Show Notes
We’re dipping into the archives this week and bringing back a powerful conversation with Simon The Butcher - Former Captain of the GB Butchery Team and owner of Surrey Hills Butcher and Deli. In this episode, Simon talks openly about the reality of long hours, high stress, and the impact this lifestyle has had on his mental and physical health. He also shares his experience with counselling, and we dive into the damaging effect of phrases like “man up” that still echo through the industry today. Although this episode was first recorded some time ago, its message is just as important now. And it’s a reminder that The Burnt Chef Project is here to support everyone in hospitality - including butchers - with their wellbeing and mental health.
More from The Burnt Chef Journal
Real leadership. No fluff. Just honest conversation. This World Wellbeing Week, we're revisiting the panel discussion from our Burnt Brunch event in partnership with Planday - recorded live at art'otel London Battersea against the backdrop of Battersea Power Station. Host Mica Maurtua sits down with Cassie Davison, Michelle Moreno, and Kris Hall for a no-nonsense conversation about what modern hospitality leadership actually requires - not surface-level wellbeing talk, but real clarity, real confidence, and real-world insight. In this episode:✅ Moving from reactive firefighting to intentional leadership✅ Balancing people and performance without burning out✅ Practical tools you can take straight back to your team✅ The reminder that you are not alone in the pressures you're facing Leadership cannot be done alone. If you're carrying the weight of a team, a kitchen, or a business right now - this conversation is for you.
What does it actually take to look after yourself on a long shift? Not in a wellness-buzzword way - in a real, practical, 'it's-3pm-and-you've-not-had-water-since-9am' kind of way. In this special episode of The Burnt Chef Journal, we bring you the recorded panel discussion from our Burnt Brunch event, hosted in partnership with Cornish Sea Salt. Over two focused hours, four brilliant contributors sat down to talk honestly about nutrition, hydration, energy, mental health and leadership in hospitality, and what came out of that room was something worth sharing. You'll hear from:
In September 2025, nine incredible individuals took on one of the world’s toughest challenges - climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! To raise funds and awareness for The Burnt Chef Project. But this wasn’t just about reaching the summit. It was about why they chose to climb. What The Burnt Chef Project means to them. The physical and mental challenges they faced along the way. And the moments on the mountain that changed them. In this special episode, we sit down some of our nine incredible climbers: Joe BentleyGreg PopekBen TaylorSam SharplesMica MaurtuaTom BiddleSophie ClarkDavid ClarkGintare Zdanevicuite (Ginny) Together, we reflect on the experience, the purpose behind the challenge, and the power of community, resilience, and mental health advocacy in hospitality. Most importantly, this episode is a huge thank you and celebration of every single one of these amazing fundraisers who pushed themselves to the limit for a cause close to their hearts. Because this climb was never just about the mountain - it was about the people.
In this episode of The Burnt Chef Journal, we sit down with Tomeu, a chef who held a Michelin star for 15 years and made an uncommon decision in fine dining: to walk away from it in order to reclaim his wellbeing. Through an open and deeply honest conversation, Tomeu shares how pressure, an unsustainable business model, and the weight of ego impacted his mental health, his team, and his relationship with cooking. We explore anxiety, leadership, emotional sustainability, human relationships, and the power of simplification - in both life and the kitchen - as a way of returning to authenticity. An episode that challenges the stigma of perfection in hospitality and reminds us that true success doesn’t always shine like a star, but it does feel like calm, coherence, and shared happiness. 🎙️ An essential dialogue on mental health, gastronomic culture, and the emotional impact of leadership on teams.
In our final episode before The Burnt Chef Journal takes a well-earned pause until 2026, we’re joined by hospitality veteran and leadership advisor Chris Tripoli for a deep and energising conversation about what truly drives long-term success in our industry: people. Chris shares why “Happy Staff = Happy Guests” isn’t just a slogan - it’s a strategy. We explore the shift from simply managing people to genuinely leading them, and how today’s workforce is searching for more than a pay cheque. They want belonging, purpose, contribution, and appreciation - and when they get it, stress drops, burnout decreases, and performance naturally rises. Drawing on decades of lessons learned, Chris unpacks the principles that shaped his career: