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

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 doesn’t quite land.

Too much jargon.
Too much overpromising.
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 land.
You can understand what journalists want.
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.

A small, family-run team where everyone is involved.
Where the people coming up with the ideas are the same people making them happen.
Where you’re not passed down the chain.

Jack joined a few years in – also from a journalism background – which 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, it works.

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 don’t sit back and just run accounts.

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

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 – it’s just how we are.

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.