Hospo Dojo Podcast
Episodes
36 episodes
Building a Hospitality Brand That Lasts: The Knafeh Bakery Story
What does it really take to build a hospitality business that cuts through noise without losing its soul? In this episode, Paul Ayyash sits down with Ameer El-Issa, co-founder and creative director of Knafeh Bakery, of the most...
Award-Winning Pastry Chef Philip Khoury on Reinventing Pastry
How do you rethink pastry at the highest level without compromising flavour, texture, or the craft behind it? In this episode, Paul sits down with Philip Khoury, award-winning pastry chef, author, and former Head Pastry Chef at ...
From Naples to Sydney: The Regina Pizzeria Story w/ Matteo Ernandes & Emanuele Riemma
How do two Italian chefs turn friendship, discipline, and a love for pizza into a restaurant that’s redefining modern Italian pizza? In this episode, Paul si...
From the Kitchen to the World Stage: Feeding Nations with Meat & Livestock Australia with Sam Burke
What does it take to represent Australian meat on the world stage? In this episode, Paul sits down with Sam Burke, Corporate Chef at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) - a man who’s spent more than three decades shaping how Australia...
Chasing Hats & Finding Purpose: Chef Brendan Fong on Hospitality Leadership
Building a career in hospitality often means weathering intense kitchens, chasing recognition, and finding your identity along the way. Few stories capture that journey better than Brendan Fong’s....
From Michelin-Starred Kitchens to Leading Barilla’s Culinary Vision with Chef Andrea Tranchero
What does it take to carry the weight of Italian cuisine onto the global stage—without losing its soul? In this episode, Paul sits down with Andrea Tranchero, Executive Chef of Barilla for the Asia-Pacific region. With a career spannin...
From Concept to Culture: Building Hospitality Brands w/ Example
What does it take to build a hospitality brand that doesn’t just serve food and drinks — but creates culture, community, and lasting connection? In this episode, Paul sits down with Andy El-Bayeh and Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs, co-founders o...
Shaping the Dining Experience: Custom Plates for Australia’s Top Restaurants w/ Sam Gordon
What goes into crafting handmade plates for Australia’s top restaurants? In this episode, Paul sits down with Sam Gordon, a third-generation potter and founder of Sam Gordon Pottery. After more than twenty years at his family’s...
Cooking With Sustainability in Mind w/ Caitlyn Koether
How can fermentation help kitchens cut waste and cook more sustainably? In this episode, Paul sits down with Caitlyn Koether, Head of Fermentation at the Mul...
The Mastermind Behind Gelato Messina: How Donato Toce Changed Dessert Culture
How do you take a single gelato shop and turn it into one of Australia’s most iconic dessert brands? In this episode, Paul sits down with Donato Toce, co-owner and head chef of Gelato Messina, to unpack the story of a brand that has re...
What It Takes to Build a Venue People Remember w/ Jimmy Hurlston
What happens when you walk away from a safe career to chase a love for burgers and shape a city’s food culture? In this episode, Paul sits down with Jimmy Hu...
What Makes a Venue Stand Out to Time Out w/ Leah Glynn
What does it take to build a strong team in hospitality without losing your soul in the process? Ever wondered how to get your venue featured in one of the most influential food and culture magazines? In this episode, Paul sits ...
People Over Positions: How Great Hospitality Leaders Create Culture w/ Claire Stenhouse
What does it take to build a strong team in hospitality without losing your soul in the process? In this episode, Paul sits down with Claire Stenhouse, Restaurant Manager at the iconic Attica in M...
People Taste the Brand Before the Food: The Creative Method w/ Tony Ibbotson
What makes a hospitality brand truly stand out? In this episode, Paul sits down with Tony Ibbotson, founder and creative director of The Creative Method. Ton...
What Happens When You Grow Too Fast? Adriano Zumbo’s Hard Lessons
What happens when your business grows faster than your resources, and you’re the one left to carry it? In this episode, Paul sits down with Adriano Zumbo, Australia’s renowned pastry chef and MasterChef personality, to unpack t...
The Making of a Modern Baker: Daniel Pasquali’s Pastry Journey
Can passion, personality, and pastry open doors? How do you craft an identity in the crowded world of baking? In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Pasquali, baker, content creator, and finalist on The Great Australian Bake O...
How Vannella Cheese Helped Introduce Cheese to the Australian Market
What does it take to scale a handcrafted product without compromising tradition? Giuseppe Minoia — General Manager and second-generation cheesemaker at Vanne...
130 Years of Wine, Family & Innovation: Brown Brothers’ Journey
How does a family winery stay innovative after 130 years of tradition? Emma Brown, Head of Innovation at Brown Brothers, represents the fourth generation lea...
How Bubba Pizza Scaled to 20+ Stores w/ Damian Hopper
Growing a family business into a successful franchise is no easy feat, especially in the fiercely competitive pizza industry. In this episode, we sit down wi...
Grant Collins: The Mind Behind Sydney's Gin Lane
What makes a bar truly unforgettable? In this episode of the Hospo Dojo Podcast, I chat with Grant Collins — multi award-winning mixologist, bar consultant, and founder of Gin Lane and Dry Martini in Sydney. With more than 50 i...
How AI Is Quietly Revolutionising Service Businesses w/ Bianca Brady
In this episode, we chat with Bianca Brady, CEO & Founder of Axify, a smart conversational AI assistant that is transforming the way service businesses handle bookings, guest messages, and customer e...
The Brutal Hours Nobody Talks About: Kirsten Tibballs' Sweet Rise in Hospitality
What makes a world-class pastry chef? Kirsten Tibballs opens up about her journey and how she turned her love of chocolate into a global platform. Kirsten Tibballs is one of Australia’s most celebrated pastry chefs and chocolatiers. Sh...
Pizza, Burnout & Building a Better Kitchen Life w/ Alastair Hannman
In this episode of the Hospo Dojo Podcast, Paul sits down with Al Hannmann, aka @althepizzabuddha, an international pizza consultant who walked away from fine dining after hitting burnout. What followed wasn’t a career pivot, it was a ...
From Dishwasher to World Champion: The Johnny D.F. Journey
In this episode, we sit down with Johnny Di Francesco, the powerhouse behind Melbourne’s 400 Gradi and a global authority in pizza craftsmanship and hospitality business strategy. From washing dishes at 12 to running a 7,000sqm manufac...
From Barista to MasterChef 2024 Winner: The Culinary Journey of Nat Thaipun
On this episode of the Hospo Dojo Podcast, I sit down with Nat Thaipun, winner of MasterChef Australia 2024, to chat about food, the hospitality grind, and what life really looks like after reality TV. It’s a raw, honest conversation a...
