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
Lucy Ridge (Author) - Recovering chef [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
‘Recovering chef’ Lucy Ridge is the author of Fed Up: A Chef’s Adventures in Food, Farming & Feminism. Burnt out by hospitality, Lucy embarked on something of a chef’s gap year, seeking out female farmers and producers t…
Abi Balingit (Cookbook Author and Dessert Remixer) - the dusky kitchen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:04
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is on March 20-29 with local and international chefs and creators heading to Victoria to cook, share and inspire. There’s a big Filipino thread to the program and we’re chatting to one of i…
Greg Sanderson (Speakeasy Group) - a focus on workplace culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:28
Greg Sanderson has played a pivotal role in establishing some of Australia’s most beloved bars as managing director of Speakeasy Group, which has eight venues in Melbourne and Sydney. What’s it like running a bar group i…
Matthew Evans (chef, author and farmer) - well grounded [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:30
I said in my first episode of the year that I want to cover big juicy topics that draw some of the many strands of the food world together, things like farming, education, cooking, pricing, environment, health. We do tha…
Bill Drakopoulos (SRG Hospitality) - a family group. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:47
We’re chatting to Bill Drakopoulos at a pivotal moment. The veteran restaurateur is handing over Sydney restaurant group SRG to his four children as the family-owned company enters a busy period of expansion. SRG’s venue…
Heleana Genaus ( Rising Sun Workshop) - the heart of community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:39
Restaurants are at the heart of community, community is at the heart of restaurants - or the best of them, anyway. Whether it’s a lunchspot in the centre of a big city, a family restaurant in a suburb, or a coffee machin…
Dirty Linen on the Ghan - a special episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:12
Dirty Linen on the loose…I’m on The Ghan, travelling 3000km up the spine of Australia on an 800 metre long train with 250 other rail riders. This podcast diary tracks the experience, chatting to staff, fellow travellers…