Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

We love chatting to ancillary industries that stand alongside hospitality in creating a great experience for guests and staff. Today's guest is Felicity Rodgers from Cargo Crew, an Australian company known best for its aprons and workwear. Cargo Crew now ships to more than 80 countries, employs a team of 50-plus people, and has skyrocketed to annual turnover of $20 million. Felicity shares an insp...

What does a vinegar-soured pork curry from an obscure part of southern India have to do with climate change? We chat to Anjali Ganapathy, an unofficial ambassador for Coorg cuisine, the food she grew up with in a hilly forest and farming region of Karnataka. Coorg people are deeply connected to land and seasons; when the weather changes, so does culture. https://www.instagram.com/pigout_coorgkitch...

Last year we did one of our most popular series ever on Dirty Linen, following the planning, building and opening of Martin Boetz's Shortgrain restaurant in Brisbane. It's been seven months and we were wondering...how is Marty going now? We check in to hear about staffing, costs, pricing, customers and vision - is Shortgrain the place its owner hoped it would be, and what advice does this experien...

Even if hospitality isn't broken, is it breaking the people who work in it? We talk to Paul Pitcher, owner of Woodhouse, a steakhouse in Bendigo. Paul and his wife Danielle run their restaurant with passion and rigour but they're finding it increasingly hard to get the numbers to stack up. What would help their business and the hospitality industry as a whole? And what motivates Paul to keep going...

Hospitality, tourism and accommodation are entwined, especially in regional Australia. But what happens when one pillar of that business is deeply compromised? We chat to Eloise Emmett, owner, chef and host at Little Norfolk Bay Bistro and Chalets in Tasmania. Eloise is troubled by booking platforms which take a huge cut of her margins and by customers who don't understand why booking direct is a...

Wiradjuri woman Tara Croker is the founder of Yaala Sparkling, a purpose-driven flavoured mineral water company that uses native ingredients to create healthy and delicious drinks. Ethics are at the heart of the business: Tara aims to change the game when it comes to the economic pathways of indigenous foods and as Yaala grows, she hopes to create employment for Indigenous people too. https://yaal...

We've chatted about misogyny, sexism and poor culture before on Dirty Linen but it's always the right time to surface these issues and create awareness around toxic behaviour and efforts to eliminate it. Today's guest is Kaidee Grzankowski, co-owner of Maggie's Snacks & Liquor in Melbourne's Brunswick East. This is Kaidee's first business and she doesn't want her staff to experience the same sexis...

Something a bit different on Dirty Linen today. We’re chatting with Melbourne musician Jess Ribeiro who has a new album coming out in April, Summer of Love. Why have a musician on a food podcast? For one thing, I think all creative industries overlap and intertwine and there are synergies and lessons that we can share. Also, Jess has had various focuses on food throughout her life and career, begi...

It was big news when Teage Ezard announced his 18-year-old Melbourne restaurant Gingerboy had shut the doors. People realised that tricky times in hospitality weren't just a story, they were impacting seasoned restaurateurs. What happened behind the scenes at Gingerboy and why was now the right time to close? And does hospo veteran Teage Ezard think his beloved industry is broken? https://www.inst...

Is hospitality broken? Maybe not - if you don't let it break you. Today's guest is Tim Bone, an ex-MasterChef contestant who has resisted pressure to turn Tim's Toasties, his Ballarat-based mobile food business into a bricks-and-mortar operation. Staying nimble means less risk, more flexibility and lower outlay. But is there a downside? https://timbone.com.au/ Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https...

Is hospitality broken? Absolutely not, says Jo Barrett. The Age Good Food Guide's Chef of the Year has just announced she's closing her one-hat restaurant Little Picket, but it's on her terms. The restaurant is profitable and she's moving on to two projects she thinks need to be tackled now: wild game and bread waste.  Jo is a return guest on Dirty Linen. Listen to her illuminating takeover series...

When Lachlan Dougherty was an apprentice chef, it wasn't unusual for his head chef to call him into a lift to scream at him. Two decades later, the owner of Black Vice cafe in Hurstbridge still feels like he's unpicking the impacts of abuse. We talk about hospitality culture and the perpetuation of bad behaviour and - crucially - how courageous questioning and practical steps can lead to positive...

Anyone who’s making 7 different types of chocolate gelato deserves our attention. Debb Makin is a chocolate lover, craftsperson, educator and determined small business owner at Ratio Cocoa Roasters, expanding ideas of how to appreciate and enjoy chocolate. Along the way, she’s also empowering consumers: once people understand the issues embedded in this complicated and often opaque international i...

As we've been asking if hospitality is broken, there's been a common refrain that restaurant groups have it easy, or at least easier. Today's guest is Ash Hicks, executive chef of Darling Group, which has a dozen or so venues in Victoria. What are the upsides and snags of being part of a group? Does money wash through the hallways? How do you build positive culture when each business is part of a...

What's French for "hanging with Dani"? Today I'm at Salernes in France where I head to the market, fall in love with everything and buy a rabbit I'm not quite sure what to do with. Listen in as I tackle butchery, offal extraction and braising in a delightful Provencal kitchen. Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Valent https://www.instagram.com/d...

We're back in Barcelona today, walking the neighbourhoods with chef Javier Perez Gonzalez. Javi is also a founder of Australia's Eat Spanish culinary advocacy organisation and he has a great perspective on the similarities and differences between hospitality culture in Australia and Spain. So - where would he rather open a restaurant? https://www.instagram.com/chefjavi?igsh=MXhydHl3djZyb2prbw== Fo...

I remember when Josh’s Rainbow Eggs first arrived at my local supermarket 14 or 15 years ago. The brightly coloured box promised free range eggs and the packaging had a photo of a young boy’s face on it - how great to be able to support a kid in his ethical business, I thought. Josh Murray was nine then and he’s 23 now. What is the backstory to this boy with a bunch of happy chickens? https://www....

We're back in Barcelona for another podcast, this time with Alexei Morales and Cameron Rosenbrock, who run two specialty coffee shops in their adopted city. Alexei is originally from Cuba, Cameron is from Australia and he worked at some iconic Melbourne venues before heading overseas. What's it like setting up a coffee business in Spain, a country which is very into its daily brew but has a rather...

Is hospitality broken? We continue our special series with Leon Kennedy, CEO of Mulberry Group. His answer, an emphatic, strategic 'no'. Leon is a brilliant and inspiring thinker around business, hospitality, purpose and agency. We talk about the many levers that can be pulled, great questions to ask, and change that can be implemented moment by moment. Feeling buried in your business? Don't miss...

We continue to wrangle over this big question: is hospitality broken? Ben Liebmann was COO of Noma in Copenhagen for seven years but he's also worked across music and television. He brings his broad perspective to position hospitality alongside other creative industries. If restaurants and the people who work in them are so critical to our identity and economy, why isn't there a truly representati...

Baristas are crucial! They make the coffees that start our days off right. We get to know Suparat 'Skye' Thimthongkum, barista at sandwich star Warkop. What does she love about her job, what are the tricky aspects and how did she learn to make a perfect rosetta with steamed milk? https://www.warkop.com.au/ Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Vale...

Dirty Linen on the road! We're coming to you this week from Barcelona. I wander the neighbourhood of Gracia with local food writer Mireia Font, chatting culinary and cultural traditions. What are some key Catalan flavours and ways of gathering around food, drink and conversation? And why is there a cheese called "little tit"? Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodc...

We all know that providing access for people with disabilities is important. But how often do most of us actually hear from someone navigating and negotiating that access? Today’s guest Andy Gilovitz (Adventure Wheels Melbourne) lives with spina bifida and spinal cord injuries which mean he’s either in a wheelchair or using walking aids. What makes his life easier and harder when it comes to dinin...

We love celebrating up-and-coming talent at Dirty Linen. Today's guest is recently qualified Perth pastry chef Camellia Holil. After starting her apprenticeship at Rockpool Bar & Grill, Camellia gained experience at Vue de monde in Melbourne and 2am Dessert Bar in Singapore. She's now at Wildflower and Madalenas, two very different West Australian restaurants. We talk about dedication, ambition an...

Is hospitality broken? We continue asking this big question of people in the industry. Today's guest is Kemal Barut, owner of hatted Turkish restaurant Tulum and 21-year-old neighbourhood bistro Lezzet. What's changed over the years? What would Kem like to see change for the better? And how does he keep upbeat, positive and creative when the economic challenges are so intense? https://www.tulumres...