The Burnt Chef Journal

The devastating menace of substance abuse within the hospitality sector.

Kris Hall, Michelle Righini and Adam Simmonds discuss drug misuse in hospitality - the openness in which drugs are used to excess, the acceptance, the ‘rock and roll’ image of the chef and the dangerous culture that these attitudes over time has created.

Adam recently shared his own experiences of drug addiction on Shell’s podcast We Recover Loudly and it became the most downloaded episode of season one, hitting home the importance of sharing our stories as they help others who may be suffering in silence.

Shell also highlights ways we can support team members who are in trouble, linking to the excellent work she currently does with The Burnt Chef Project as well as announcing her new training modules you can now book on alcohol and drug addiction safeguarding through The Burnt Chef Project.

Originally recorded live on LinkedIn on Wednesday 1st November.

The importance of sleep - Kris Hall is joined by Dr Sarah Gilchrist FBASES.

The much anticipated episode of The Burnt Chef Journal is out now!

Joining Founder, Kris Hall, is Dr Sarah Gilchrist FBASES.

Dr Sarah Gilchrist FBASES, spent over 20 years working in the high performance sport industry, latterly as a Technical Lead for the UK Sports Institute (formerly the English Institute of Sport) and Senior Physiologist with British Rowing. Her doctorate specialised in sleep and athletic performance and she now provides consultancy on a range of performance areas, particularly relating to sleep health, through her own consultancy, Gilchrist Performance. She is on the Advisory Board for the Sleep Charity, a fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and is High Performance Sport Accredited.

 

This conversation covered the importance and accessibility of naps, and why sleep is much needed for our cognitive system.

 

Let us know if you found this topic insightful!

 

 

References for conversation:
Why sleep matters — the economic costs of insufficient sleep: A cross-country comparative analysis | RAND
The Sleep Charity  & National Sleep Helpline 03303 530 541
Home - Teen Sleep Hub
Sleepio or Sleepstation – CBTi
NHS: Insomnia
NHS: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Royal College of General Practitioners
Mind
Mental Health First Aid England

Live from Commercial Kitchen - Anna Haugh

This episode of The Burnt Chef Journal was recorded live at Commercial Kitchen when Kris Hall was joined by Anna Haugh.

 

Anna started her career at Derry Clarke's Dublin restaurant and has since worked for  Gualtiero Marchesi, Shane Osborn, and Phil Howard. 

 

Anna has also become a familiar face on television, having acted as a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's Hells Kitchen, starred as part of the relaunch of Ready, Steady, Cook, and also a regular on Saturday Kitchen.

 

In 2022, Anna made her debut as a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals.

 

We hope you enjoy this extra special episode!

James Sharman - addressing the resource crisis in hospitality.

Joining Kris Hall this week is James Sharman. James reached out to us with an interesting proposal, discussing how we start to address the resource crisis in hospitality.

James is an English Chef & Economist and owns three restaurants in Asia. His time in economics has unearthed an alternative explanation for the global staff shortage plaguing hospitality, and he is certain that this information has been influencing the lives of every wage earning worker for years.

James implemented an unconventional solution as a response to this problem for a year in one of his restaurants & experienced extraordinarily good results.

We would love to hear any questions you have following this episode.

Live from Commercial Kitchen - Tom Shepherd

This episode of The Burnt Chef Journal was recorded live at Commercial Kitchen when Kris Hall was joined by Chef Tom Shepherd.

Tom was born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham and trained locally.
His work experience includes time as Development Chef at 2 Michelin Star Sat Bains in Nottingham, prior to that he was Sous Chef to Michael Wignall at Surrey’s 2 Michelin Star restaurant, The Latymer and Head Chef at Birmingham’s 1 Michelin Star restaurant, Adam’s.

After winning an Acorn Award in 2018, he went on to open his own restaurant, Upstairs by Tom Shepherd, in Lichfield in 2021 and was awarded a Michelin Star just four months after opening. This represents the first Michelin star for Staffordshire.

In 2023, Tom represented the Central Region on the BBC’s Great British Menu. He went on to win the main course round and cooked at the Banquet where he served his infamous take on Desperate Dan’s Cow Pie. The Pie was inspired by Tom’s childhood favourite cartoon, Desperate Dan, illustrated by Dudley D. Watkins who studied at Nottingham’s School of Art.

 

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Hannah Walters talks Boiling Point on World Mental Health Day

This week we're bringing you an extra special episode, as we share the interview we hosted with Hannah Walters on World Mental Health Day.

 

Hannah Walters, star of Boiling Point, and Kris Hall talk about World Mental Health day and touch upon the topics within series.

Philip Barantini reaching Boiling Point

We have just hit 100,000 downloads on The Burnt Chef Journal podcast, and perfect timing so, as we release our latest episode with Boiling Point Director and Producer, Philip Barantini!

After 20 years of being in front of the camera, as well as working in hospitality, Philip Barantini transitioned into directing in the late 2010s - making his first short film with the award winning 'Seconds Out'. He then followed up working with the BIFA nominated short film 'Boiling Point', starring Stephen Graham, which was then adapted into the hotly anticipated, BBC1 drama series.

Philip is a fantastic individual and incredible human being, who is refreshingly honest as he shares with us his own experiences of working in hospitality.

 

We hope you enjoy this week's episode!

Uncovering the Secrets of Great Retention - IoH in Conversation

The Institute of Hospitality hosted an open networking event where Kris Hall, The Burnt Chef Project Founder & CEO, alongside his guest Scot Turner, Managing Director of Auden Hospitality, held a conversation about 'Uncovering the Secrets of Great Retention'.

 

If you want to see what workplaces should really be looking at when it comes down to retention, then this is a great episode for you. 

Ask us anything!

We asked you to get involved with an extra special episode of The Burnt Chef Journal Podcast - 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲:

𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 - Founder of Auden Hospitality
𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗼 - Founder of QAB Leadership Ltd
𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 - A passionate cook from Ibiza, and founder of Euphoria.
𝗝𝗶𝗺 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 - Founder and CEO of Benchmark Sixty Restaurant Services.

 

You don't want to miss this! 

Christopher Follari - Culinary Director and Burnt Chef Ambassador

Another episode from the archives, of when Kris Hall was joined by Christopher Follari, former Global Director of Culinary for Sodexo, and now Culinary Director for Good Eating Company (US) and has since become a US based Ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project. 

 

Christopher has worked in hospitality since the age of 15, starting off as a busboy and dishwasher. Over the years he has held positions from Executive Chef to Global Director of Culinary. During this time, he has had his share of challenges with burnout due to the daily stress and everything that comes with the pressure of leading culinary teams. One of the keys to overcoming these challenges has been a healthy lifestyle which includes healthy eating, exercise, the elimination of alcohol and staying connected with like minded people.

 

A conversation with some insights you may find interesting!