In this interview, we meet Jack O’Neill, Head of Operations at The Menu Partners, a leading food supply business supporting Brighton’s vibrant hospitality scene. Jack shares insights into his journey through the industry, the company’s mission to streamline the food supply chain, and the importance of strong relationships with independent restaurants. From operational challenges to community impact, he offers a behind-the-scenes look at how The Menu Partners helps shape a more efficient, connected, and sustainable future for foodservice.
What are you seeing right now across Brighton kitchens that feels different to previous years?
We’re seeing more and more collaboration nights between venues, whether that’s guest chef takeovers, joint menus, or one-off events where two completely different kitchens come together. What makes it so exciting is the contrast. You might have a fire-led concept teaming up with something more refined, or a produce-led kitchen working alongside a more experimental one, and the results are always interesting. It pushes chefs out of their comfort zones and gives customers something genuinely unique.
From our side, it’s something we really enjoy supporting. Because we’re working with such a wide mix of kitchens across Brighton, we often get a front-row seat to these collaborations coming together, sometimes even helping connect the dots between chefs or suppliers.
It’s a great example of what makes this city special, talented people backing each other and creating experiences you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
The Menu Partners talks about being more than a wholesaler and acting as a supply partner — what does that look like in practice for a restaurant?
For us, being a supply partner rather than just a wholesaler really comes down to relationships. It’s about being genuinely invested in our customers’ businesses, not just delivering products to their door.
In practice, that means we’re in regular contact with our customers, sharing updates straight from growers, flagging what’s coming into season, and helping them make informed decisions about their menus. Whether it’s highlighting the start of English asparagus, navigating the challenges of the hungry gap, or suggesting alternatives when supply is tight, we’re there to take some of that pressure off their kitchens.
Ultimately, we’re trying to move away from the traditional, transactional supply model and towards something more personal.
Pictured: TMP sponsored the best Sussex pub category in the BRAVOS. Winners The Eight Bells in Jevington
The idea of delivering everything “on one vehicle” is central to your model — how does that change things for chefs operationally?
The biggest difference it makes for chefs is simplicity. Instead of dealing with multiple Sussex suppliers, multiple orders, multiple invoices and multiple delivery windows, everything is consolidated into one streamlined process.
From an operational point of view, that’s a huge win. It saves time on admin, reduces the back-and-forth with different suppliers, and gives kitchens more consistency day to day. One order, one invoice, one delivery, and one relationship with a team that understands their business inside out.
Consolidating deliveries onto one vehicle reduces food miles and cuts down on congestion around sites, which is something more and more kitchens are conscious of.
Ultimately, it’s about removing friction. The less time chefs spend managing suppliers, the more time they can spend focusing on what they do best in the kitchen.
How important is it for you to work with independent restaurants versus larger groups?
It’s hugely important to us. Independent restaurants are a big part of what makes the local hospitality scene so special, particularly in a place like Brighton and the wider Sussex area. They bring creativity, individuality, and a real sense of identity, and we’re proud to work closely with so many of them.
Being part of that local community is something we genuinely value. We’re not just supplying these businesses, we’re invested in them. That might be working closely with chefs on menu ideas, helping source something a bit different, or just being on hand to support them in the day-to-day running of their kitchens.
We also try to give back wherever we can. Whether that’s donating produce to local charities or supporting community initiatives, it’s important to us that we play a positive role in the wider Sussex food scene.
Ultimately, we’re a team of local people who are genuinely passionate about hospitality in this area.
We know the restaurants, we know the people behind them, and we care about seeing them succeed.
What trends are you seeing in what restaurants are ordering right now — anything surprising?
One of the more interesting trends we’re seeing at the moment is how kitchens are responding to the “hungry gap,” something we recently explored in The Main Course. With fewer UK-grown options available at this time of year, chefs are getting more creative with how they build flavour and depth into their dishes.
Fermentation has been a big part of that. We’re seeing more kitchens across Sussex using fermented products to add complexity, whether that’s house-made elements or working with specialist producers. It’s a great way to elevate dishes while also making the most of what’s available seasonally.
A special mention as well to Savvy Ferments, who are doing some really interesting things in this space. We’re looking forward to sitting down with them soon to learn more about their approach and the range of products they’re developing.
Overall, it’s a great example of how the challenges around seasonality can actually drive creativity, and we’re seeing some really exciting results coming out of kitchens locally because of it.
What’s one operational challenge in food supply that people outside the industry probably don’t realise?
One of the biggest challenges that often goes unnoticed is just how unpredictable fresh supply can be, particularly when it comes to produce.
A lot of what we do is shaped by factors completely outside of anyone’s control, like weather conditions, seasonality, and growing cycles. A few days of unexpected heat, heavy rain, or frost can have a huge impact on availability, quality, and price. From the outside, it might seem like products should always be there and consistent, but the reality is far more fluid.
A good, real-time example of that is what we’re currently seeing with cauliflower. A short spell of warmer weather a few weeks ago caused crops to mature too quickly, which meant a lot of the product became blown and unusable. Normally, we’d look to supplement supply from France or Spain, but they’ve experienced similar conditions and are also coming to the end of their seasons. So, in a relatively short space of time, availability tightens across multiple regions at once.
That kind of situation creates a constant balancing act. We’re working to maintain quality, keep supply consistent, and manage costs all at the same time, often needing to react very quickly to changes in the market.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of The Menu Partners and the role you play in Brighton’s food scene?
What excites me most is the direction we’re heading in and the opportunity to keep building on what we’ve already started.
We’ve talked a lot about relationships, collaboration, and supporting the local hospitality scene, and that’s only going to become more important.
Brighton is such a creative, fast-moving food city, and being part of that, not just as a supplier but as a genuine partner to kitchens, is something we’re really proud of.
Looking ahead, it’s about continuing to evolve. That means strengthening those relationships, staying even closer to our supply chain, investing in technology that genuinely improves the customer experience, and finding new ways to support and champion the restaurants we work with. Whether that’s through better communication, more tailored service, or giving chefs the tools and information, they need to succeed, we want to keep raising the bar.
We see ourselves as trail blazers in that sense, helping to redefine what a food supplier can be for the next generation of hospitality businesses. Moving away from a purely transactional model and towards something more personal, more proactive, and more aligned with the needs of modern kitchens.