The Chef JKP Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this festive episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight Pacheco is joined by the renowned Liam Collens for a Merry Christmas special.  The two dive into a captivating conversation, unwrapping the culinary highlights and lowlights of 2023.  Liam Collens AKA - Eat, Go, See!  He is a distinguished figure in the  world of all things gastronomy, travel and writing, the episo...

Send us Fan Mail In the final episode of the Chef JKP Podcast season 4, James Knight-Paccheco interviews the extremely humble and talented, Himanshu Saini, the corporate chef for the Passion F&B Group, the chef and driving force behind the world famous double Michelin starred Trèsind Studio. They discuss Saini's journey from being a trainee to becoming a sous chef at a young age.  They al...

Send us Fan Mail In this fast-paced episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco interviews Solemann Haddad, a 27-year-old self taught chef patron of the acclaimed Michelin starred restaurant - Moonrise!  Solemann has achieved remarkable success in the culinary world. Haddad shares his favourite food memory, his early experiences in his grandfather's restaurant, and his passion...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco welcomes Claudia De Brito, the vice chair for the world's top 50 best restaurants MENA region.  Claudia shares her incredible upbringing, surprising pasta making skills, and offers advice for budding writers. She also discusses her experiences working at a film and TV production company and traveling to film...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, James interviews Nick Alvis, the founder of KMS (Kitchen Management Solutions) and one of the most accomplished and celebrated chef 's in Dubai and the Gulf Region.  They discuss Nick's journey in the culinary world, working with renowned chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, and his experiences in the UAE.  Nick shares his...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco takes listeners on a culinary journey filled with food memories, laughter, and lessons for life.  On this weeks show .  The episode features an enlightening conversation with Fahim Al Qasimi, Co-founder of Seafood Souq, a digital platform that sheds light on the seafood industry. He reminisces about picking fresh...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, Stasha shares her journey from Serbia to the UAE and her vision of serving modern Balkan cuisine.  She opens up about the challenges she faced in the hospitality industry and how she turned strangers into friends at her restaurant.  Stasha also shares his experience with previous head chefs and the excitement of the restaurant receiving a c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, James Knight Pacheco and his guest Liam Collens, discuss the importance of giving and receiving feedback in the restaurant industry.  He questions whether people truly want feedback or if they are seeking validation instead. Liam also emphasizes the need for a holistic approach when critiquing a restaurant, considering factors such as ambie...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of the Chef JKP Podcast features an interview with none other than the award winning Jason Atherton, a renowned chef and restaurateur. Host James Knight-Paccheco explores Atherton's early food memories, including his mom's prawn cocktail night at their guest house.  They also discuss Atherton's journey into the culinary world of Michelin, his experience...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, Duncan Fraser Smith, a veteran of the hospitality industry, recounts stories of working in the back of the house, where he witnessed the intense pressure and high standards of a professional kitchen. From plates being pushed onto the floor if not served quickly enough to throwing knives at targets on the wall, Duncan highlights the relentle...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, Jean Winter, founder and CEO of Touch, shares her love of food and how it has brought people together throughout her life. She emphasizes the importance of equality in food and how her community projects give back. Jean also discusses her extensive travels and restaurant reviews. Above all, she expresses her desire to help as many people as...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco interviews Tom Arnel, managing director of EATX, a company with multiple dining concepts in Dubai. Arnell discusses his transition from being a classically trained chef to a successful restaurateur. Together, James and Tom offer insights, stories, and lessons for both aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts alike. Tun...

Send us Fan Mail In Season 4 of the Chef JKP Podcast, host James Knight-Paccheco is back with a lineup of incredible topics and guests. This season, the podcast includes not only audio but also visual content. The discussions dive deeper into various subjects, promising an engaging and thought-provoking experience. In this episode, James shares stories from his early days in a fine dining restaura...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, James Knight-Paccheco sits down with multi-award winning chef and entrepreneur, Reif Othman. They discuss Reif's impressive career in the culinary industry and delve into topics such as the importance of hard work and listening, adapting to the needs of the customer, and the role of innovation in achieving culinary excellence. Join the...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me For the last two episodes, we are doing a two-part special on one of the most celebrated and highly decorated chefs of our time. He is known to most as the godfather of modern Middle Eastern cooking, the one and only Greg Malouf! http://gregmalouf.com In the second part, we now discuss...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me For the last two episodes of this season, we are doing a two-part special on one of the most celebrated and highly decorated chefs of our time. He is known to most as the godfather of modern Middle Eastern cooking, the one and only Greg Malouf! http://gregmalouf.com  His curiosity and t...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me Ahmed Salih and Bassel Siblini are the Co-Founders of a brilliant new digital platform -  Meelz, the first marketplace in the world to connect chefs directly to the customer. https://meelz.me It started during the pandemic, when the world seemed to stop, however the one thing that was a...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me Sarah Hedley Hymers is one of the most respected food and travel journalists across Europe, Middle East and Africa, not only that, she is also an author, and a judge on several esteemed panels, as well as being on a personal quest to dine in every three-star Michelin restaurant on the p...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me Michael De Souza was working at Emirates airlines for 15 years, the pandemic came along, he was made redundant like so many people at the time, however he didn’t rest on his laurels, as there was always a passion for food from a young age, so he decided to become a chef.  During his tim...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me Martin Koebke is the Founder and CEO of 1765 Gemini, a company that has a full solution when it comes to kitting out bars, hotels, restaurants, it is a one stop shop essentially, they offer clients the very best in the marketplace. https://www.1765gemini.com Growing up in between Africa...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me   When it comes to being one of the most creative and decorated chef’s of the Middle East and beyond, Gregoire Berger has done a lot on his life as a cook, and by the way he is not stopping!  He grew up in Brittany, in his native France, the plan was never to be a chef, it was merely a...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me Mary or better known to her friends as Pra, is the founder of The Caviar Spoon, a platform that ties different types of brands to collaborate! https://www.thecaviarspoon.com Spending over eighteen months to get set up, hasn’t been an easy journey, however, is it about to launch, and let...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me  Alannah fell into hospitality completely by accident.  The dream was to become a graphic designer, however after realising that it meant sitting behind a desk, it was a that point the decision was made to go into culinary school, the journey began at the tender age of 16! The College w...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me Courtney Brandt otherwise known to others as A to Zaatar, is not only an author but one of the most respected food and travel writers in the Gulf region. In her own words, she was late to the market, however one of the things she is most proud of, is that she is true to her word, above...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz https://meelz.me Frunze Carlos de Garza is the Group Development / Executive Chef for the famed 3Fils restaurant in Dubai, with mixed heritage of Mexican and Russian, you know that his food is going to be full of spice and fermentation. https://www.3fils.com Before being becoming a chef, he actually had a...