Tom Molnar

Tom Molnar

Author: BBC Radio 4 December 7, 2024 Duration: 14:37

From using a skateboard to baking sourdough, Tom Molnar leads an eclectic life.

Born in the United States, he earned a degree in Ecology at Dartmouth College, before going on to gain experience in corporate strategy and client management. It was during those years, that he noticed a gap in the market for quality bread.

Tom Molnar joined forces with Ran Avidan and Gail Mejia in 2005, and their Gail’s story began in a small corner of North London. Nearly 20 years later, the chain has become omnipresent on high streets all over the country and looks set to yield a handsome sum amid speculation that its owners have appointed a Wall Street bank to oversee an auction.

Stephen Smith takes a closer look at the visionary behind one of Britain’s fastest-growing chains.

Production Team Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Ben Cooper and Natalie Ktena Editor: Ben Mundy Sound: James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele

Credits

BBC / Gordon Murray Puppets Gentleman's Journal


Each week, Profile from BBC Radio 4 takes a single name from the global conversation and builds a detailed portrait, moving far beyond the headlines. This isn't a simple biography or a news recap. Instead, through careful documentary storytelling and personal journal excerpts where available, the podcast constructs a nuanced examination of character and motive. You’ll hear from colleagues, critics, and sometimes the subjects themselves, piecing together what drives and defines the people shaping our world. The focus rests firmly on influence, whether in politics, the arts, science, or social movements, exploring how an individual's background and choices ripple through society and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining a deeper, more textured understanding of the figures you think you know, revealing the contradictions and convictions behind the public image. It’s a thoughtful half-hour that challenges first impressions, asking what truly lies behind a name in the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Profile
Podcast Episodes
David Lammy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:37
He’s not yet completed a hundred days in his new job, but David Lammy finds himself overseeing the UK’s response to rising tensions in the Middle East.Born to Guyanese parents in north London, and raised by his mother fr…
Eben Upton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:21
It’s a tiny computer with a catchy name: Raspberry Pi. But what's the story behind the man who thought up this affordable device?His name is Eben Upton. He has gone from being a child desperate to make computer games, to…
Martin Hewitt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:23
Some call it one of the trickiest jobs in the country. How do you stop the small boats trying to cross the English Channel and smash the smuggling gangs? The government has appointed Martin Hewitt to the role- he’s leadi…
Eluned Morgan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:38
This week we delve into the life of the First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan, the first woman to hold the position. Morgan was introduced to politics at a very young age by her parents, who were both councillors. Her ea…
Lee Carsley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:30
Some of world football's biggest names have been linked to England's top job since Gareth Southgate hung up his waistcoat. But, for now at least, it is Lee Carsley who takes over as England's interim manager.The modest,…
James Graham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:29
James Graham’s writing obsession started at the age of six in the shadow of Nottinghamshire's former coalmines. Equipped with a typewriter from his mother he created hundreds of stories from the family home in Kirkby-in-…
JD Vance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:50
From ‘hillbilly’ roots to becoming Donald Trump’s nominee for vice-president. At 39, if JD Vance is elected, he would be one of America’s youngest ever Vice-Presidents. A lot has been laid bare in his own words, in ‘Hill…
Shabana Mahmood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:23
Shabana Mahmood is the new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. Born in Birmingham in a Kashmiri Pakistani family, she has three siblings, one of whom is her twin. From an early age her father ensured that…
Evan Gershkovich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:55
Evan Gershkovich is the Wall Street Journal's Moscow reporter. He's been imprisoned in Russia since March last year, and has just gone on trial there - the first American journalist to be jailed in Russia since the Cold…
Shania Twain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:58
Before she became one of the best-selling musicians of all time, Shania Twain worked for the family tree-planting business, singing for tips in lumberjack bars to help make ends meet. Stephen Smith charts the rise of a h…