Energy sits at the centre of modern life, yet inside the home it remains largely unmanaged, invisible and wasteful. We talk about generation, tariffs and supply, but rarely about behaviour, demand and optimisation. We obsess over what energy costs, but give far less thought to how it is actually used, room by room, minute by minute, habit by habit.

To me, the opportunity was obvious. If you want to change how a home behaves, you start with the interface people use every day. Not a thermostat buried in a cupboard, and not an app that gets opened once and forgotten. You start with the switch on the wall, the device every person in the household interacts with instinctively, often dozens of times a day.

That insight became Tap.

Building software is hard. Building hardware is harder. Building both together into a single, elegant and reliable device is something else entirely. Hardware demands patience, precision and capital. Every millimetre matters. Every material choice affects durability, thermal performance and cost. Component selection brings supply chain complexity and long lead times. Making a mistake in a decision can set you back months rather than minutes.

Software lives at the other extreme. It evolves weekly, improves continuously and rewards iteration. It is never finished.

Bringing these worlds together into a product that installs in minutes, works in the vast majority of homes and improves over time has been one of the most technically demanding undertakings of my career. It is also what makes the opportunity so compelling. When hardware and software truly integrate, you do not create a gadget. You create a platform.

During this journey, I have also been building a new home. It is an unusual project by any measure, the first new castle built in Britain in more than a century, blending traditional craftsmanship with future ready design. While its architecture looks to the past, its systems look firmly forward.

The castle has become a real world laboratory for what the future of living might look like. More than fifty Tap devices are installed throughout the building, learning patterns of use, managing lighting, measuring environmental conditions and providing insight into how the house actually performs. The property integrates advanced heating systems, renewable energy infrastructure and intelligent control layers, not as theoretical features but as lived experience.

Living inside this environment changes how you think about buildings. Comfort becomes more consistent. Energy waste becomes visible. Air quality, temperature and humidity become part of a broader understanding of wellbeing. You begin to see the home not as a static structure but as a responsive system.

The castle is not a prototype. It is a home. That distinction matters, because the goal is not futuristic novelty, but everyday practicality. What works here must work everywhere.

Tap began with lighting, but lighting is only the doorway. What we are building is the operating layer for the modern home, a system that fuses AI with energy optimisation and provides the foundation for a more intelligent living environment.

It is a platform that can support heating, security and assisted living. It learns behaviour and adapts automatically. It provides a unified intelligence layer rather than a collection of disconnected devices. This is not about adding more technology into the home. It is about making the home itself intelligent.

One of the more curious aspects of this journey is how often people struggle to see the scale of the opportunity. We are conditioned to think in categories: lighting systems, security systems, heating controls, smart speakers and energy apps. Entire industries have grown around fragmented solutions that each solve a narrow problem.

But homes are not fragmented. They are ecosystems.

Once you view the home as a unified system, the path forward becomes clearer. We could have built another energy supplier, and there would have been logic in doing so. My previous business operated within an established model and executed well inside it. This feels different. This feels like stepping outside the model entirely.

What excites me is the possibility of delivering the intelligence layer that sits above everything.

Building hardware requires capital. There is no avoiding that reality. Fundraising has been one of the most time-consuming aspects of this journey. It can be distracting and at times, exhausting, but it also forces clarity. You must articulate why what you are building matters, demonstrate progress and remain accountable to people who believe in your vision. External accountability sharpens execution.

Bootstrapping, meanwhile, teaches focus. When resources are constrained, you make harder decisions. You prioritise ruthlessly. You cannot simply throw money at problems. You learn where effort truly creates value and where it does not. That discipline has shaped Tewke. It has made us more deliberate, more efficient and more resilient.

Over the past year, something has shifted. We are no longer describing the opportunity in theory. We are seeing it installed in homes. We are seeing real energy data. We are seeing behavioural change. We are seeing savings. We are seeing demand.

Momentum is building. With funding secured, manufacturing scaling and sales underway, the opportunity is no longer abstract. It is tangible. We can see it. We can touch it. Increasingly, we can scale it beyond the UK and into international markets where the same inefficiencies and opportunities exist.

The future of the home is not more gadgets. It is intelligence. Homes that understand how they are used. Homes that optimise energy automatically. Homes that support comfort, safety and wellbeing. Homes that adapt and improve over time.

We are still at the beginning, but the path ahead is clearer than ever. What began as a rethink of the light switch is becoming something far more powerful: an operating layer for the home, an intelligence layer for energy and a platform for better living.

And the most exciting part is that we are only just getting started.

I thought I’d use this moment to share a bit more about that philosophy, and some of the other journeys I’ve been on beyond building the castle from sustainable fashion and childcare to health and home energy.

A recent Telegraph article touched on one of my core motivations: my interest in death. Not in a negative or morbid sense, but as a reminder of how fragile and precious life is. I think about it often and I’m grateful every day that my family and I are healthy. Life can change in an instant, and my family has experienced that firsthand. It’s what drives me to make the most of each day and to build things that matter.

Being dyslexic, I’ve never enjoyed classroom learning. I learn by doing. When I wanted to understand business, I started one my first at fifteen. I loved creating something from scratch: finding customers, sending invoices,and realising that once you’d started, you had to keep moving.

At eighteen, I was almost wiped out by scammers. A few years later, a key supplier went bust and nearly took my fledgling business with it. Those experiences taught me something essential you can’t ride the emotional rollercoaster. You need resilience. Don’t get too high when it’s good, and don’t get too low when it’s tough.

Like most entrepreneurs, I’ve learned that problems are just puzzles to solve whether they’re about product, people, customers, or cash. You deal with what’s in front of you, one challenge at a time.

When I wanted to learn more about politics, I didn’t just read about it, I got involved. I became a donor and then a county councillor. Representing others gives you a whole new perspective. Politics is hard, and I discovered it doesn’t suit my personality of ideas and disruption but I learned a lot about empathy, patience, and public service.

Around the same time, my local childminder wanted to open a nursery. I ended up helping negotiate the land, finance the build, and mentor the founders. That became one of the largest single nurseries in the country, with over 300 children enrolled, 40 staff, and nearly 20 apprentices.

Building that business gave me huge respect for early years education and for anyone running one. We didn’t build it for profit; we built it to give children from any background the best start in life. It grew to over £1 million in annual revenue and, after six years, we sold it successfully. In truth, running that nursery was far harder than building the castle. With construction, mistakes are usually fixable; in childcare, every decision has human consequences.

Another venture was Jellymud, www.jellymud.uk a sustainable clothing brand I started with my cousin Lizzie. The name came from my eldest daughter when she was four. We set out to make sustainable, family-friendly clothing using bamboo and recycled materials.

It’s been a brilliant creative outlet and taught me a lot about fashion, supply chains, and brand-building. The products are genuinely great; now our focus is on growing awareness.

Health from the Inside Out

Then there’s Gutology, a company on a mission to help people understand the microbiome the bacteria that drive much of our health. From helping our own daughter overcome dairy intolerance to supporting people with chronic issues, I’ve seen firsthand how treating the cause rather than the symptom changes lives.

I’ve been involved since the start as an investor and chairman, and I’m proud of how the team has grown the business. The science around gut health is still young, but it’s one of the most exciting frontiers in wellness.

Finally, there’s Tewke, the business that ties together everything I’ve learned about design, technology, and sustainability. Our mission is simple: to stop wasting energy. Around the world, over $1 trillion of energy is wasted every year in homes. The EU recently estimated that smarter energy use could save the equivalent output of 200 nuclear power stations.

At Tewke, we believe that change starts in the home. By making devices that understand how we live and use energy, we can make homes dramatically more efficient without compromising comfort. Our first product, Tap, reimagines the light switch turning it into an intelligent, beautifully designed control for lighting, energy, and wellbeing.

The castle has been our living testbed for Tap each switch filled with sensors that learn, adapt, and improve through software updates. It’s simple, elegant technology that makes smart living effortless.

Looking back, the through line across all these ventures, from the nursery to Tewke, is that they each took years. The castle took four. Tewke has been five. The nursery was six. None of these journeys happen quickly.

If you only enjoy the end, you’ll spend most of your life feeling frustrated. The secret is to enjoy the process the small wins, the setbacks, the learning.

After selling my telecoms business, I thought slowing down would make me happy. It didn’t. I got sick from not being busy. What I’ve learned since is that momentum matters. It doesn’t mean rushing, it means moving forward, even a little, every day.

So whatever you’re building a home, a business, a family enjoy the journey. Because the real reward isn’t at the finish line. It’s in the act of building something that lasts.

If you’d like to follow my projects:

• Discover our sustainable clothing at Jellymud
• Learn about gut health at Gutology
• Explore smart energy and home automation with Tewke

A recurring theme throughout the day was this: the environmental agenda is no longer just about sustainability, it’s about competitiveness. The economic opportunity in going green is now too big to ignore, and for the UK, it’s a race we risk losing if we don’t act boldly.

One of the more striking discussions was on global emissions, particularly in China. While the official target is to peak emissions by 2030, the country’s breakneck industrial growth has led to a resurgence in coal use despite solar generation growing by 45% last year alone. The challenge? Infrastructure. China’s grid and long-distance transmission remain underdeveloped, meaning coal still plays a critical role in keeping the lights on.

But a tipping point may be coming. The sheer pace of renewable deployment in China suggests the country could pivot away from coal sooner than expected. And with the US stepping back from international climate commitments once again, it leaves China in the unexpected position of leading global decarbonisation, not just environmentally, but economically.

That’s the crux of it. While Western nations impose tariffs on Chinese EVs and solar panels, it’s not because they’re poor quality, it’s because China builds them better, faster, and cheaper. Why? Because they invested early in the supply chain, manufacturing infrastructure, and skills. They saw the green transition as an economic opportunity, not just an environmental necessity.

Meanwhile, in the West and particularly in the UK, we often separate the conversations. In one room, the economy. In the other, the environment. But they are one and the same. Just look at Beijing: it cut smog levels by two-thirds over the past decade. That isn’t just good for lungs, it’s good for business. People want to live, work, and invest in places with clean air and forward-looking infrastructure.

The UK has an opportunity, perhaps its last best chance, to reindustrialise through green tech. Back in the 70s, we built electronics factories to avoid shipping bulky CRT televisions. Today, it’s a similar equation. Electronics, especially for energy and climate tech, can be made competitively in Britain. At Tewke, we’re working with to manufacture smart home hardware right here in the UK. And we’re not alone there’s a groundswell of companies seeing the same opportunity.

Like the car industry before it, which thrived thanks to inward investment and targeted incentives, we can do the same with solar, batteries, and home energy systems. But it requires a joined-up strategy. If public money is being spent on green transition, then UK industry should benefit directly through domestic manufacturing, R&D, and long-term job creation.

At Tewke, we’re proud to be a Made in Great Britain member. While some components inevitably come from overseas, we design, assemble, and ship our products from the UK because it’s cost-effective, resilient, and aligns with our environmental values. Repairability, recycling, and local production aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re central to our ESG strategy and part of delivering real benefits to households.

Electric vehicles didn’t succeed because they were green, they succeeded because they’re better. They’re faster, smoother, and easier to maintain. And the same principle applies across green tech. If we build better products, people will choose them because they’re good, not just because they’re green.

The climate crisis demands action. But with it comes enormous economic opportunity. For the UK, the choice is clear: lead in the green economy or risk being left behind.

Our energy grid is outdated, plagued by peak demand issues, rising costs, and the slow adoption of renewables. The solution? AI-driven home automation that transforms houses into smart grids. This meant diving headfirst into the B2C world, dealing directly with consumers across the globe. Unlike my previous venture, where my company remained behind the scenes, Tewke presented an opportunity to build something that would directly impact: reducing carbon footprints, lowering public debt, and helping millions escape fuel poverty. Grand ambitions, sure, but at the start of this year, we took a major step forward by bringing Tewke to CES in Las Vegas.

The Legendary CES Experience

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association, CES is the only trade show that showcases the entire tech landscape under one (very large) roof. From consumer tech hardware and software to groundbreaking innovations, CES is where the future happens. I had read about CES in computer magazines for years, where the biggest innovations were unveiled. It’s a sprawling, multi-venue event along the Vegas strip, hosting over 3,000 exhibitors and hundreds of thousands of visitors. Picture the Excel Centre in London, now multiply it by ten! A baptism of fire for Tewke, as we transitioned from quietly designing and engineering our solution to suddenly showcasing it to the world. Well… a small corner of a massive convention centre, but still!

At the heart of our showcase was Tap, our intelligent light switch, the first step toward our vision of smarter homes. With nine built-in sensors, it offers the simplest and most intuitive way for homeowners to interact with automation. Designed, built, and manufactured in the UK, we control every aspect of its development to ensure top-tier security and reliability.

The Road to Vegas

Earlier in the year, I received an email inviting us to apply for the Eureka Park section, a space dedicated to startups on the verge of launching. It was an opportunity to secure a booth at a not-ridiculous cost and be part of the big leagues. As the event drew closer, the logistics of getting a stand, preparing marketing materials, and coordinating the team became an intense focus, all in the chaotic lead-up to Christmas. How do we present our product effectively? What’s our core messaging? Who are we marketing to? Our primary goal was to engage with potential partners and investors, but without a clear idea of who would be attending, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect.

I reached out to friends and colleagues who had attended CES before. Their advice? Prepare for a crazy week, four days of nonstop meetings, press engagements, and standing at our booth from dawn till dusk. But with solid planning and a focused team, we were determined to make the most of the experience.

An Eye-Opening Experience

One of the biggest surprises was how little support UK startups receive from the government. We were surrounded by large, well-supported French, Italian, and Swiss contingents, where small businesses were showcased as part of bigger national stands. These countries weren’t just promoting individual companies; they were promoting their entire ecosystems. Meanwhile, British startups like us were scattered across the event, navigating the experience on our own. But despite the lack of official backing, there was a real sense of achievement in making it there on our own terms, and an immense pride in the overwhelmingly positive reception we received.

Attendees loved Tap. The user-friendly UI, the premium design, and the intelligence behind our product resonated with people. Had we been allowed to sell directly on the spot, I’m confident we could have sold our stand ten times over!

The Takeaways

CES was a game-changer for Tewke. We gained credibility, made valuable new connections, and left with a clearer vision for our future. One of my colleagues, initially sceptical about the U.S. market (thanks in part to the constant stream of political headlines), left CES buzzing with excitement about launching Tewke in America and the sheer scale of opportunities ahead.

So, was CES worth it? Absolutely. It wasn’t just an event; it was a moment, a turning point for Tewke. And now, as we prepare for the next phase of our journey, I can’t help but feel that this is just the beginning.

So, here are a few of my ideas for a 2024 manifesto:

1. Unitary Councils: Currently, some counties across the UK have parishes, district and borough councils, and county councils. By combining the district and borough councils into the county council, we could have one ‘super’ or unitary council in charge of everything in that county. This would simplify governance for the electorate and reduce the number of elected councillors by at least 50%, while driving many efficiencies.
2. Centralised House Planning: By addressing the first point, house planning within each area would be centralised. This would make appeals harder, allow for a more strategic approach to large development projects, and enable the fast-tracking of brownfield development.
3. Increased Fines for Water Companies: Water companies that fail to meet quality standards should face higher fines. Currently, fines are often less costly than the necessary investments in treatment plants, leading to inadequate infrastructure and quality issues.
4. Tracking Homeschooled Children: While I support homeschooling, it is problematic that homeschooled children disappear from the system, with no safeguards or monitoring of educational quality. A national database of homeschooled children and authority for local authorities to monitor their welfare and performance is essential.
5. Manufacturer Responsibility for Packaging: Manufacturers should be responsible for the quality of their packaging. If businesses were held accountable, we would see a dramatic decrease in single-use plastics and non-biodegradable materials.
6. Closed-Cycle Supply Chain: We need to promote a closed-cycle supply chain, similar to the milk delivery system of the past, where bottles were collected, washed, and reused. This would reduce the load on recycling collections and minimise environmental impact.
7. Onshoring Manufacturing: With the world moving away from globalisation, we should incentivise businesses to bring manufacturing back to the UK through business rates and tax incentives. This would address import issues and shipping challenges while leveraging our domestic talent.
8. Review Business Rates: The current business rates system penalises businesses providing essential services and investing in physical retail or office space. A fairer tax system based on revenue, profit, or employee numbers would distribute the burden more evenly.
9. Fast-Track Business Leaders into Whitehall: We need a mechanism to bring talented, proactive people into key roles in Whitehall to enable change and lead a disenfranchised public service. This would expedite the implementation of effective policies.
10. Support for Farmers: We should support farmers in producing high-quality, organic products using regenerative approaches. The UK can lead in quality food production with reduced taxes, and offer low-cost loans for capital investments.
11. £5,000 into an ISA for Every Baby Born: Starting a savings account for every child born would accumulate significant compound interest over their lifetime, providing a nest egg for retirement and reducing the public burden later in life.
12. Allow Police to Keep Fines from Littering: Increasing fines for littering and allowing police to retain these fines could dramatically reduce littering and dumping, as demonstrated in New York.
13. Move Electric Tariffs onto Gas: Investment in wind, solar, and nuclear energy should be funded by fossil fuels, not the green electricity we are promoting. Removing tariffs that make electricity artificially expensive would support its adoption in homes and businesses.
14. NHS Payment Service: Introducing a payment service within the NHS would give patients the ability to choose where to spend their earmarked treatment funds, fostering competition and improving outcomes.

While there are many other issues at play, these suggestions, without significant extra cost to the government, could stimulate the right behaviours and help boost our productivity. What would be at the top of your manifesto?

In my youth, I dreamt of having my own petrol station tucked under my garage. Now, with electric cars, that dream is a tangible reality, far more feasible than constructing a traditional petrol station. Driving an electric car feels like stepping into the future, offering not just power but also a serene journey amidst our bustling roads. The cost savings are undeniable, with a mere £10 worth of electricity granting a realistic range of 300 miles. Admittedly, electric cars may not suit everyone, especially those without a private driveway. Yet, I remain convinced that battery technology, despite hydrogen’s appeal in certain sectors, will ultimately triumph in the propulsion race.

However, amidst the electric revolution, Tesla, the trailblazer of mainstream electric vehicles, seems to have stumbled into a self-inflicted setback. Despite delivering an impressive 387,000 cars, a commendable feat for any startup, Tesla’s numbers have dipped by 8% compared to last year and by 20% from the previous quarter. This is a reflection of the wider pushback by consumers on adopting electric cars.

Is the UK’s extension of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles until 2035 to blame? I doubt it. Rishi Sunak merely aligned our policies with those of continental Europe, rescinding an untenable promise made by Boris Johnson. Car manufacturers across Europe have long recognised the dwindling prospects of traditional engines, persisting with petrol and diesel models only to capitalise on past investments that are soon to be obsolete.

I believe the real blow to electric car sales stems from Tesla’s own missteps, particularly its aggressive price reductions. The successive cuts in 2023 and 2024 have significantly lowered the entry barrier for consumers, but at the expense of early adopters who now witness their car’s resale value plummet. Elon Musk’s hints at further price reductions only exacerbate the uncertainty, dissuading potential buyers from making significant investments.

I’ve witnessed firsthand the fallout of Tesla’s pricing strategy on businesses, with one leasing company collapsing overnight as its asset values evaporated. Tesla’s decision to prioritise headline volume over consumer trust has backfired, eroding confidence in the product and undermining the long-term viability of the electric car market. By redirecting savings towards financing options, Tesla could have made electric cars more accessible without jeopardising consumer confidence.

Despite this setback, there’s a glimmer of hope as electric car sales show signs of recovery. The silver lining lies in the newfound affordability, opening doors for those previously deterred by high prices. The used electric car market, in particular, presents enticing opportunities, with vehicles often undervalued compared to their petrol counterparts. Looking ahead, there’s speculation about Tesla’s upcoming Model 2, poised to disrupt the market with its competitive pricing and lower price point. While traditional luxury car manufacturers like Mercedes, BMW, and VW maintain their premium image, Tesla seems less concerned about being perceived as such. As consumers and investors eagerly await the next chapter in the electric car saga, there’s optimism that affordability and innovation will propel us towards a greener, more sustainable future on the roads.

Meanwhile, in the skies above, Concorde was writing its own final chapter. Air France and Airbus, perhaps weary of the plane’s astronomical maintenance costs, delivered an ultimatum to British Airways. They could either bear the financial burden or bid farewell to Concorde. This was a tough pill for British Airways to swallow, considering they had managed to eke out a profit from Concorde – something Air France had failed to do. But alas, there was no lifeline for this iconic aircraft.

While, for years, I had lived under the flight path of Concorde, nurturing a personal dream to one day fly on it, I now found myself deep in debt, jobless, and with a swiftly closing window of opportunity to experience supersonic flight. So, at a dinner gathering with my former colleagues, I floated the audacious idea that we should seize the moment and fly Concorde before it vanished from the skies forever. Six of us enthusiastically made a pact, declaring ourselves Thundercats on the spot.

As the days went by and the effects of the party wore off, excuses piled up like autumn leaves. In the end, only my former boss, Jimmy, and I took a plunge. We did more than just talk; we reached into our pockets, bought one-way tickets to New York, and embarked on this adventure. Now, I was already swimming in financial woes, so I added the cost of the ticket to my already overstretched credit card, resigning myself to three years of financial recuperation.

What an adventure it turned out to be! We sauntered from the airport lounge straight onto the plane, where we joined a mere ninety-nine other intrepid travelers for a three-hour luncheon as we hurtled across the Atlantic faster than a speeding bullet. At Mach 2.04, a breathtaking 1,354 miles per hour, we could practically land in New York before we left London. The flight was the epitome of smoothness, and to this day, I can recall the warmth radiating from the fuselage’s interior.

Fast forward to today, and my home office stands as a shrine to that unforgettable journey. Models and photos of Concorde adorn the walls, and a newly assembled Lego Concorde model sits proudly on my desk, a testament to a memorable weekend’s creation. Whenever reality knocks on my door, reminding me of business challenges, I cast my gaze on Concorde, a symbol of human audacity. “Back in the 1950s,” I remind those around me, “engineers from the UK and France embarked on a journey as complex as sending a man into space, armed only with slide rules and determination.”

Concorde is a testament to international collaboration, engineering brilliance, and an unwavering commitment to achieving supersonic flight while keeping passengers safe and comfortable. Despite the obstacles, it emerged as an iconic emblem of aviation and technological achievement.

It feels so archaic to heat a home with oil or gas and certainly when I moved to a heat pump I have not looked back. Well at least until we had the energy crisis and electricity prices quadrupled. Unfortunately, in the UK we tie the wholesale electricity cost to gas, but with such a shift to wind and other renewables I can’t see that as a long-term solution.

However as a family we have embraced electricity and after running my own electric car for a number of years I have finally managed to persuade my wife to go full electric. Her new BMW iX, while divisive on looks (well I like it!) steps the game up again and genuinely feels like driving the future. This ties in nicely with our building project which we started a few years ago and will be featured on Grand Designs hopefully next year. I have had a long held aspiration to demonstrate what is possible and at the same time end up with a highly efficient house that produces all I need, independently from anyone else.

Currently we pump our own water, treat our own sewage and deliver our own internet so the idea of generating our own power is compelling. We are installing wind, solar and batteries to deliver what we hope will be an impressive setup meeting all our living and transport needs. Unfortunately, because it is so new and evolving nobody really understand how it will all work and what I should expect from it. I have batteries coming from the UK, wind turbine from Italy and solar tiles from Ireland. We don’t even know what the EPC will be as a lot of the equipment we are using hasn’t yet been rated – that is another can of worms that needs urgent review. Government legislation is still very much in the dark ages of when electricity was considered dirty and wasteful, but that is changing – slowly.

My interest with electricity doesn’t stop there. Because I have spent the last two years, developing a team of incredibly talented engineers in building a new platform for the home which not only automates everything in the home from lighting, heating, security and media, to intelligently managing demand and reducing all energy consumption. We estimate that 30% of savings are achievable when the system is installed in any home. That is change the world kind of claims.

We haven’t spent two years and countless hours of development with patents developing the technical solution just for my house, but our ambition is for every house in the world. We are delivering a product that can be easily installed and understood enabling mass adoption. We are there now and currently focused on further funding to conduct full scale deployments and on towards production. It is an exciting time for Tewke and over the coming months I hope to share more as we move from ‘stealth mode’ into live operations.

For a long time, gut microbiome wasn’t seen as real healthcare, and the suggestion that you would treat the cause of a problem rather than the symptoms, like most pharmaceuticals do, was dismissed. However, over the past few years, especially post pandemic, we have started to see a real shift to treating the cause of a health issue rather than wait to treat the outcome.

I have written before how aborigines described the gut as the ‘second brain’ and now we are getting wide acceptance that the gut microbiome is the invisible organ in your body. Not just protection against disease risk such as diabetes and psoriasis but also mental health and mood disorders.

With the NHS reporting this week that they plan to take more patients off antidepressants surely now is the time to address how we manage gutbiome through wider healthcare. There is belief that with GP writing repeat prescriptions for antidepressants that we are going to end up with a US style opioid crisis. What solutions have been given to GPs? Recommendations for them to signpost patients to art/music and gardening lessons! So good pursuits but not addressing the medical needs. In the last 12-months 8.4M adults in the UK were prescribed antidepressants an increase of 8% over 2019, currently 23% of all women and 12% of men take them.

Link that back to studies from 2014 and 2021 where where young children with low omega-3 are more likely to show behaviours of aggression, physical violence and vandalism. In another trial children with ADHD using a fully blinded randomised control trial (the gold standard of experiments) found that a combined multivitamin and mineral tablet given for 10 weeks had a significant reduction in fights, tempers and angry outbursts. Likewise, studies are showing that in prisons especially, but even across the armed forces and schools, that there is a huge lack in nutrition from the food being provided. This is due to how highly processed it is, in order to lower the cost and increase shelf life. Which is why we are seeing an increase in poor performance and an increase in violent behaviour in our prisons. According to the Food Foundation charity it costs about £6 per day to feed an adult a diet that meets with the UK’s Eat Well Healthy diet recommendations. On average we spend £2 per day on prisoners’ meals, a little bit more on military personnel at £2.54 and around the same on school meals.

By having a highly refined, ultra-processed food by its very nature reduces the levels of nutrients found in the food. A highly processed diet with little fresh produce contributes to a reduction in micronutrients which support a healthy brain function. Folate, magnesium and Omega-3 fats are all super important but are lacking in our processed foods. With the current costs of looking after a single prisoner for a year being £44,000, there might not be the budget to up the food quality. However it doesn’t need a genius to spot that £40 per year spent on supplements would be well spend if it has a positive impact on security and staff turnover due to a reduction in violence.

We can help bring millions off anti-depressants, improve performance and behaviours across our prisons, schools, and military by talking about nutrition and how it affects your gut microbiome. Unfortunately, ultra processed foods are here to stay, so without the NHS and GPs getting behind diet and the nutrients we consume we are going to miss the most powerful tool we have to fixing these disorders for the long-term.

Now I enjoy spending my weekends buzzing about on my quad, with a high vis jacket (as you can get away with anything if you have one of those on!) pulling stuff out of hedgerows and upsetting the local District Council with my big piles of rubbish on the village green I expect them to dispose of. Last weekend I let my local village know I was out and I was joined by twelve volunteers who spent a happy morning clearing our verges and hedgerows. When speaking to them afterwards they all said how much they had. It is funny that even finding a bottle full of piss or a disused boiler is fun, but being out in the community, making a difference has a huge impact on mind and spirit.

I used to do my thinking when washing my car, but as that would take up to eight hours (as my OCD would kick in) my wife and children soon put a stop to that, I have found litter picking for a few hours on the weekend very therapeutic and addictive.

However what it has highlighted to me and reinforced is the appalling position we are in with regards to packaging. While I would support jailing anyone who litters, the reality is it will always be an issue and we are not doing enough to deal with the source of the problem. Take my beloved KitKat for example. I have a penchant for one after dinner most nights and to my horror Nestle seem to have decided that instead of the iconic foil and paper wrap that now they will only provide a full plastic wrap.

To make matters worse they have labelled all over it, in true greenwash style, how it is made of recycled plastic and is recyclable! So somehow, we have gone from one of the most abundant metals in the world which is infinitely recyclable, aluminium, and paper to plastic. It even has to be opened in a certain way and only can be dealt with at a recycling centre – not even your collection can cope with it. I have never heard of such nonsense and what makes me so cross is that Nestle seem to think as a consumer I will not see through their marketing bullshit and continue to buy KitKats.

I spoke to my colleagues, who are engineers, and they agreed it was stupid but only after assessing the energy required to make foil versus recycling plastic. They reminded me that we used to, as a nation, pretty much universally have one of the best closed loop environmentally safe distribution method of food before we moved to plastic. That was via milk bottles, delivered at an ungodly hour on electric floats. This genius system meant the packaging was recycled continuously but most importantly just used hot water to clean the bottles rather than melting it down and all the associated cost in making it back up again into a new product.

While this is a blog about packaging and plastic the main culprit for me seems to be recycling. I am dumbfounded by how many councillors believe recycling is environmentally friendly and that the crap people mix into their waste is somehow magically going to be made into new products and not end up on beaches in Turkey or further afield. Coca-Cola used to distribute via glass bottles which were collected, washed and refilled. Then they moved to aluminium cans, granted needed to be recyclable but at least could be infinitely recycled and caused little damage to the local environment if it was discarded. Now it is plastic bottles which can only be recycled a few times in its life and if discarded risks becoming everlasting plastic in our ecosystem.

For me we need to start with our legislation and either tax non-biodegradable packaging or reward those that reuse without using recycling centres. With elections nearly upon us again surely someone speaking out and making this a priority would be a vote winner. Or is it just me litter picking who cares?