How much of personal success relies on luck, or being at the right place at the right time? Jason and I chat about his career from the beginning of picking up a camera as a teenager, to following one of the best restaurants in the world - Noma - from country to country, on their next pop up adventure. Jason shares his early life and influences that inspired him to pick up a camera in the first place, how he got started and the blind ambition to a hobby that changed his life. I throw my thoughts on the comparison between military style kitchens and working as a fashion photographer in New York ..read more

The recipe to success behind whale sperm emulsion or why you should put sand in your restaurant to transport guests to a tropical island? Hear all about it as Andre Natera and I catch up over the past two months in the world of hospitality. Whether it's the Bocuse D or', some great hospitality books (like Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality) or what made us laugh about the recently released comical take on chefs, 'The Menu'. Was it using a Paco jet to kill someone? or the on purpose split emulsion; possible referencing Bottura's 'oops I dropped the lemon tart.' Follow @roots_hospitality o ..read more

I hopped over to Warsaw in Poland while traveling around Europe and I was not disappointed. What a beautiful city. Best of all, an incredible bar hidden away in the outskirts that creates a fun and inviting vibe filled with stunningly illustrated menus (done by Martyna herself!) of delicious cocktails. Martyna Blaut is the bartending queen of El Koktel. With her unique perspective on bartending in Poland, Martyna’s passion has driven her around the country. Much like myself, she moved on from following her initial passion of University to pursue a career in hospitality and found a way to inco ..read more

Kenneth and I sat down to chat about Noma finally receiving it’s third hat after 17 years, being able to recognise the chefs who have worked at The French Laundry or Per Se because of their idiosyncrasies during service (like not making a sound during prep, or not putting metal on metal benches to avoid scratches), Matty Matheson popping by for a feed (who is genuinely a legend), the humor in overcomplicating a steak frites when you’re a passionate apprentice, we laugh about the realness of the hit show ‘The Bear’ and it’s eerily accurate portrayal of daily life in the kitchen for chefs, why a ..read more

Welcome to the Chefs PSA x Roots Hospitality takeover where Andre Natera and I banter through whats going on in the restaurant industry around the world and in the media. We talk chefs that have blown up in the media, the new Creamy Ninja (a.k.a Pacojet on a budget), the tyranny of long term chefs and should we drop the brigade system?  All this and more on the PSA x Roots crossover! The Roots Hospitality Podcast is proudly sponsored by Sydney Direct Fresh Produce. The fruit and vegetable providore who has been supplying to Sydney venues for more then 20 years and still smashing it out t ..read more

We jump over to Oslo in Norway for this special episode. Recently when I travelled through Europe and the U.K. I took my podcasting kit along and caught up with people that were doing awesome work. Rebecca Hawkes, the chef and gardener, is no exception. Having travelled as a chef from Norway, to Istanbul, (sometimes working in exchange for accommodation), it’s clear Rebecca’s passion for working with food and it’s relationship with people is important. Food to Rebecca is more then filling you up, it’s a point of nourishment, a reminder that your body thrives on it. Hence her draw to gardening ..read more

Having walked through professional kitchens since he was 16, Matt has worked with the best and come up in the culinary world alongside some incredible chefs too. We chat about his time under Thomas Keller and the military like style in which Keller conducted his brigade.  We chat about meeting Rene Redzepi at the Fat Duck, looking up to Charlie Palmer as one of his inspirations (Matt still wore black socks after Charlie drilled it into him), jumping on at NOMA in 2005 only a year after it had been opened and running with 5 chefs before opening up AMASS in a deserted industrial looking com ..read more

When I started my apprenticeship many years ago, and dabbling with wild and native foods as a chef, Aaron was one of the first people I started following that was utilizing them in an out of the box way that made it engaging enough for me to try it myself. It was inspiring, and pushed me to find new ways to make these ingredients accessible to diners myself. Now it’s at the core of all my dishes. So cheers for the motivation and inspiration Aaron, you’re a bloody legend. We talk about the book Aaron is working on, the interesting change between new and old chefs and what it was like working w ..read more

 We chat about Jason's brief stint cooking at the Olympics, the good timing between being a fresh chef to a new team and integrating into a kitchen, writing prep lists on the back of dockets and being upgraded to a premium recipe folder; plus the importance of developing a strong relationship between local suppliers and growers. Also, what happens if you pull your tweezers out at the Ledbury? And why are Per Se going through so much baking paper per week?  The Roots Hospitality podcast is proudly supported by Sydney Direct Fresh Produce. The fruit and vegetable providore led by Luke ..read more

Second time around for the Bartender Roundtable with Sarah Proietti (Maybe Sammy), Dre Walters (Old Mates Place), Chau Tran (Burrow Bar), Harrison Kenney (Bar Planet).   Do you get free shots at Bar planet if it's your birthday? Are the wet pussy shots finally making a come back? Are Australian cows kosher? Did the Dalai Lhama smuggle tigers over the border?  Why do chicks dig American Will? Does Kenney fit through the metal detectors at the Airport? And the elevator for Old Mates finally cops a beating. So many important questions tackled. Plus a special guest call in, from an ..read more