#243 - Hospitality Meets Douglas Balish - Forged in the Kitchen
From Baptism of Fire to Michelin Leadership
This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Douglas Balish - Executive Chef and Director at Grove of Narberth, Hotel Chef of the Year, and a man shaped by some of the toughest kitchens in the business.
From washing dishes in Ayrshire…
To getting “pans thrown at his head”
To learning to run in kitchens where nobody walked…
To leading his own Michelin starred brigade
And all of the lessons that come with that
This is a candid episode about pressure, humility, growth — and the fine line between breaking someone and building them.
In This Episode
- Starting out as a 15 year old dishwasher in Scotland
- Walking away from university to chase kitchens instead
- The brutal reality of early Michelin kitchens
- Why some pressure builds you, and some destroys you
- Taking demotions to grow faster
- Working at Bohemia and being completely out of his depth
- The intensity of Whatley Manor
- Moving to Australia to work at Quay
- Why leadership is not one size fits all
- Creating dishes when nobody’s ever let you create before
Baptism of Fire
Douglas doesn’t sugarcoat it. His early Michelin experience was brutal.
80-hour weeks.
Staff accommodation from hell.
Being told he was useless.
Working until nothing fazed him.
And yet, he doesn’t look back with bitterness.
He looks back with perspective.
Because for him, that pressure didn’t break him.
It sharpened him.
Not because bullying is good (Obviously) but because understanding why something is happening matters
The Psychology of Kitchens
There’s a fascinating thread in this episode. Douglas nearly studied psychology. Instead, he learned it in kitchens.
He talks openly about:
- Realising he wasn’t as good as he thought
- Being publicly humbled
- Being dropped down the ranks
- Taking ownership instead of walking away
And most importantly, how that shaped the leader he is today.
He’s clear:
Management isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Some chefs need an arm around them.
Some need structure.
Some need challenge.
The job is knowing the difference.
From Scotland to Sydney
His journey takes him through:
- Jersey
- The Cotswolds
- Australia
- Back to the UK to run his own restaurant
At Quay, he experienced world stage dining, huge covers, relentless precision, global recognition.
At smaller, creative restaurants, he discovered something else:
The kitchen has to suit the chef.
Because even talent struggles in the wrong environment.
Leadership Now
Today, at Grove of Narberth, Douglas does things differently.
Yes, standards are high.
Yes, precision matters.
But:
- Young chefs are encouraged to create
- Ideas are tested safely
- Feedback is constructive
- Growth is intentional
Because he remembers what it felt like to be thrown in without support.
And he’s determined to build strength, not just resilience.
Stand-Out Reflection
“At some point you’ve got to become head chef”
"And when you do — you’d better know who you are"
This episode is honest, Unfiltered, and full of insight for anyone leading teams under pressure
Show Partners
A big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.
It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.
Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil
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