Beyond The Pass

It's the season finale of Beyond the Pass and Marie Mitchell is here! Marie is a British-Caribbean cultural practitioner, writer, and cook whose work sits where food, community, and storytelling meet. Marie’s debut cookbook, Kin: Caribbean Recipes for the Modern Kitchen , has earned major acclaim, including the Fortnum & Mason Debut Cookery Award 2025 and praise from all corners of the culinar...

Mandy Yin is here! Chef, restaurateur, and the force behind London’s beloved Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar . Born in Kuala Lumpur, Mandy moved to London as a child and started out as a corporate lawyer before following her passion for food. Her laksa bar has become a North London institution, celebrated for its bold, aromatic flavours and modern takes on Malaysian classics. She’s also the author of two b...

Conor Gadd is here! Conor started cooking at 16 under Michelin-starred chef Paul Rankin in Belfast. His style was later shaped by travels through Asia, time in Auckland, and training a Ballymaloe, where he developed a passion for seasonal, ingredient-led food. He went on to help launch Terroirs in London before joining Trullo in Highbury, where he became Head Chef and stayed for over a decade. Now...

Anna Tobias is here! Anna began her career at Blueprint Café under Jeremy Lee before spending four formative years at The River Café. She later became Head Chef at Rochelle Canteen, guided by Margot Henderson and Melanie Arnold, who encouraged her to find her own voice in the kitchen and her own approach to hospitality. After Rochelle Canteen, Anna freelanced, including a residency at P. Franco. I...

David Taylor is here! Trained under the guidance of Glynn Purnell before heading to Norway, David was part of the team that earned three Michelin stars at Oslo’s Maaemo, shaping his passion for seasonality, the discipline of responding to what the land yields, and the power of food as cultural storytelling. In 2022, David opened his first solo restaurant, Grace & Savour at Hampton Manor, along...

Chantelle Nicholson is here! She’s a multi-award-winning chef, restaurateur, and all-around force for a more conscious way of dining. As chef-owner of Apricity in London, proudly awarded a Green Michelin Star, Chantelle champions regeneration and circularity, weaving seasonality, locality, and a deeply people-first ethos into every corner of her kitchen and dining room. Tune in to hear us chat con...

Adam Leydon is here! Originally from the lovely Mersea Island in Essex, he has spent 20 years in hospitality, with the last 12 at Hawksmoor where he’s now the L&D Manager. He’s all about helping people grow their careers and takes a really people-focused, empathetic approach to everything he does. He’s a big foodie, loves eating out, and is the vice-captain of Graces Cricket Club, the world’s...

Gina Knight is here! With 18 years of hospitality experience spanning hotels, bakeries, and restaurants, Gina brings sharp insight, compassion, and a mindset-first approach to everything she does. Now Head of People at Flat Iron and a coach, she’s all about helping others cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. Tune in to hear us chat about creating a career in hospitality that wor...

Sarah Clark is here! With 30 years of hospitality and retail know how, from pubs up and down the country to leading operations at Pret, Sarah brings a whole career’s worth of wisdom, grit, and humour to the table. Now an executive coach and founder of Nine Yards Coaching, she is helping hospitality leaders go from surviving to thriving. Tune in to hear us chat about the twists and turns of a hospi...

Amber Francis is here! Just crowned as the winner of Great British Menu 2025, Amber has cemented herself as a top culinary talent with over ten years of experience operating in some of London’s best restaurants. Named as "one of Britain’s most talented rising culinary stars", she became a head chef at the age of 26, was crowned Young Chef of The Year in 2022, as well as making Square Meal’s Ones T...

Hans Cook is here! The founder of Cap'N'Chino, he blends his love for specialty coffee with a mission to raise mental health awareness. Starting in 2019 as an Instagram coffee review page, Cap n Chino has grown into a platform supporting mental health initiatives through merchandise, football sponsorships, and a signature coffee blend with Jericho Coffee Traders. Hans launched his podcast Flat Whi...

Missy Flynn is here! A smashing restaurateur and hospitality human, Missy is the co-owner of the always brilliant restaurant Rita’s and also co-runs Malik-Acid, a beverage design and events agency. She is a trustee for Food Behind Bars, a charity improving food in UK prisons and armed with a master’s in the Anthropology of Food from SOAS, has contributed to various industry thought and trend forec...

Madeleine Geach is here! Madeline is a Hospitality Leadership Coach, Best-selling author and ex head of people and culture at Hawksmoor. They have been named a CODE most influential women in hospitality two times over and are a restaurant enthusiast through and through. Tune in to hear us chat about the challenges of boundary setting, enjoying a lush confit duck and the absolute magic of smashing...

George Gill is here! As the Community Manager at CODE and The Good Food Guide, George is all about shining a spotlight on restaurants that embody incredible workplace culture. With a deep passion for hospitality, he’s dedicated to celebrating the spaces where teams thrive and guests feel the love. Tune in to hear this self confessed nostalgic reminisce about the glamour of fish and chips at J Shee...

Fatti Tarkleman is here! They are a multi hat wearing chef and recipe developer, currently at Willows in Clapham and founder of the supper club, Eat Cute, designed for queer folks to eat and meet cute. Fatti is a passionate activist for better mental health in the hospitality industry and in general, advocating for supportive work environments and better resources for teams. Through her platform,...

We are kicking off Season 4 with the fabulous Paul Spencer. Beginning as a chef in the French suburbs, Paul worked his way from BOH to FOH all the way to his current role of COO at Edyn overseeing the brands Locke, Cove and SACO, operating in nine countries by the close of 2024. Paul is a force for good in hospitality, showing up as a role model and guide for creating a more mentally healthy way t...

Tom Rees is here! They are brilliant! It's the final episode of the season! For some reason it sounds like I recorded this in the bottom of a well! We will invest in a really beautiful mic for season 4! Can't wait to be back with y'all in the fall! Hailing from Wales, Tom has spent the last 7 years in London working at many renowned industry haunts including Trullo, Club Mexicana and Bubala London...

On this episode the incomparable Michelle Moreno sits down with us. Michelle is a true hospitality pro who has travelled all over the world opening, consulting and creating bars and restaurants. These days she is the founder and director of QAB Leadership and especially focused on supporting women into leadership positions across the industry. Her wisdom is unmatched - tune in to hear the truth ab...

In this episode we are sitting down with the brilliant and innovative Paramjit and Bruce Nagra. They are the founders of Crazy Gin, an innovative distillery that is disrupting the status quo in flavour and practice . Committed to creating more space in the drinks industry for a new diverse generation of distillers, Crazy Gin are innovating and advocating in equal measure. Tune in to hear us chat a...

On this episode we sit down with the fabulous Sofia Gassne. Sofia has two decades of hospitality experience spanning basically every role that can be done. She is currently the Head of HR at Hawksmoor and the founder of Culture Bar, which facilitates hospitality specific training focused on Women’s Safety, anti-harrassment and bullying, DEI and much much more. Tune in to hear us throw down about t...

On this episode of Beyond the Pass we sit down with chef Adam Hardiman for a brilliant and vulnerable conversation about kitchens, sobriety and survival. Adam has nearly 30 years of experience including owning and operating the Dalston staple that was Madame Pigg. A recovering addict, Adam’s time in kitchens has gone from chaos to calm. Tune in to hear his insight on walking through hard feelings,...

In this episode we are sitting down with the marvellous Hebe Richardson. Prior to graduating King’s as a registered nutritionist, Hebe was a restaurant human through and through, working in both back and front of house roles. Their industry experience has deeply informed their practice as a nutritionist and they continue to work in different corners of the industry, focusing on the ‘why’ of our re...

On this episode we sit down with the brilliant chef Pratap Chahal. Pratap spent a decade in some very prestigious kitchens and then changed course to take an alternative approach to a career in food. They founded That Hungry Chef, which alongside fermenting all things known to man is now London’s longest running, and most dearly beloved, supper club. A recipe & product developer and private ch...

Today we are sitting down with Craig Prentice. Craig wears many hats - he is the founder of Hospitality talent partner Mum., a patron of Hospitality Action and the creator of the Walk for Wellbeing. A truly people focused leader in the industry, Craig is committed to centring the wellbeing of the humans who comprise hospitality in everything he does. Tune in to hear us discuss the ups and down of...

On this episode we sit down with the brilliant Shell Righini. Shell is a proudly sober hospitality professional and the founder of We Recover Loudly which centres conversations around addiction and recovery for folks in the hospitality industry, providing training, support and resources. Tune in to hear Shell's brilliant insight on addiction in hospitality, how we can take an intersectional approa...