Chefs Episodes

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 ...

This week on Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Phil Shelley — Senior Operational Manager at NHS England and Chair of the NHS Food Review. Phil is an exceptional hospitality leader and human being and was crowned Outstanding Achievement Award winner at the 2025 Foodservice Cateys, only last Friday. Phil’s career is a masterclass in purpose driven leadership. From his early days in hotel kitchens to shaping the future of hospital food, he’s proof that hospitality is about so much m...

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Podmas everyone! 🎅🎁 Prepare to unwrap something truly special this Christmas Day as our gift to you is an episode packed with culinary genius and a sprinkle of laughter! Join me as I sat down with the hilariously insightful Daniel Clifford, the proud owner of the two Michelin starred Midsummer House (https://midsummerhouse.co.uk/) and a treasure trove of unforgettable stories! 🎙️ Episode Highlights: 1. Ho Ho Hospitable Hiccups: Picture this: Daniel decides to take a break and le...

Well, have I got an absolute feast for your ears today! I welcomed the incomparable Kate Austen to the show. Kate is a culinary maven whose journey from a kitchen newbie has taken her on to become the youngest ever 2 Michelin Starred Female head chef and the First Female to win the main course at the awesomeness that is, The Great British Menu. Join us as we dive into Kate's hilarious anecdotes, heartfelt reflections, and invaluable industry insights. 🍴 Highlights of the Episode: 1. From "Naïv...

Summary: This week, Phil sits down with master baker and founder of Bread Ahead (https://www.breadahead.com), Matthew Jones for an episode packed with laughter and life lessons. From cheeky kitchen pranks to the transformative power of baking, Matthew’s stories offer a delightful mix of humour and heartfelt insights. Get ready to be entertained by tales of culinary chaos and inspired by Matthew’s journey from pastry novice to successful bakery mogul. Highlights of the Episode: Pastry Work and M...

We're thrilled to announce the latest episode of Hospitality Meets featuring the truly brilliant James Peck, MD of Ember Restaurant, No13 Cocktail Bar and The Four Pears Pub! 🤩 There's a story as to how James and I met which I retell in the podcast but join us for a delightful blend of fun, laughter, and insightful conversations. Here are some highlights you won't want to miss: 1⃣ Kitchen Comedy: You’ll chuckle too hard at James's story about accidentally stabbing his hand while multitasking ...

Hospitality Meets - Episode 200 Welcome to the 200th episode of "Hospitality Meets"! In this landmark celebration, we delve into some of the best bits from the last 100 episodes including the extravagant tales, pivotal moments, missteps and inspiring journeys shared by our incredible guests. Each story is a testament to the laughter, dedication, creativity, and resilience inherent in the world of hospitality. What you can expect in this episode (Bed in, it's epic!):- Eddy Tannous haircut disa...

On this weeks Hospitality Meets I was able to get some time with one of my food heroes, Galton Blackiston, Chef Patron of the quite wonderful Morston Hall. He shares his fascinating journey and insights from and amazing career in the hospitality industry so far. Galton takes us through his early days, starting as a kitchen trainee in the Lake District without any formal culinary education. He reminisces about the tough yet rewarding experience that ultimately led him to become a head chef after...

In this weeks Hospitality Meets, we have a very special guest - Sally Abé, renowned chef and author who has recently released her memoir - A woman's place is in the kitchen. Throughout her career, Sally has worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in the UK, including the Savoy, Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, and the Ledbury. She's here to share her journey, from working as a waitress in golf clubs and bars to becoming a junior sous chef and eventually the head chef at the Harwood Arms...

A real treat for you this week as I got some time with Alison Cullin-Woodcock who is a Food & equipment development consultant, an area of the industry we have not really explored. And I'll bet that some of this will blow your mind but more than that, Alison really brings the energy and passion so it's very easy to get on board with her journey. We cover:- The dogs in our life Equipment & Innovation Knowing what you want to do Developing the palette College Getting the basics right THE ...

Merry Twixmas to you all! Something a little different for you this week, a monumental story of strength and hope! When Charlie Hodson (Owner, until the end of 2023 at least, of Hodson & Co) reached out to me to see if his story merited an airing on the show, a quick call got me questioning whether this show is big enough for his story. There's a lot to get through in this chat including:- The Cheese Room Being a Chef Opening the smallest restaurant in the UK Community Spirit False econo...

We are back in the world of tech this week but have added in more than a pinch of creative and entrepreneurial into the story too. I got some time with the awesome Inge Meijs, Co-Founder and Managing Director of the quite magnificent platform Gastronomixs, the inspiring recipe database for professional chefs. Inge has a great story and there are more than enough lessons and stories from her life as an entrepreneur to whet the appetite here, as well as some great insight into Gastronomixs, We g...

On a sunny Monday morning, a few minutes out of a busy lunch service, I somehow managed to get some time with legendary chef and restaurateur Phil Howard, Chef Patron of the Michelin Starred Elystan Street and co founder of Notto. From the off, it's easy to see why Phil is described as the "Chef's Chef", just get him talking about food and the conversation is easy. He has had one hell of a journey to this point and we cover:- Who is Phil Howard? The changing face of the London food scene Get...

Prepare to be educated! A bold statement for sure but if you have even a remote interest in food, there's something for you in here. I welcomed seasoned (A little food pun for you, you're welcome) educator Jose Souto, Senior Chef Lecturer in Culinary Arts at Westminster Kingsway College. And by god is he passionate about his craft. That comes through effortlessly all the way through and I'm pretty sure that he and I could have spoken well into the night about food. We didn't, but we did get t...

I've wanted to get todays guest on the show for ages and her story does not disappoint. A huge hospitality meets welcome went to Chantelle Nicholson, Chef owner of the Michelin Green Starred Apricity in London and all round force for good in hospitality. We cover:- Apricity Studying law Fate The joy of naivety London Moving to operations The deep end Self Reflection Starting a business Adapting to changing business Looking after yourself Sustaining v Regenerating Following what you...

If you name some of London's most famous stadiums and venues, chances are today's guest is involved in the catering operation. I got some time with Mark Reynolds, Regional Executive Chef - London for Levy UK and National Vice Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs. It's an epic career which has taken him all over the world, having worked on a number of film sets on his way as well. We chat about:- Starting in the family pub The army Youngest Sous Chef in Hilton Being a Chef on Film sets Mov...

I've spoken about the importance of networking many times on this show and without that, I may never have met today's guest. And you are absolutely going to love it. I chat to Stephen Trigg, Managing Director and Founder of Lauden Chocolate, a truly world class chocolatier, and all round top bloke. I can't let this pass without a big shout out to Claire Bosi and the team at Chef Publishing for the introduction. There's so much to love in Stephen's story and we get through:- Getting started ...

Another belter for you this week as I got some time with Masterchef: The Professionals champion 2022, Nikita Pathakji. One of the the joys of that competition is that it gives chefs of all levels the opportunity to compete against each other, with Nikita winning the competition whilst at Junior Sous Chef level. Her career has of course accelerated since then which we cover in our chat. We also get through:- Using brownies to get out of University Moving to London Finger sandwiches Moving to...

And so here is part two of Matt's epic journey. In the first part we learned about an incredible amount of adversity that Matt had to deal with. By his own admission, some of it self inflicted. In the second part, there's definitely a transfer over to hope and moving forward. In this part, we get through:- Bluebird Restaurant Re-focussing Energy into the positive Maze Restaurant People Jamie Oliver Learning leadership Giving back Caravan restaurants Covid Extra Curricular Collaborat...

My life have I got a story for you this week. Introducing Matt Burgess (Known as Matt Blak on Instagram) who has a story so epic, a Hollywood writer should pick it up. I made a decision half way through chatting to Matt that I'll just let this one roll for as long as it takes as frankly, there's learning from the outset and all the way through. It's a 2 hour chat so I'm breaking this up into two this week, the first part for you now and the second part on Friday. So here is Part one. And crik...

A big hearty welcome back to every one of you and we are kicking off season 4 in style! I was lucky enough to get some time in the more than hectic diary of rockstar chef and restaurateur Adam Handling (https://www.adamhandling.co.uk/). Not only did he make time for me, but he did it on the day he launched Eve Bar (https://www.evebar.co.uk/) to add into his 3 other amazing places - The 1 Michelin starred Frog by Adam Handling, Ugly Butterfly in Cornwall and Loch & Tyne in Old Windsor. A more p...

To round off your digital meal this week, for your dessert (he had to be the dessert really) I chat to Benoit Blin, Chef Pattisier at Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons and TV Judge from Bake off: The Professionals. We get through:- Winter in Le Manoir The Pastry Section Born to be in Pastry Committed parents Learning bread Changing perceptions The Financier The process of pastry Creating new dishes Learning the classic basics Bakers Shop to Restaurant to Hotel The Ritz Paris Being bad at ...

In the second of our three chats this week (The main course), I was lucky enough to get some time with the absolutely awe inspiring and industry icon that is Raymond Blanc, Chef Patron at Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons, founder of Brasserie Blanc, author of several books and of course, TV personality extraordinaire. The chat is laden with gold including:- Inclusive luxury The many strings to Raymond's Bow Family & Values Humble beginnings An early understanding of food Le Manoir and future ev...

This week’s episode is brought to you in partnership with Zero Procure who are here to make procurement simple, offering great value and quality for products and services, all for zero cost. Just click on this link or visit their site at www.zeroprocure.com/podcast to help support both this podcast and your business. One of the many joys of hospitality is that it is a global industry, so imagine my delight when today's guest had his people reach out to my people (I have no people) to see if I'd...