The Takeaway from MCA Sounds is a new podcast series delivering bitesize insights from the across the hospitality sector
In our first episode, Radio 4 Today and University Challenge host Amol Rajan delivers a powerful, thought-provoking speech to the MCA Hospitality Awards 2025.
Addressing nearly 500 sector leaders, colleagues and suppliers at The Guildhall, Amol shares why the people skills cultivated in hospitality could play a vital role in helping Britain tackle one of its biggest challenges: relieving the country’s strained welfare budget.
Speaking with trademark warmth and wit, Rajan mixes personal anecdotes – from growing up in a food-loving South London household to his early days as a restaurant critic – with sharp political and economic commentary, offering a unique, heartfelt perspective on why hospitality is so important to Britain’s future.
Listen to Amol Rajan’s full keynote here:
Press play to hear Rajan’s take on history, technology, workforce challenges and why hospitality offers “home and hope” in uncertain times.
Drawing striking comparisons between the era of the printing press and today’s AI-driven world, Rajan sets out the profound forces reshaping society, from climate change to global power shifts, and argues that, in a time of uncertainty, hospitality has never mattered more.
He challenges the room to see themselves not just as business owners, but as agents of national renewal – inspiring the next generation, strengthening communities, and helping Britain grow again.
Rajan’s bold, wide-ranging address set the tone perfectly for The Takeaway’s launch – offering sharp, meaningful insights from the hospitality world that this series will continue to deliver.
