We Recover Loudly – Personal Recovery and Mental Health Stories

This week's episode I chat with Chef Adam Simmonds. Adam has worked in some incredible kitchens such as Le Gavroche, The Ritz, The Conservatory at The Lanesborough, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons … to mention just a few! Adam’s first Michelin star came in 2006 in Wales at Ynyshir Hall and then again in 2010 for three consecutive years at Danesfield House, near Marlow under his restaurant Adam Simmonds at Danesfield House. However, while his career was reaching great heights, he was struggling with addiction and poor mental health. Now sober, Adam became a Chief Ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project with a vision to use his own experiences to help others and promote a healthier and more conscious environment in the hospitality industry.

We discussed:

• How his early experiences in school home economics planted the seed and that it is such a shame we no longer have these classes in schools.
• The pressure he put on himself to succeed and once gaining the accolades, the pressure to keep them.
• The openness with which he was able to use cocaine within some of the kitchens he worked in and how he was not challenged about his behaviour.
• His experiences finding a 12-step program and how that was what turned his life around.
• The power of paying it forward - His work with the Burnt Chef, and his personal project Home Kitchen which is building a space for people to come through homelessness and be trained to work in the hospitality industry.

Check out more at www.adamsimmonds.com and follow @chefasimmonds on socials. 

If you are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction and want to explore a 12 step program like Adam, head to www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk or www.aa.org

Make sure you are following 'We Recover Loudly' on your favourite podcast platforms to get the notifications as soon as it is available – Spotify, Google, Amazon, Apple etc.

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

Want us to come into your business and talk to your teams about addiction in the workplace?? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will be in touch!

This episode is sponsored byThe Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week's episode is a conversation with Rachel Kerr Lapsley, Managing Director of Kelly’s Cause. Kelly’s Cause is a charity, started in honour of Kelly, an exceptionally talented chef who very sadly took her own life at 23 years old. Kelly's Cause is on a mission to improve and support the mental health and well-being of folks who work in the hospitality industry.  They are a leader in delivering hospitality specific mental health training and support across the UK. The team work with individuals and businesses to reduce stigma and incorporate mental health support into the heart of how they work. 

We discussed:

• How Rachel was ‘horny for restaurants’ from young age, and the way the portrayal of chefs and bartenders as ‘rock and roll’ is an intoxicating pull for young people into the industry.
• The pressure put on young managers and how they often lack support and training in dealing with mental health issues within their teams.
• The importance of building a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, addressing issues such as work hours, consistent days off, and diversity in leadership roles.
• We also talk about Kelly, who tragically took her own life, emphasizing the need for better mental health support and awareness in the industry.

Check out more at www.kellyscause.com and follow @kellyscause on socials.

Make sure you are following 'We Recover Loudly' on your favourite podcast platforms to get the notifications as soon as it is available – Spotify, Google, Amazon, Apple etc.

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

Want us to come into your business and talk to your teams about addiction in the workplace ?? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will be in touch!

This episode is sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week's episode is a conversation with founder of Recoverlution, Daniel Finchman. Daniel set up Recoverlution, 6 weeks after leaving rehab. Recoverlution is the worlds first recovery platform, dedicated to community and wellness. It is a space where people can connect with others in recovery and find support. It aims to shine a light on the positive and transformative power of recovery, and how it can really change your life for good. The platform provides a safe and secure space to engage with peers, professionals, and support groups.

We discussed:

• Daniel’s personal experiences working in fast paced sales roles and the entrenchment of daily drinking within these environments.
• How he recovered from a chronic addiction which saw him even going to prison.
• His passion to focus ‘Recoverlution’ on celebrating recovery positively rather than focusing on the war stories
• How important it is to fill your life with activities that are not drink focused in recovery, such as exercise and breathwork.

Check out more at www.recoverlution.com and follow @recoverlution on socials.

Make sure you are following 'We Recover Loudly' on your favourite podcast platforms to get the notifications as soon as it is available – Spotify, Google, Amazon, Apple etc.

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

Are you a hospitality worker, leader, mentor and do you have a story to share about addiction and recover in hospitality?? Want us to come into your business and talk to your teams about addiction in the workplace ?? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will be in touch!

This episode is sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week's episode is a conversation with founder of Not 9 to 5, Hassel Aviles. Not 9 to 5 is a non-profit global leader in mental health training and advocacy for the foodservice and hospitality sector. They do this by empowering industry professionals with practical education and tools to create meaningful community change. Not 9 to 5 aims to normalize workplace mental health training, provides access to accommodations and healthcare benefits, and signposts community care support and resources for all.

My conversation with Hassel was a real privilege. We discussed:

• The flawed brigade system
• Trauma bonds in the workplace
• Inclusivity and what that really looks like
• Burnout
• Why genuine team check ins are so important.

Check out more at https://not9to5.org/ and follow @not9to5_ on socials.

Make sure you are following 'We Recover Loudly' on your favourite podcast platforms to get the notifications as soon as it is available – Spotify, Google, Amazon, Apple etc.

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

Are you a hospitality worker, leader, mentor and do you have a story to share about addiction and recover in hospitality?? Want us to come into your business and talk to your teams about addiction in the workplace ?? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will be in touch!

This episode is sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week's episode is a beautiful conversation with Kris Hall, the founder of The Burnt Chef Project, my mentor, and my friend. The Burnt Chef Project is a non-profit business tackling mental health issues in the hospitality industry. After seeking help for challenges with his own mental health, Kris founded the organisation after realising when he was open about his own experiences in the kitchens, he was at the time selling fine ingredients too, other chefs opened up about their own experiences with mental health. The power of that peer-to-peer connection was immediately felt, and what started as a photography project has since developed over the last 4 years into the international support network which since its inception has helped 1000’s of individuals and companies worldwide. They provide training, support resources, free education, and fundraising. 

As well as TBCP we discuss whether mental health training has become a tick box exercise for businesses, how important it is to serve yourself before serving others, and Kris gets open and vulnerable about his own relationship with alcohol. A brilliant chat from a truly inspiring person.

Check out @theburntchefproject and www.theburntchefproject.com for more information.

Make sure to follow We Recover Loudly on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts etc for alerts on new episodes.

This episode is sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This weeks bonus episode is the first in a series of solo episodes discussing ‘red flags’. When we talk about red flags, they take on many forms depending on the situation but if we broadly look at behavioural red flags, this refers to a to specific patterns of behaviour or actions that may raise concerns or indicate potential problems. These red flags may be about your own relationship with drugs and alcohol, or they could be red flags you may have noticed in a work colleague, or as an employer – Or a combination of everything. 

The first red flag I am going to discuss is ‘Secrecy’ – When my behaviour became secretive, was this a red flag that if I had more awareness around, could have stopped me from continuing down the dangerous road I was walking? If our secrets keep us sick, then the secrecy around the amounts I had began to drink certainly was a major contributor to my poor mental and physical health towards the end of my drinking. 

I also discuss 3 questions you can ask yourself if you are becoming curious about your motivations to drink – Where, when and why? 

By becoming curious about your motivations for drinking and using, you can then unpack what is really behind the reasons if your consumptions/patterns of drinking have changed. These motivations are not always negative. But if we have that awareness of why our behaviours maybe have changed, we can then get the help and support we need before we get to a dangerous place. 

As always, this is not about being anti-alcohol, its being pro-awareness.

Make sure to follow We Recover Loudly on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts etc for alerts on new episodes.

This episode is sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week's episode is a great conversation with former Chicago's hottest 'startender' and brand ambassador for Bacardi Single Malts Thomas Mooneyham. Thomas started in hospitality slinging scoops at an ice cream shop, then worked in a 'make your own' stir-fry restaurant, and eventually found himself behind the bar where he found his passion. Years of slinging cocktails at the top bars and restaurants in Chicago, including famous hot spot The Gage saw him turning to drink more and more as the years went on to unwind after shifts. Slowly, Thomas realised he was relying on drinking and using daily and what had become something he once enjoyed socially, became something he now HAD to do … and he did it in isolation.

His story is one I really resonate with, and I am sure a lot of people can relate to the slippery slope alcohol and drug taking takes us down when it turns from something we want to do, something fun and social, into something we must do.

If you enjoy this episode, check out Thomas on the Terms of Service Podcast :

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2qH5GrgzbWulqr0LdjTkRw?si=2169f4ceca7b4ddc

Make sure to follow We Recover Loudly on Spotify, Apple, Google

Podcasts etc for alerts on new episodes.

This episode is sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project.

@theburntchefproject www.theburntchefproject.com

@werecoverloudly www.werecoverloudly.com

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week’s episode is a conversation with Hannah Taylor. Hannah worked in hospitality from a young age, and climbed the management ladder rapidly, becoming a general manager in her early 20s. Quickly the lifestyle of ‘work hard / play hard’ and the constant pressure of management, meant that her drinking went from fun and joyful, to dangerous and isolated. She made the decision to stop in her mid 20s but knew that she to fill the space that drinking had previously taken up. So she founded the now nationwide social enterprise the ‘Sober Butterfly Collective’. This group organises free meet ups for people either sober already, or sober curious. The goal is to connect like minded people, ensure they don’t feel alone when making life changing decisions, that can at times feel very overwhelming. 

She also founded the company BOLD AF events with Andy Mee, owner of The Alcohol-Free Drinks Company. Together they hold tasting evenings, training sessions, events all with the goal of proving that being alcohol free is BOLD not BORING. Hannah’s vibrance, and positivity for living a sober life is infectious – this episode was a joy to record.

Make sure to follow We Recover Loudly on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts etc for alerts on new episodes.

https://soberbutterflycollective.com/about/

@soberbutterflycollective

@boldafevents

@alcoholfreedrinkscompany

@theburntchefproject

@werecoverloudly

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

In this week's episode self-titled formal 'toxic chef' Jasmin discusses her incredible career in hospitality. We discuss how it was growing up in the kitchen from such a young age, and the challenges that she faced when the business always took the priority over family time. We talk about being a woman in a male dominated industry, how as hospitality workers we deny our own personal needs, and the lasting ramifications of that. 

She now works with CHOW, a North American based organisation as Head of Community. CHOW stands for Culinary Hospitality Outreach Wellness and are an amazing non-profit enterprise whose mission is to support wellness within the hospitality industry, and to improve the lives of their built community through shared stories, skills, and resources. 

Check them out on the links below.

This conversation was one of those that I am so glad I recorded. It is so full if insight, wisdom and bad-assness (this is a word). Put this one on LOUD as it’s a cracker.

This episode sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project

https://www.theburntchefproject.com/

@chow_org

https://chowco.org/

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com

This week’s episode tackles the work alcoholic. This is a word that carries so much stigma, shame and to be honest a lot of misunderstanding. I share my own opinion of the word and how my assumptions about the disease kept me from getting help. I discuss my own history with drinking, and how I feel now I am sober about the label of alcoholic. I mention resources such as those listed below if you want some help with your drinking. 

The takeaway of this episode is to not let a word stop you from reaching out and getting support with your drinking. 

If drinking is costing you more than money, then get help. You are not alone.

This episode sponsored by The Burnt Chef Project

https://www.theburntchefproject.com/

@werecoverloudly

www.werecoverloudly.com

https://www.theburntchefproject.com/

https://joinclubsoda.com/

www.drinkstrust.org.uk

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email [email protected]

@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com