🎧 Episode Description

This conversation traces the path that brought Eoin Cluskey to where he is today- not only as the founder of Bread 41, but as someone who thinks deeply about community, responsibility, and the kind of impact a business can have. He talks openly about struggling through school, finding his footing in kitchens abroad, and eventually discovering purpose through business.

Eoin also reflects on the parts of his story that don’t get talked about as often- the pressure of building something from nothing, the moment his partner told him the work was breaking their family, and the shift that followed. His stories from his work in prisons, schools, and the community show a consistent thread of noticing people who are often overlooked, and making small interventions that can have big impact.

🔑 Key Points

School never fit, but it pushed him to think differently

Eoin explains how feeling behind in education stayed with him and later influenced how he approaches people who struggle in traditional systems.

Finding belonging through craft

Food became a place where he could build discipline, confidence, and a sense of identity.

The personal cost of ambition

Eoin names the moment he realised that relentless work was pulling him away from his family and needed to change.

Understanding dignity through prison work

His experiences with incarcerated men opened his eyes to circumstance, accountability, and the meaning of opportunity.

What teachers experience behind the scenes

Spending time with educators gave him a clearer picture of the pressures and expectations they carry.

Encouragement as a turning point

The schoolboy who doubted his own ability shows how a few honest words can change someone’s trajectory.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Bread 41 / Breaducation Programme

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Eoin’s Background

04:10 – Growing Up Outside the System

08:20 – Finding Direction in Kitchens Abroad

14:25 – Lessons from Ballymaloe

18:40 – Starting Bread 41 from Scratch

24:30 – A Family Wake-Up Call

29:45 – Rethinking Ambition and Balance

32:10 – Experiences Inside Mountjoy Prison

42:30 – Teachers, Pressure & the Breaducation Programme

48:25 – A Small Moment That Changed a Young Person’s Path

54:10 – The Responsibility of Being a Business That “Sees” Peopl

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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