Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

byA Deep in the Weeds Production

ArtsFood

Dirty Linen goes behind the scenes in restaurants, cafes and bars, covering issues the hospitality industry finds hard to share in public - it's all up for grabs and everything is on the table. Your host is food journalist Dani Valent. For 20 years, Dani has been writing about restaurants and the people who give them life. But she's an outsider, a critic, a tourist, a fan. Despite hearing the stories and writing the tales, she's never really understood what happens behind the scenes. Now it's time to get stuck in, with compassion, humour and fearlessness. Dirty Linen goes deep, both...

Episodes(40 episodes)

Bill Drakopoulos (SRG Hospitality) - a family group.

We’re chatting to Bill Drakopoulos at a pivotal moment. The veteran restaurateur is handing over Sydney restaurant group SRG to his four children as the family-owned company enters a busy period of expansion. SRG’s venues include waterfront Aqua, Sails and Ormeggio as well as sweet neighbourhood spots. One of the topics I’m always thinking about is the place of the family restaurant in a hospitality landscape that’s increasingly dominated by groups. But what about when the group is also a family? https://srghospitality.com.au <...

Published: Mar 3, 2026Duration: 32m 47s

Heleana Genaus ( Rising Sun Workshop) - the heart of community

Restaurants are at the heart of community, community is at the heart of restaurants - or the best of them, anyway. Whether it’s a lunchspot in the centre of a big city, a family restaurant in a suburb, or a coffee machine in a servo in a tiny town, a business that understands the value of community and its place within it - to give and to get - is the kind of place that reels me in. One place I’m drawn back to in Sydney is Rising Sun Workshop, a motorcycle workshop and ramen cafe...

Published: Mar 1, 2026Duration: 45m 39s

Dirty Linen on the Ghan - a special episode

Dirty Linen on the loose…I’m on The Ghan, travelling 3000km up the spine of Australia on an 800 metre long train with 250 other rail riders. This podcast diary tracks the experience, chatting to staff, fellow travellers and reflecting on the logistics that make this bucket list experience a trove of lifetime memories. https://www.journeybeyondrail.com.au/journeys/the-ghan/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf71...

Published: Feb 26, 2026Duration: 19m 12s

Jess Hite (Chef on the Ghan) - tasting the landscape

Jess Hite (Chef on the Ghan) - tasting the landscape https://www.journeybeyondrail.com.au/journeys/the-ghan/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf7100cf947e2e6973&id=d17d8213f5 Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Valent https://www.instagram.com...

Published: Feb 24, 2026Duration: 28m 2s

Khash Kohan (Kitchen 55, Melbourne) - sharing generous hospitality

With the backdrop of enormous upheaval and violence in Iran, we talk to Khash Kohan, part of the family that runs Kitchen 55 in Melbourne’s Templestowe. Kitchen 55 makes homestyle Persian dishes that are rarely seen in restaurants. What are the stories behind them? What’s it like to be in Australia, serving food and sharing generous hospitality when the country it showcases is in trauma? https://kitchen55melbourne.com This podcast discusses violence so skip it if that’s not for you today. My r...

Published: Feb 22, 2026Duration: 45m 7s

Priscilla Williamson (Bright Boutique Accomodation) - where to stay?

You’re heading to the High Country…but where to stay? Priscilla Williamson runs Bright Boutique Accommodation, a collection of individual properties suitable for all sorts of trips, holidays and get-togethers. https://www.brightboutiqueaccommodation.com.au ⁠⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and surrounds, enjoying a very special part of Victoria that’s ready to welcome visitor...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 13m 35s

Rachel Reed (Reed & Co. Distillery & Koji Bird) - the spirit of Bright

Rachel Reed runs Bright’s Reed & Co with her husband Hamish. The pair are chefs who turned their focus on fermentation into life as distillers. Best known for their gin, Rachel explains why they’ve now branched into shochu and their new Koji Spirits range. https://www.reedandcodistillery.com/home ⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright an...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 17m 51s

Jacob Hanna (Punkah Pantry) - come and say Pie!

Jacob Hanna runs Punkah Pantry, a licensed cafe, provedore and pie shop in Porepunkah. Why did he give up a teaching career to work one of the High Country’s busiest coffee machines, and what’s it like moving to a rural community? https://www.instagram.com/punkahpantry/?hl=en ⁠⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and su...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 15m 32s

Julie Holm (Ringer Reef Winery) - embedded in the community

Julie Holm runs Ringer Reef Winery with husband Mark. We talk family business, the dynamics of small enterprise and how they’ve embedded themselves in community. But will Julie share her secret local swimming spots? https://ringerreef.com.au ⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and surrounds, enjoying a very special part of Victoria that’s rea...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 24m 12s

Marcus Warner (Pepo Farms) - small farms, small business and big dreams

Marcus Warner is the CEO of Pepo Farms, an innovative and endlessly creative farm, production facility and visitor-friendly retail showroom. We talk about small farms, small business and big dreams. https://www.pepofarms.au ⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and surrounds, enjoying a very special part of Victoria that’s ready to welcome visitors i...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 34m 1s

Scott Brandon (Bright Brewery) - A cornerstone of community and economy

Scott Brandon is owner and founder of Bright Brewery. A cornerstone of Bright’s community and economy, the brewery has a modern production facility on the outskirts of town and a bar, restaurant and beer garden on the Ovens River in the centre of town. https://brightbrewery.com.au ⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 24m 25s

Rowan Blakers (Bright Adventure Company) - the best job in the world

Rowan Blakers reckons he has the best job in the world. The owner of Bright Adventure Company spends his days kayaking, abseiling, rock climbing and caving, introducing visitors to beautiful natural landscapes and having fun along the way. https://www.brightadventurecompany.com.au ⁠https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country⁠ This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and surrounds, enjoying a very specia...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 13m 22s

Monica Melendez (Elm Dining, Bright) - leadership, seasonality and thriving through change

Monica Melendez is the extraordinary chef from Elm Dining in Bright. With her working life split between the town and nearby snowfields, we talk about leadership, seasonality and thriving through change. https://elmdining.com.au https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/high-country This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and surrounds, enjoying a very special part of Victoria that’s ready to welc...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 26m 24s

Luke Dudley (Sixpence Coffee, Bright) - keeping the High Country caffeinated

Luke Dudley runs Sixpence Coffee, a roastery with cafe outlets in Bright and Albury. Luke opens up about his career twists and turns, the family reasons behind making the move to the High Country, and the community that’s sustained him along the way. https://sixpencecoffee.com.au https://www.victoriashighcountry.com.au This podcast is part of a special High Country series on Dirty Linen. We’ve eaten the food, sipped the drinks, met the people and paddled the waters of Bright and surr...

Published: Feb 15, 2026Duration: 25m 16s

Eleonora (The Hardware Club, Melbourne) - inclusivity, welcome, real human contact, and the perfect bowl of pasta.

What’s it like to run an independent restaurant in a large Australian city, surrounded by groups with more money and presence? What if you’re a woman, a migrant and part of the queer community? We chat to Eleonora Rossi, manager of the Hardware Club in Melbourne, about inclusivity, welcome, real human contact, and the perfect bowl of pasta. https://www.thehardwareclub.com SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6...

Published: Feb 10, 2026Duration: 32m 50s

Jenna Abbruzzese (Lamb Farmer) -

Jenna Abbruzzese SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf7100cf947e2e6973&id=d17d8213f5 Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Valent https://www.instagram.com/danivalent Follow Rob Locke (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com...

Published: Feb 8, 2026Duration: 36m 30s

Peter Gunn (Ides) - going out on a high

Peter Gunn’s Ides restaurant will close in March, exactly 10 years after it first opened in Collingwood, Melbourne. We talk about the pathway from young chef bursting with creativity to a business owner who is older, wiser and more keen on using barbecue tongs than tweezers to get dishes on the table. Also - did Pete trick Dani when they spoke for her recent review of Ides? Read my review: https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/it-may-have-dropped-the-degustation-and-a-hat-but-this-fine-diner-is-still-a-winner-20260119-p5nv5k.html SUBSCRIBE TO...

Published: Feb 3, 2026Duration: 43m 55s

Martin Pirc (Punch Lane, Melbourne) - What’s the meaning of a restaurant, anyway?

What’s the meaning of a restaurant, anyway? What’s important about being human? Martin Pirc has been in hospitality for decades: Punch Lane in Melbourne’s Chinatown has been there for 31 years, doing wine bar before we even knew what wine bars were. Juliet, an adjoining cellar bar, has been around for eight years, and over in Richmond, neighbourhood restaurant Waygood is 10. We talk about the importance of restaurants in the aftermath of a shocking and traumatic flood which has made Martin reflect and ask some big questions. https://www.pu...

Published: Feb 1, 2026Duration: 41m 36s

Jai Felinski (Filmmaker) - Thoughtful Tucker

Meat. Most of us eat it. It’s often the hero centrepiece of occasions and important gatherings. But how much do we consider where it comes from? And would we be prepared to kill the animal that we’re planning to eat? Jai Felinski has just released Tucker, a thought provoking and very personal film that digs into these issues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsqlD6ZT_DQ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6...

Published: Jan 28, 2026Duration: 26m 4s

Ed Halmagyi (Avner's Bakery) - why it finally became too much.

Jewish Australian Ed Halmagyi closed Sydney's Avners Bakery in the days after a murderous terror attack targeting Jews on Bondi Beach. We talk about running a business in the face of persistent antisemitism and why it finally became too much. https://www.instagram.com/fastedmedia/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf7100cf947e2e6973&id=d17d8213f5 Follow Dirty Linen on...

Published: Jan 26, 2026Duration: 42m 37s