In this raw and unfiltered roundtable, some of the most respected voices in the industry sit down for a powerful conversation that goes far beyond the pass.

This is not about plating or prestige, it’s about the emotional toll of life in professional kitchens, the vulnerability it takes to truly connect, and the legacy we leave behind as chefs and leaders.

From the illusion of awards to the importance of therapy, friendship, and emotional support, this episode cracks open the human side of hospitality.

Expect big questions:
What happens when the recognition doesn’t feel like enough?
Why is it so hard for chefs to ask for help?
How do we create a kitchen culture that sustains, not destroys?

What if we told you it is possible to run a restaurant where staff don’t burn out, and the business thrives? Where treating staff correctly equals better performance.

In this episode of Heard, Ryan sits down with chef and author Ben Shewry, co-owner of Attica in Melbourne, one of very few restaurants in the world operating as a certified B Corp.

Ben’s not interested in trends or empty virtue-signaling. He’s spent the last decade proving that you can build a high-performance restaurant without sacrificing your team’s health, your ethics, or your culture.

“We are not tortured artists, that’s not an acceptable mentality.”

From implementing a four-day work week to rejecting toxic kitchen hierarchies, Ben shares a blueprint for how the next generation of chefs, restaurateurs, and leaders can create a workplace where people actually want to work.

He’s been ridiculed for his ideas, “a bunch of pussies,” the team were once called, but the industry’s shifting. And Ben believes that change is no longer optional.

“You can get on board and change for the right reasons… or that change will come for you.”

Ryan sits down with sociologist Ellen Meiser, who has studied restaurant culture from the inside out. Together, they explore how chefs endure violence, toxic traditions, and relentless pressure, often romanticized as “tough love” or a rite of passage.

From the false military roots of Escoffier’s brigade system to the glorification of hustle culture, we unpack how food media and industry norms have shaped and normalized extreme kitchen environments. With insights from food writer Kenji López-Alt and Ellen’s groundbreaking research, this episode questions what we've accepted as normal in professional kitchens and how we can change it.

If you've ever wondered why chefs wear their scars like medals, or how kitchen culture became a battlefield, this one’s for you.