Matthew Shaw, managing director of Bart Spices, tells a Hallowe'en tale of chicken innards, ear removal and maggoty bugs

What was your first ever job? A paper round, for which I earned £7 a week. It started my habit of getting up early.

Describe your career in a nutshell. I started in retail with Waitrose. I then sold biscuits, cheesecakes, coin mechanisms, mouthwash and medicines before landing my dream job at Bart.

What is the worst job you've ever had? I set up a rotisserie as part of a supermarket deli counter. Turning out chickens innards at 6am wasn't my idea of heaven after a late night.

What would you like to change about the grocery industry? We have to address the criminal levels of waste in the food supply chain. It is the biggest and simplest thing we can do to reduce our impact on the planet.

If you didn't work in grocery where would you work? I would be sailing round the world with my family, experiencing new cultures and cuisines. Or prospecting for oil or diamonds and putting my geophysical A-levels to good use.

What's your best interview tip? You have two ears and one mouth! My most successful interviews have been where I have said very little at all.

Where do you hope to be in five years' time? Exactly where I am. It's October half-term and I am sat with my family on our boat on the river Yealm and there is no reception on my phone. Bliss.

What is your motto in life? Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? In truth, probably the opposite. Live for the day - this isn't a dress rehearsal.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? A fighter pilot, like my uncle.

What's your favourite movie? Reservoir Dogs. I love watching the scene where the ear is being slowly cut off with a razor blade to the sound of Stuck in the Middle with You. Great motivation for any difficult meeting.

Do you have any phobias? Photofit pictures of the sort seen on Crimewatch. I literally have to hide behind the sofa.

If you could pick a celebrity to join your staff who would it be? Billy Connolly. I recently discovered his business plan sketch and can't help thinking he'd add a bit of vigour to our board meetings.

What would you request as your final meal? Lobster caught in our pot, with home-made garlic mayonnaise and a slice of sour dough, washed down with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

What's the weirdest thing you've eaten? Street food in Thailand. Scorpions, water beetles and maggoty bugs. It's OK after a few local beers.

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