Coffee, pints, and the quiet power reshaping your life.

From Gail’s to your local pub, from boarded-up fronts to glossy refurbs, we unpack how private capital is rewiring Britain’s high streets, the trade-offs behind the glow-up, and what it means for jobs, prices, and community. We do not sermonise; we get real about the ethics, the economics, and the everyday choices we all make with our wallets.

What we get into

•The romance of the independent shopkeeper, and the reality of balance sheets and bulk buying

•Why private equity can both revive a parade and strip value from it

•Coffee shops, charity shops, and the price of convenience

•Jobs, wages, and why staying put can be survival, not surrender

•Middle England tastes, rising rents, and the £8 pint dilemma

•Practical ways to spend more locally without becoming a martyr

Next time you're on your high street, look around. If it's a chain, runs multiple sites, or is a big brand, private equity has likely made its way into your life, whether you want it or not.

The question isn't whether this is good or bad, but rather: what do we do about it?

Timestamps for reference.... or just listen to whole episode 😉

00:33 High streets we grew up with, and what changed.

03:21 How private capital props up, and pressures, well-known food and drink chains.

07:33 Debenhams as a cautionary tale, debt, property sales, and closures.

12:42 Staff treatment, union chatter, and culture under cost-cutting pressures.

17:03 The un-level playing field, bulk buying power, and small independents.

29:01 Pubs, leases, refurbs, and the £8 pint moral twinge.

33:12 So, is the workplace broken, or just shifted, and who gets to choose on ethics.

Hosted by Coll and Rich.
Recorded in London.
*No financial advice, only curiosity and honest graft.*

Episode Length: Approximately 33 minutes

Content Warning: Discussion of job insecurity, economic anxiety, and corporate practices

If you like what we're doing, drop us a subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and stick around for the journey.

Want to get in touch? email us at [email protected] or drop us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techinclusionuk/