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PODCAST

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

A Deep in the Weeds Production

Dirty Linen goes behind the scenes in restaurants, cafes and bars, covering issues the hospitality industry finds hard to share in public - it"s all up for grabs and everything is on the table. Your host is food journalist Dani Valent. For 20 years, Dani has been writing about restaurants and the people who give them life. But she"s an outsider, a critic, a tourist, a fan. Despite hearing the stories and writing the tales, she"s never really understood what happens behind the scenes. Now it"s time

arts food

All Episodes

46:26

Sam Keck (Commonfolk) - not taking the rage-bait

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/26

In the wake of a recent opinion article slamming local coffee for its quality and price, we bring Commonfolk’s Sam Keck to the table for a rebuttal. The cafe owner and coffee roaster tackles some big questions. Is Australian coffee any good? What is it worth? In a cost-of-living crisis, what is a coffee-loving consumer supposed to do?https://www.commonfolkcoffee.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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41:50

Laszlo Kun (Beekeeper) - Protecting Our Pollinators

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/21

Bees can’t speak for themselves but Laszlo Kun can speak about bees. A computer expert at CSIRO by day, Laszlo works with bees after hours, entranced by their intelligence and communal culture, and concerned about their vulnerability. As well as producing high quality single origin honey, Laszlo rescues bee colonies and has developed an app to help track the success or otherwise of varroa mite treatments. https://beesfriend.com.au/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS,

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34:11

Elvin Ho (Chef and Comedian) - Gruel Intentions

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/19

We’re used to people wearing a few different hats these days…but how about Elvin Ho - Chef. Cheesemonger. Food writer. Food tech teacher. A dad who forages garden snails. And - if that wasn’t enough - a standup comedian and improv artist who has a show at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival called Gruel Intentions. Like me, Elvin believes food is a powerful way to create connection. elvinho.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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35:58

Zach Green (The Storyteller Chef) - What is...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/14

Zach Green is The Storyteller Chef, a First Nations chef and mental health advocate based on Larrakia Country in Darwin. He’s part of Fire & Forage, which offers indigenous food experiences in the Top End. People often ask, “What is Australian food?” Surely, local ingredients and indigenous foodways are a large part of the answer. storytellerchef.com.au fireforage.com.au

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39:45

Rhonda Andrews (Barrington Centre) - The Power of...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/12

Poor working environments aren’t just a bummer, they are illegal. Every Australian jurisdiction requires employers to explicitly identify, assess, and control hazards that could harm someone’s mental health. Rhonda Andrews is a psychologist and the CEO of Barrington Centre, a specialist team of psychologists and consultants. We talk workplace culture, burn-out and why chefs are as important as brain surgeons. Our last chat in

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36:46

Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) -...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/08

She was on the verge of packing in her plant-based businesses and moving to Spain but Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) has doubled down on her vegan food brands with new investor Kelly Jarrett. Why don’t the old models work in hospitality anymore? What has Shannon learnt from a finance person about the food business? And what’s happened to vegan eating in an age of meat-maxxing? https://www.instagram.com/shannon_martinez/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE

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45:06

Dave Pynt (Burnt Ends, Singapore) - Big, juicy chat!

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/05

There’s no bad time to catch up with Dave Pynt, chef and owner of fire-driven Michelin-starred Burnt Ends in Singapore. However, this seems like an especially good time to talk Michelin stars and New Zealand & South Australia, kitchen culture in Singapore, whether staging (working for free in restaurants) is a good thing, especially in light of Dave’s topical experience at NOMA in Copenhagen. https://burntends.com.sg We also mention Will Goldfarb - here’s my chat with Will from 2021, when

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11:05

Postcard from Vietnam - dawn at the Hanoi wholesale...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/07/03

Dirty Linen is in Vietnam! We get up at 4am for a dawn tour of Long Bien wholesale market (and more) with local chef Duyen Phan. Along the way Duyen told me some of her own story. She left her village as a young teen and ended up working for vendors at this market for two years, before a chance encounter with an English woman inspired her to learn English herself and build a different kind of life. I was introduced to her by Tracey Lister, a Melbourne chef and teacher who spent a long time in

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38:07

Fhred Batalona (Palay, Fitzroy) - From Home Cooking...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/06/23

When you’ve experienced the worst of hospitality, how do you run a restaurant that exemplifies its best? Fhred Batalona owns Palay, a Filipino ‘house’ in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. He grew up in a multicultural home, trained as a chef in the Philippines, and moved to Australia to work and study. After years as an employee, he’s now a business owner, striving to create an environment that’s happy and supportive. https://www.palay.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS,

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28:17

Franck Sammut (Upper Middle) - a restaurant life

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/06/21

After decades in hospitality, including 18 years at Melbourne institution France-Soir, Franck Sammut has opened an all-day pizza restaurant called Upper Middle. What has kept Franck engaged with restaurant life over so many years, and what challenges is he striking as a first time business owner? Also, how is the tarte tatin so good? https://www.instagram.com/uppermiddlesouthmelb/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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36:26

Liam Ganley (Ganley Group) - tradition, innovation...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/06/15

In a challenging time for hospitality, I’m also struck by the optimism and investment. It happens with an eye on business opportunity, for sure, but it’s also because of an enduring belief in gathering. Who better to talk about that than an Irishman? Liam Ganley owns The Fifth Province and Freddie Wimpoles in St Kilda, as well as four other pubs. With a background in construction and pub culture in his veins, we talk about tradition, innovation and the

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35:38

Jenna Abbruzzese (Addington Downs) - the emotional...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/06/10

We’re back with chef and lamb farmer Jenna Abbruzzese from Addington Downs as part of an ongoing Dirty Linen series. Since we spoke last time, Dani has eaten some of Jenna’s lamb. What’s it like to cook and eat an animal that you’ve seen frolic around on Instagram, that has a name, and that died to be your dinner? Also mentioned: Charles Massy’s book, Call of the Reed Warbler Charlie Arnott’s podcast, The Regenerative Journey Brooklands Farm:

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38:51

Sarah Baldwin ( Joy Restaurant, Brisbane) -...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/06/08

Is it possible to create a balanced, intentional, happy life as a chef? Sarah Baldwin, chef and owner of Joy Restaurant in Brisbane, is making it happen. The seven-year-old restaurant serves a set menu four nights a week to two sittings of just 10 people. Joy has won many awards but this conversation is more about connection and vulnerability than accolades. https://www.joyrestaurant.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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33:02

Emma Sheahan (Lumen People) - illuminating Lumen

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/06/02

Every now and then, we check in with Emma Sheahan from Lumen People, a cafe and wine bar in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. Our Illuminating Lumen series is all about small business: the joys as well as the tricky bits and challenges. As winter kicks in, we talk carrots and cakes, beetroot and lamb jus, and the ongoing puzzles of costing and pricing.https://www.instagram.com/lumenpeople/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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27:19

Adriano Cea (Geppetto Trattoria, Melbourne) -...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/05/31

We love a milestone on Dirty Linen! Geppetto Trattoria in East Melbourne is celebrating 45 years, marking its 1981 opening with a pasta mista for $19.81 all week. We talk to owner Adriano Cea about legacy, lovely customers and his dad Nino, who’s still shopping Preston Market for the restaurant’s daily specials. Now, to get onto the secret coniglio (rabbit) list… ⁠https://www.geppettotrattoria.com⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/geppettotrattoria/⁠ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE

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21:57

Emily Yu (Wagyu Ya, Yakikami and Niku Ou) - award...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/05/26

Is there a good reason to buy a grand champion wagyu beast for tens of thousands of dollars and bring it into Australia for diners to try? Emily Yu thinks so. Her team outbid all others in a Japanese auction to secure the best beast, which is now being served at her Melbourne restaurants Wagyu Ya, Yakikami and Niku Ou. We talk about the surprising qualities of premium wagyu and the best ways to enjoy it. https://www.wagyuya.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS,

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35:33

David Martin (Executive chef at St Vincent’s Care) -...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/05/24

If we’re lucky, we’ll get old. But if we end up in aged care, as many of us will, what are the meals going to be like? David Martin is the executive chef at St Vincent’s Care, which offers retirement living and aged care in New South Wales and Victoria. A former five-star hotel chef, he is soon to compete at the National Chef of the Year competition at Food & Hospitality Week 2026, coming up on 25–27 May at ICC Sydney.'https://fhweek.com.au/speaker/david-martin/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

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19:01

Pietro Porcu (Da Noi) - recovery, frustration,...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/05/19

We last spoke to Pietro Porcu in mid-January after his home and farm in Yarck, two hours north of Melbourne, was destroyed by bushfires. Four months later, how is he going and how are things at Da Noi, his 30-year-old Sardinian restaurant? We talk recovery, frustration, opportunity, acceptance and why goats and pigs can’t be in the same paddock. http://danoi.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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37:02

Catie Gett (Muesli whisperer and naturopath) - How...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/05/17

How did ‘health food’ get so off track and became expensive, elitist and anxiety inducing? Muesli whisperer and naturopath Catie Gett recently made a scary leap from the wellness world’s cool kids’ table to the very real world of sharing budget-friendly recipes for people stretched by a cost-of-living crisis. The Staple Store Cookbook is enabling, accessible and anxiety free. https://www.instagram.com/catie_gett/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND

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36:08

Ben Creek (Accor Hotels) - making hotel hospitality...

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent ·

2026/05/12

Are hotel restaurants ever going to be a go-to option in Australian cities and towns? We chat to Ben Creek, Vice President of Food & Beverage in Asia and the Pacific for Accor. From great coffee to smarter buffets to inclusive employment and AI, he shares the levers he’s pulling to make sure hotel hospitality is attractive to locals and visitors alike. https://www.instagram.com/bencreeklondon/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE

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