Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

Author: A Deep in the Weeds Production Language: English Episodes: 50
Behind every great meal is a story, and Dirty Linen-A Food Podcast with Dani Valent pulls up a chair to hear them all. This isn't just about what's on the plate; it's about the real, often unspoken, world of hospitality. For two decades, food journalist Dani Valent has observed this universe, but here she moves from critic to confidant. Each episode goes into the spaces diners never see-the kitchens, the walk-ins, the fraught conversations after service. You'll hear from chefs, servers, owners, and producers as they share the triumphs, stresses, and secrets that define their daily lives. It's a raw look at the passion, pressure, and politics that fuel our restaurants, cafes, and bars. Produced by A Deep in the Weeds Production, this podcast offers a rare intimacy, built on Dani's deep connections and respectful curiosity. The conversations are candid, sometimes challenging, and always human. Tune in for a series that proves the most memorable flavors are often the stories we don't see on the menu.
Episodes
Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) - doubling down [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:46
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’…
Dave Pynt (Burnt Ends, Singapore) - Big, juicy chat! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:06
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 Aust…
Postcard from Vietnam - dawn at the Hanoi wholesale market. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:05
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…
Fhred Batalona (Palay, Fitzroy) - From Home Cooking to Industry Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:07
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 a…
Franck Sammut (Upper Middle) - a restaurant life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:17
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 m…
Liam Ganley (Ganley Group) - tradition, innovation and the journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:26
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 tal…
Emma Sheahan (Lumen People) - illuminating Lumen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:02
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 challeng…