Rhonda Andrews (Barrington Centre) - The Power of Connection in Hospitality

Rhonda Andrews (Barrington Centre) - The Power of Connection in Hospitality

Author: A Deep in the Weeds Production July 13, 2026 Duration: 39:45
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 2022: https://deepintheweeds.com.au/podcast/rhonda-andrews-barrington-centre-a-multifaceted-approach/ https://www.barringtoncentre.com/

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…
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…