Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

For six decades the Lentini Family citrus farm has been passed down through three generations, squeezing love and care into their range of fresh juices. Sam Lentini from Eastcoast Beverages has been a key figure in the longevity of one of Australia’s most influential farming families. ⁠⁠https://eastcoastbeverages.com.au⁠⁠ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHI...

Yvonne Yu is operations manager for Taiwan Village and Jymmanuel, two Melbourne restaurant brands that are foregrounding Taiwanese culinary culture. She works with founder Jay Yi-Ming Huang to make Taiwanese a go-to cuisine in Australia. As Yvonne explains, there are challenges in satisfying Taiwanese customers and the broader multicultural market, and it takes a finely tuned sense of mission and...

Alma Pasalic is the general manager and beverage manager at Restaurant Botanic in Adelaide, where she’s in charge of the non-alcoholic offering that just won a prize in that category at the Australian Wine List of the Year Awards. This chat is full of her hectic passion for Indigenous ingredients, round restaurants, kind hospo culture and long careers in restaurants. We also celebrate the upcoming...

What happens when a long-time corporate exec swaps suits for sugar and spice? Anirban Chanda launched Sydney micro-bakery Another Whisk off the back of an inspiring run as a contestant on Great Australian Bake Off. His desserts take classic European forms sparked up with Indian spices and Australian ingredients. https://anotherwhisk.com SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIV...

Welcome to the podcast where we use abbreviations including QSR, FMCG and SOP and still make it fun! Christina Murrell is the GM (ooh another abbreviation) of Luke’s Banh Mi, a start-up that hopes to be become the Maccas of Vietnamese rolls, not just in Australia but around the world. Why not? We talk brand DNA (abbreviation alert!), business strategy, tech integration and the compromises you shou...

She’s only recently qualified as a chef but New Zealand’s 19-year-old Emily Morgan was just crowned the 2025 Nestle Golden Chef of the Year, after competing at Fine Food Australia against 11 other contestants. If you want to feel positive about the future of hospitality, simply listen to this chat. https://www.instagram.com/emilymorganchef/ https://www.goldenchefs.com.au https://finefoodaustralia....

Federica Andrisani runs Hobart’s Fico and Pitzi Pasta Bar with her partner Oskar Rossi. We check in on the cusp of spring, after Freddie and Oskar are just back from five weeks in Europe. What inspires her, is balance as a business owner ever possible, and how does she roll through busy days of ups and downs? https://www.ficofico.net SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAW...

How would you feel if you were in charge of 35,000 bottles of wine? Our last voice from a Mediterranean cruise on Oceania Vista is that of sommelier Fernando Monzon. Born in Chile, Fernando's mind was opened to wine by chance, taking him on a journey of discovery that continues in every port. This Mediterranean jaunt is part of a 12-day cruise on ⁠⁠⁠Oceania Vista⁠⁠⁠. Story coming soon in Gourmet T...

When it comes to food, US chef Lori Powell has done it all. She’s a food stylist, recipe developer and now cooking teacher for Oceania Cruises, running a glamorous food school at sea. We encounter Lori on the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. https://www.instagram.com/loridpowell?igsh=MXRyNndob2ZwZHFkag== This Mediterranean jaunt is part of a 12-day cruise on ⁠⁠Oceania Vista⁠⁠. Story coming so...

Dirty Linen steams into Santorini for a chat with local winemaker George Ntantis. Most people know the Greek island for its pretty painted homes and domes and outrageously blue sea but there's so much more to learn - including about Santorini's food and wine culture. This Mediterranean jaunt is part of a 12-day cruise on ⁠Oceania Vista⁠. Story coming soon in Gourmet Traveller. https://www.oceaniac...

Dirty Linen is aboard ship, a 12-day cruise in the Mediterranean on Oceania Vista, where cuisine is the key focus. We talk to the cruise line's Executive Culinary Director Alexis Quaretti about fine food at sea and what restaurants on land might learn from the challenges of feeding 1200 people on board a luxury cruise. https://www.instagram.com/alexis.quaretti/ https://www.oceaniacruises.com This...

Dirty Linen is coming to you from Rome, Italy, one of the western world's most resonant and layered places to eat. We meet restaurateur, cooking teacher and guide Claudia Paiella to find out what feeds Roma and walk around bustling Mercato Trionfale for tastings, including a life-changing porcini mushroom. https://www.enotecacorsi.com This episode is proudly supported by ArtsPay, the payments plat...

Ciao ragazzi! Dirty Linen is coming to you from Italy - we're on a travel assignment - and today's episode is in Livorno, a coastal city in Tuscany. People tend to bypass Livorno for nearby Pisa and Florence but there are great food traditions to explore in this diverse city of many influences. We chat to olive oil expert Alessandro Camici and guide Elena Morelli. https://www.mercatodellevettovagl...

Last time we caught up with Lumen People, they announced the closing of cafe #1 and shared the news of location #2. As a new site draws closer, Emma Sheahan shares tales of the last bittersweet days in North Melbourne and plans for the new place in Fitzroy. https://www.lumenpeople.com SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.u...

A busy restaurant is one thing but how about a packed stadium? Princess Anne Uy feeds up to 45,000 people in her role at Marvel Stadium. She's also representing Australia at the World Food Championships. Her journey is remarkable - and we both get emotional talking about it. https://www.instagram.com/princess_anne_stories/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS A...

I’m excited when a restaurant celebrates its first birthday. But what about a restaurant that turns 30? In 1994, Judy McMahon took over Catalina at Rose Bay. Overlooking Sydney Harbour, this now iconic restaurant is beloved for its seafood, definitely, but it’s the polished experience that keeps people coming back. We talk about hard-won wisdom, the courage to keep innovating, and government lever...

We love a return guest on Dirty Linen. Leon Kennedy (previously of Mulberry Group, now at Pax) comes back with a few more truth bombs and strategic insights. We talk about the four-part roadmap that every restaurant needs to be successful, and why altruism is a key to better and more productive business. Mentioned: pax.melbourne Robert Solow’s model production function, a central component of the...

Venues don’t come more iconic than Opera Bar at the Sydney Opera House. It’s the eve of a new era, with longtime venue managers Solotel on the way out and new stewards Applejack on the way in. We chat to executive chef Fernando Sanchez about work-life balance, women in the industry, reducing food waste and his ‘no dickheads’ policy in the workplace. https://www.instagram.com/cheffernandosanchez/?h...

A new wave of Greek food is sweeping Australia. One business that’s never been shy of innovation is Vanilla Lounge in Melbourne’s Greek hub of Oakleigh. As the Spanos family open another outlet - this time focused on desserts - we catch up with Dennis Spanos about the family business, his father’s legacy, leading with empathy and the changing face of Greek cuisine. Anyone want chips on frozen Gree...

Why would a barista subject themselves to the stress and pressure of competition? We chat to Veneziano ambassador Gabrel Tan about putting his coffee skills on the line as he shares resonant stories about beans, farmers and origin. https://www.instagram.com/gabrel____/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-ma...

Bonjour from Champagne! Dirty Linen did the hard yards visiting small Champagne producers and sampling the wares. This conversation is with Raphael Bereche, 5th generation producer at Bereche et Fils. We talk terroir, tradition and the many miracles of Champagne. https://www.bereche.com/en/check-age SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://d...

David Loyola launched wine bar Aux Deux Amis in 2010 after a transformative four years working at bistronomy originator Chateaubriand. We talk about the true essence of hospitality, as expressed in this small, serious, seriously fun 45 square metre restaurant. https://www.instagram.com/auxdeuxamis/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES http...

Dirty Linen is currently Linge Sale - that's French for 'Dirty Linen'. We come to you from Ferme de la Plaine, a small farm in Provence that has an Australian connection: it's where Barragunda restaurant manager Marie Grasset was born. Today's pod is a walk around the farm with her nephew and farmer Martin Dorino. Apologies for my French! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, G...

Dirty Linen comes to you from France, specifically a summer produce market in Lourges where we are lapin up the lapin. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf7100cf947e2e6973&id=d17d8213f5 Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Valent h...

Have you had your life changed by Persian cuisine? Mahshid Babzartabi is an author and cook who arrived in Australia as a refugee from Iran in 2013. Her new book Stop, Next Chapter. tells the story of that harrowing journey. Mahshid is a translator by profession now also working in food, doing catering, cooking classes and her new Mystery Boxes, which are home-delivered parcels of resonant joy. Bu...