Breadcrumbs [Home](/) > [Business Lessons From Chef AJ](/markdownify/node/4602) ![Business Lessons From Chef AJ](https://media.slman.com/_9H_lbGBTTunvReiYWol0KLLYd4=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F10%2Fslman-site-assets-141026-thumbhero-business-lessons-all-in-a-box.jpg) Image: @AllInABox_UK [Interviews & Careers](/life/interviews-careers) / 14 October 2026 # Business Lessons From Chef AJ Chef AJ is Alexander Mair. In lockdown, he launched All In A Box as a barbecue meal kit provider. Today it’s become a lot more than that. He gave SLMan the full story… Image: @AllInABox_UK **It all began in 2020, just before we went into lockdown**. We knew lockdown was coming, and I was working for my sister’s communications agency. My parents always encouraged me and my siblings to start our own businesses. I'd always had a passion for food and experiences, and always thought that bricks and mortar was the way to go, but as lockdown came, so did demand for at-home dining. **We came up with a barbecue box concept.** It was a simple idea to create an amazing experience for people at home in a really tricky period. That was the first iteration of the business, and I started off just creating dishes that I'd cooked for my family. **It was very much family run at the beginning.** My older sister helped build the website every weekend, having no website knowledge at all. My younger sister, brother and mum were all involved in the packing and the marinating, and I had my dad on the road doing deliveries. **At the beginning, there were a lot of things I was nervous about.** I wasn’t a trained chef, and I wasn’t great with logistics, but I found it important to not be too hard on myself because these things could be learned. In a world dominated by computers and AI, I think it’s important to not lose the human touch. **Working for my sister’s company, we had connections in the PR world.** The box got picked up by the press and influencers. From there, it scaled organically. **Keeping a solution-oriented mentality is really important.** It's really easy to get bogged down on what isn't perfect, or what isn't right in your head, but the reality is, the majority of the people around you want to see you succeed. **If you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, it’s often not as bad as you might think.** Also, sleeping on something instead of reacting right away is sometimes the best approach to decision making. At the same time, not holding onto something but cracking on straight away is also a good approach. It’s about knowing the right time to do both. **‘Keep it moving’ is something that my sister would say to me, and something that I've taken into this business.** We are trying to give people an amazing experience with their friends and family. We also built up really good relationships by just giving people a call. That sort of human approach during the pandemic has continued all the way through to now. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/EiDZSYrof3tM3BBFKoA-eicQfig=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F10%2Fsl-man-141026-business-lessons-credit-allinaboxuk-small-landscape.jpg) ](https://allinabox.co.uk/) @AllInABox_UK [ ![](https://media.slman.com/GBlNH0GyOenVc0_sF0PpwdZPjUc=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F10%2Fsl-man-141026-business-lessons-credit-allinaboxuk-1.jpg) ](https://allinabox.co.uk/) @AllInABox_UK **I think the growth from a business perspective came a little bit faster because it was an innovative product that people weren't used to**. Not many people were doing barbecue boxes when we started out, and when we started doing roast delivery services, I don’t think many people were doing them either. **Celebrities started gifting each other the roast experience boxes.** It sparked growth quite fast in addition to the PR contacts we had already. The business picked up really nicely, and then it carried on from there. We weren’t putting loads of money behind it or anything like that. Because celebrities were receiving it from friends, they were more inclined to post about it on their own social media, which was really amazing to see. **The next** **transition happened organically as lockdowns lifted.** The opportunity arose when customers began asking if the barbecue and roast box experiences could be recreated for private events and corporate environments, like weddings and summer parties. **I'm really lucky to have a good group of people around me.** I think having the right network around you is really important, whether it's friends, family, business acquaintances, or people that you meet on the street. You'll have ups and you'll have downs, and you'll need to lean on people more than you think. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/ozQ1R1nK9nWt5FWqaScz0gUO8_I=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F10%2Fsl-man-141026-business-lessons-credit-allinaboxuk.jpg) ](https://allinabox.co.uk/) @AllInABox_UK [ ![](https://media.slman.com/2rIH44Oq5BazEiB5AL_EWmay8no=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F10%2Fsl-man-141026-business-allinaboxuk.jpg) ](https://allinabox.co.uk/) Be really confident, step out of your comfort zone, and doubt yourself less. **I think a lot of people buy into the business because of the people that we've got within the business.** It's a bit more involved than just churning out sandwich platters. For catering, the delivery person or I will go in, we’ll chat to the receptionist, we’ll give them a high five, we’ll speak to the clients, sit down and have a coffee with them. From a private perspective, it's a slightly longer process because you go back and forth with the client a lot more. **There are different good qualities for different leaders in different environments.** Finding clarity in chaos is definitely important. Sometimes it can be hard to stay calm in certain situations, but it is important to take a step back and take a look at the wider picture. Unexpected problems will always come up, but being confident and being able to respond with a clear head is definitely a sign of a great leader. **In the next five years I’d like to tap into the experiential side of the company** **and nail down corporate catering.** That means focusing on seasonal boxes, and bringing people to the farm we now lease to see and learn where their meat and produce comes from. There are a lot of opportunities at the farm for butchery classes, foraging, and experiential education. I’d like to grow the experiential side of things because, in a world dominated by computers and AI, I think it’s important to not lose the human touch. **Once an idea is in your head, go for it.** If you find yourself in a privileged position where, if everything goes wrong, you have another career to fall back on, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t just give it a punt. Visit [AllInABox.co.uk](https://allinabox.co.uk/) DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at .