Franck Sammut (Upper Middle) - a restaurant life

Franck Sammut (Upper Middle) - a restaurant life

Author: A Deep in the Weeds Production June 21, 2026 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 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 SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf7100cf947e2e6973&id=d17d8213f5 Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Valent https://www.instagram.com/danivalent Follow Rob Locke (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/foodwinedine/ Follow Huck (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/huckstergram/ LISTEN TO OUR OTHER FOOD PODCASTS https://linktr.ee/DeepintheWeedsNetwork Dirty Linen is a food podcast hosted by Australian journalist Dani Valent. A respected restaurant critic and food industry reporter in her home town of Melbourne, Dani is a keen, compassionate observer of restaurants and the people who bring them into being. Whether it’s owners, waiters, dishwashers, chefs or members of ancillary trades from tech to pottery, Dani interviews with compassion, humour and courage. Dirty Linen goes deep, both in conversations with individuals and in investigating pressing issues.  Dirty Linen is an Australian food podcast produced by the Deep in the Weeds Podcast Network.

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent
Podcast Episodes
Laszlo Kun (Beekeeper) - Protecting Our Pollinators [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:50
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…
Elvin Ho (Chef and Comedian) - Gruel Intentions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:11
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…
Zach Green (The Storyteller Chef) - What is Australian food? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:58
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 a…
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…
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…