and method, while the finished dish shows consumers exactly what the product can do. Each piece of coverage helps build familiarity and gives people another reason to remember the brand.

Quick JAZZ™ Apple Quesadillas Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 6

  • 3 JAZZ™ Apples, finely diced
  • 300g cheese
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 3 red chillies, finely diced
  • A handful of chopped coriander
  • 12 tortillas
  • A green salad, to serve
  • A little oil, for cooking

Method

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a touch of oil.

Place the first tortilla in the pan, then layer it with the diced JAZZ™ Apple, red onion, chilli, cheese and coriander.

Place another tortilla on top. Add a plate or another suitable weight to press the quesadilla down while it cooks.

Cook for three to four minutes, then carefully turn it over and cook for the same amount of time on the other side.

Slice into segments and serve with a green salad.

Food and Drink Recipe Development

At Hungry Communications, we develop recipes, photography and seasonal content ideas that help food and drink brands become part of the stories people are already interested in.

From identifying the right editorial hook to recipe development, styling, photography and media outreach, we create content with a clear purpose and plenty of potential uses.

Keep an eye on the Hungry Communications blog for more recipes and ideas from the brands we work with.

If you would like to put your product at the centre of timely, relevant food and drink content, give us a shout.

Hannah

From sponsorship to storytelling: getting more from brand sponsorship marketing

Swimmers enjoying JAZZ™ Apples after the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim

When brands think about brand sponsorship marketing, it’s easy to focus on an event itself. But the most successful sponsorships don’t begin and end on the day. With the right planning, a single sponsorship can generate PR, social media content, photography and stories that continue long after the crowds have gone home.

At Hungry Communications, we believe great brand sponsorship marketing is about much more than putting your logo on a banner and getting a post up on social media. It’s about creating meaningful moments that connect with your audience and making sure every opportunity works as hard as possible for your brand.

A recent example is our work with JAZZ™ Apple, which returned for its fifth year as a sponsor of the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim in support of the British Heart Foundation. Thousands of swimmers took part in the event, with JAZZ™ Apples on hand to help participants refuel after crossing the finish line.

JAZZ™ Apple brand sponsorship marketing at Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim

The event itself was a fantastic success, but also highlights what makes an effective sponsorship campaign.

Why brand sponsorship marketing starts with the right fit

JAZZ™ Apple champions healthy, active lifestyles and making movement part of your everyday. That meant the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim was the perfect partnership. Rather than simply giving out apples, JAZZ™ were supporting an event that reflects its values while offering something genuinely useful to participants at exactly the right moment.

People are far more likely to engage with a brand when it feels like a natural part of the experience, rather than an interruption.

Think beyond the event

A successful event should never be a one-day marketing opportunity.

With a little forward planning, one sponsorship can create content and stories that continue to support your marketing long after the event has finished.

That might include:

  • PR coverage before and after the event
  • Photography for future campaigns
  • Social media content
  • Website and blog content (hello!)
  • Retailer and trade communications
  • Email newsletters

So don’t view these as separate activities, they should all be part of the same campaign.

Every event has a story to tell

One of the biggest opportunities brands miss is storytelling and it’s the part we love most about PR and Marketing.

Before an event even begins, we ask questions like:

  • What’s the story here?
  • Why will people care?
  • What images do we need?
  • How can we keep talking about this after the event?
  • What will make us stand out?

Planning these answers in advance means every event delivers far more than a few social media posts. It becomes an opportunity to build brand awareness, strengthen relationships with customers and generate content that can be used across multiple channels.

Making your sponsorship marketing work harder

Sponsorships require time, budget and commitment, so it’s important to maximise their value.

Rather than treating an event as a standalone activity, we look at how every element can contribute to a wider communications campaign. A single activation can support PR, social media, websites, email marketing and future campaigns, helping brands get more from the investment they’ve already made.

Brand sponsorship marketing at the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim

That’s exactly why integrated campaigns continue to deliver stronger results than isolated marketing activity.

Looking beyond the finish line

The Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim is a great example of how the right partnership can become much more than event sponsorship.

By choosing an event that aligns with the brand, planning content around the experience and creating opportunities for ongoing storytelling, JAZZ™ Apple was able to support an important charity event while building positive engagement with thousands of participants.

At Hungry Communications, that’s how we approach sponsorship marketing. We don’t just think about the event itself. We think about everything that comes before it, everything that happens on the day, and all the opportunities that follow.

Because the best sponsorships don’t stop at the finish line.

Planning a sponsorship or brand activation? We’d love to help you turn it into a campaign that keeps delivering long after the event is over. Get in touch with the Hungry Communications team to find out more.

Hannah