Name: Jon Tout
Job title: CEO at Tout’s
Jon Tout recalls jubilantly finding £32 in dropped coins as he cleared away debris from under the confectionery counter while working at his parents’ forecourt business aged 11. But now he is CEO of the three-site operator one of his pet peeves is litter; that and people who have “just one gear”, thieves and drive-offs.
01. Your career history:
I was 11 when I first started working at Tout’s, helping Mum and Dad stock the shelves and cleaning underneath them looking for dropped change. On my best run I found £32 under the confectionery shelves in our Langford store which back then was a lot of money.
Since then, I’ve worked as a supervisor, store manager, business manager, managing director and I am now the CEO of our second generation, three-strong forecourt business in North Somerset. It was originally set up by my parents Philip and Lesley Tout in 1977 when they were aged just 21.
I studied business and entrepreneurship at university, where I did a four year course with a gap year spent working for Musgrave. This allowed me to see behind the scenes from a supplier perspective which was a great introduction to the industry.
When I finished university, Musgrave offered me a job, but Mum and Dad offered me more money, so I joined the family business. I’ve never looked back and feel extremely grateful for the opportunity they gave me.
02. Dream job: Business owner, and an investor or farmer.
03. What do you drive? Either a Volkswagen Amarok or a Mercedes-Benz Vito van, or I borrow my wife Zena’s car when I need to look more presentable!
04. Perfect day: My perfect work day would include an early morning gym session, a good mix of meetings, thinking space, and spending time in the stores. Then later ending the day with the family, including sharing a steak with my three-year-old daughter Aurora.
05. Best holiday: Iceland.
06. Holiday wish list: Next on my holiday wish list I’d love to go to Canada and travel around in a Campervan. There’s so much nature and incredible scenery to explore. I’d love to spot a bear and see the salmon run.
07. Favourite read: I don’t read, I listen to books and podcasts. I love listening to Steven Bartlett’s podcast The Diary of a CEO, and anything by Tony Robbins, the American author, coach and motivational speaker.
08. Three words to describe yourself: Positive, driven and inquisitive.
09. Possessions you could not do without: Survival kit!
10. What do you most admire? Tony Robbins, my parents, and my first business coach Rob Carter.
11. Favourite sports person: I don’t really watch sport.
12. Best news over the past 12 months: Confirmation of our sponsorship and involvement with the Gromit Unleashed 3 tourist trail this summer.
13. Recent achievements: Breaking the road network with the popularity of our 2024 Tout’s Food Festival and feeding more than 1,500 people there. The birth of my second daughter Sienna, and seeing 15 of us complete the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for our MADL fund. Also, getting back to my peak strength in the gym, after having two children it took a long time!
14. What’s your pet peeve: Rubbish left on the floor, people that only have one gear, and obviously thieves and drive-offs.
15. Biggest fear: I like most things that are a bit scary, the only thing that truly scares me is the thought of something happening to my family.
16. Most important qualities in the workplace: Me and Zena have spent a lot of time thinking about this over the past few months and came up with our new values which are ‘be fun, be connected, be different, be competitive and be expert’.
17. What motivates you? Something new, interesting or exciting, and winning.
18. Best thing about the job: The environment and the people.
19. Best bit of business advice you have ever received: I think the one that has changed me the most is “All the growth comes from the hard stuff” – I learnt this from Tony Robbins and “If I can’t, I must”.
20. Most recent business achievement of note: 2023 was a big year for us, winning a Grocer Gold after opening our most recent local centre, the award-winng Tout’s Cleeve forecourt, which now has an onsite restaurant, hairdressing salon, and most recently this year an aesthetics clinic.
