Roots Hospitality

From staring out of the QBE building overlooking the city as an Executive Chef, to traveling the world looking for his real father - Jamie has quite the story to tell. Whether it's being pranked by his chef colleagues in the early days to helping grow his clients like Sydney Direct Fresh Produce and Tetsuya to the brands they are today, Jamie's experiences have defined a lot of what TNM has become today. Though a fun team, they are hardworking and dedicated to showcasing your business or talent to highest quality.

Jamie has come a long way with his partner Laura Henshall (co-owner of TNM and partner to Jamie) who both came from Manchester to Australia more then 10 years ago. With Laura's talent in public speaking and Jamie's passion for story telling, they came together to start TNM Creative media as a way to help share the stories of people and their brands.

Even landing Jamie's first client was a hustle. In order to land Export Fresh, Jamie had to work for 3 months at the Sydney Flemington Markets in order to get to know this pocket of the crazy world. With forklifts buzzing everywhere until the early hours of the morning as most restaurants and venues get in early to collect their fruit and vegetable produce. But with sheer determination, Jamie got his first client. He picked up a camera and got rolling.

Jamie and I talk about the day we met, his incredible documentary 'Finding Ali' (would recommend) which he filmed over two years trying to find his father, following an MMA fighter to Miami and starting TNM Creative Media from his own garage.

Roots Hospitality is proudly supported by Sydney Direct Fresh Produce. The fruit and vegetable supplier led by Luke Kohler, who has been supplying to Sydney venues for more then 20 years now and still killing it.

Episode out now. Follow @roots_hospitality on Instagram for the latest podcast news and guest.

Music: By Elijah Attard with samples from 'Ill Kitchen'

How much of personal success relies on luck, or being at the right place at the right time? Jason and I chat about his career from the beginning of picking up a camera as a teenager, to following one of the best restaurants in the world - Noma - from country to country, on their next pop up adventure.

The recipe to success behind whale sperm emulsion or why you should put sand in your restaurant to transport guests to a tropical island? Hear all about it as Andre Natera and I catch up over the past two months in the world of hospitality. Whether it's the Bocuse D or', some great hospitality books (like Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality) or what made us laugh about the recently released comical take on chefs, 'The Menu'. Was it using a Paco jet to kill someone? or the on purpose split emulsion; possible referencing Bottura's 'oops I dropped the lemon tart.'

You’ll learn and immense amount about the history of Poland through the World Wars and how that effected the produce they came to use for spirits, or food in everyday life. We chat about neurogastronomy and the psychology behind food, how a tartare reignited a chefs passion in the Michelin world, why some people are too scared to enter the speakeasy bar, how a sushi chef got himself stuck during service, and Andrzej’s own in the shit moments!

I hopped over to Warsaw in Poland while traveling around Europe and I was not disappointed. What a beautiful city. Best of all, an incredible bar hidden away in the outskirts that creates a fun and inviting vibe filled with stunningly illustrated menus (done by Martyna herself!) of delicious cocktails.

Kenneth and I sat down to chat about Noma finally receiving it’s third hat after 17 years, being able to recognise the chefs who have worked at The French Laundry or Per Se because of their idiosyncrasies during service (like not making a sound during prep, or not putting metal on metal benches to avoid scratches), Matty Matheson popping by for a feed (who is genuinely a legend), the humor in overcomplicating a steak frites when you’re a passionate apprentice, we laugh about the realness of the hit show ‘The Bear’ and it’s eerily accurate portrayal of daily life in the kitchen for chefs, why a mushroom duxelle got Kenneth in the shit one time and the future of Noma restaurant.

Welcome to the Chefs PSA x Roots Hospitality takeover where Andre Natera and I banter through whats going on in the restaurant industry around the world and in the media. We talk chefs that have blown up in the media, the new Creamy Ninja (a.k.a Pacojet on a budget), the tyranny of long term chefs and should we drop the brigade system?  All this and more on the PSA x Roots crossover!

We jump over to Oslo in Norway for this special episode. Recently when I travelled through Europe and the U.K. I took my podcasting kit along and caught up with people that were doing awesome work. Rebecca Hawkes, the chef and gardener, is no exception. Having travelled as a chef from Norway, to Istanbul, (sometimes working in exchange for accommodation), it’s clear Rebecca’s passion for working with food and it’s relationship with people is important. Food to Rebecca is more then filling you up, it’s a point of nourishment, a reminder that your body thrives on it. Hence her draw to gardening. As a chef, understanding the whole process is incredibly important. Which is why I was lucky to pass by so I could learn more about these guerilla gardening practices. 

 This farm is above a calming body of water that flows through the city and in November it’ll set when the snow comes. When Rebecca and I had this chat in August this year, they were gearing up to begin the preservation period of farming before the cold snap hits. This is the life of operating a farm during snow climates every year. They pickle cucumbers and zucchinis, salt their cabbages, make oils, brines, vinegars and so on. Similar to that of Faviken.

This is life at Losaeter. “A museum without walls.”

The Roots Hospitality podcast is proudly supported by Sydney Direct Fresh Produce. The fruit and vegetable providore led by Luke Kohler, who has been supplying to Sydney restaurants and venues for more then 20 years and still smashing it out today.

Follow @roots_hospitality on Instagram for the most up to date info on the latest guest, news and soundbites. 

Roots Hospitality theme by me, with music sampled from Ill Kitchen titled The Return.

Having walked through professional kitchens since he was 16, Matt has worked with the best and come up in the culinary world alongside some incredible chefs too. We chat about his time under Thomas Keller and the military like style in which Keller conducted his brigade.
 We chat about meeting Rene Redzepi at the Fat Duck, looking up to Charlie Palmer as one of his inspirations (Matt still wore black socks after Charlie drilled it into him), jumping on at NOMA in 2005 only a year after it had been opened and running with 5 chefs before opening up AMASS in a deserted industrial looking complex.

Matt’s proudest achievements has been creating an ego free kitchen filled with universal contributions from all team members, running the restaurants farm to a synergetic level with the menu, developing new sustainable practices that hadn’t been thought of (like using melted down candles to fill egg cartons and use them as fire starters for the Barbeque). Being in this place and driving forward with a simple ethos, has led Matt Orlando on a path driven to creating a world where you can operate under the word “responsible” and actually mean it.

It’s an inspiring chat filled with raw reflections of his time cooking at some of the worlds best restaurants, his humbling experiences as a young chef de partie (“those fucking potato chips”) for Charlie Palmer, we check out the restaurant farm and talk about where everything is heading to next.

The Roots Hospitality podcast is proudly supported by Sydney Direct Fresh Produce. The fruit and vegetable providore led by Luke Kohler, who has been supplying to Sydney restaurants and venues for more then 20 years and still smashing it out today.

Follow @roots_hospitality on Instagram for the most up to date info on the latest guest, news and soundbites. 

NOTE: Matt and I did this interview in late September 2022. In November 2022, AMASS restaurant announced its closure, effective immediately. 

Music by Roots Hospitality with samples from artist Ill Kitchen.

When I started my apprenticeship many years ago, and dabbling with wild and native foods as a chef, Aaron was one of the first people I started following that was utilizing them in an out of the box way that made it engaging enough for me to try it myself. It was inspiring, and pushed me to find new ways to make these ingredients accessible to diners myself. Now it’s at the core of all my dishes. So cheers for the motivation and inspiration Aaron, you’re a bloody legend.

We talk about the book Aaron is working on, the interesting change between new and old chefs and what it was like working with Adam Wolfers and Josh Niland at the 3 hatted Est. under Peter Doyle. Also, why the hell did Aaron get pulled over in Spain by the cops?

The Roots Hospitality podcast is proudly supported by Sydney Direct Fresh Produce. The fruit and vegetable providore led by Luke Kohler, who has been supplying to Sydney restaurants and venues for more then 20 years and still smashing it out today.

Follow @roots_hospitality on Instagram for the most up to date info on the latest guest, news and soundbites. 

Roots Hospitality theme by me, with music from Ill Kitchen titled The Return.