The Chef JKP Podcast

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What happens when the conversation about water goes far beyond what we drink?

Chef JKP sits down with Angie Pająk, CEO of Greentech by Aquacell, for a different kind of episode.

From childhood food memories in Poland to studying across four universities, Angie’s story moves through hospitality, sustainability, wellness, water technology, plastics, and the challenge of turning big environmental ideas into real action.

This is a conversation about water, yes.

But also about stress, health, hotels, kitchens, microplastics, climate systems, and why some of the simplest things we use every day may deserve a lot more attention.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Growing up around scientists and water research in Poland
• Why Angie never felt she fit inside traditional education
• Studying across four universities and living in Italy and the UK
• How Aquacell and Greentech started
• The relationship between hospitality, water, and wellness
• The idea behind wireless water technology
• Why plastic, water, and sustainability are deeply connected
• Why climate conversations need more action and less talk

CHAPTERS

00:00 Childhood food memories in Poland
08:00 Growing up around scientists and water research
16:00 Four universities, Italy, and life in the UK
31:00 The beginnings of Aquacell and Greentech
44:00 EMF, technology, and modern stress
01:02:00 Water technology and hospitality applications
01:18:00 Plastic, sustainability, and climate systems
02:18:00 Burnout, wellness, and recharging ourselves

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Angie Pająk
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https://www.instagram.com/slowfoodlife/?hl=en

Greentech by Aquacell
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/greentech_by_aquacell/

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PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALRHONA

Valrhona partners with chefs and artisans to elevate chocolate through craftsmanship, innovation, and a commitment to a more sustainable cocoa industry.

Website:
https://www.valrhona.com/en/valrhona-middle-east-africa-and-india

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Stay hydrated with the Chef JKP thermos flask.
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What does it take to turn pressure into purpose before the age of 26?

Chef JKP sits down with Shehab Medhat, Chef of Savryn Restaurant in Dubai, whose journey began at 15 with a kitchen job he took just to buy football shoes.

From steward to self-taught chef, 35 restaurants in Egypt, Bocuse d’Or Africa, San Pellegrino Young Chef, and winning Top Chef Middle East, his story is built on sacrifice, speed, competition, and relentless work.

Now in Dubai, Shehab is building Savryn as a fine dining journey through Africa, shaped by family responsibility, ambition, and the belief that African cuisine deserves a much bigger place on the world stage.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Shehab chose kitchens over football at 15
• Working across 35 restaurants in Egypt before turning 26
• Teaching himself menus, stations, and fine dining techniques
• The pressure and obsession behind culinary competitions
• Losing Bocuse d’Or Africa by one point and coming back stronger
• Winning Top Chef Middle East after years of trying
• Building Savryn around African fine dining in Dubai
• Why he believes African cuisine deserves global recognition

CHAPTERS

00:00 Childhood food memories and growing up in Egypt
08:00 Football dreams and starting work young
16:00 Becoming a chef at 15 years old
29:00 Working across 35 restaurants in Egypt
58:00 Bocuse d’Or Africa and competition pressure
01:13:00 San Pellegrino Young Chef and Egyptian breakfast
01:32:00 Winning Top Chef Middle East
01:38:00 Building Savryn and African fine dining in Dubai

FOLLOW THE GUEST

Chef Shehab Medhat
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/chefshehab/

Savryn Dining Room
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/savryn.diningroom

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LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpaccheco

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALRHONA

Valrhona partners with chefs and artisans to elevate chocolate through craftsmanship, innovation, and a commitment to a more sustainable cocoa industry.

Website:
https://www.valrhona.com/en/valrhona-middle-east-africa-and-india

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Stay hydrated with the Chef JKP thermos flask.
Get yours here: https://pay.ziina.com/chefjkp/RKwVHDfpN
Support the show
Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

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What happens when someone who once worked underground in engineering tunnels ends up shaping some of hospitality’s most iconic guest experiences?

Chef JKP sits down with Samuel Graham, founder and CEO of The LightUp Group, hospitality consultant, nightlife operator, and host of the Tasty Humans podcast.

From bartending in London’s booming theme restaurant era to managing legendary nightlife venues like Pacha, Samuel shares a career shaped by chaos, people, reinvention, and an obsession with how hospitality makes people feel.

At its core, this is a conversation about service. About atmosphere, human connection, leadership under pressure, and why hospitality is ultimately not about food or design, but about understanding people.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Samuel’s childhood in the UK and the food memories that stayed with him
• How engineering led him underground before hospitality pulled him in
• The film Cocktail and the start of his obsession with bartending
• Lessons from Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and London’s service culture
• Managing nightlife venues like Pacha and learning leadership under pressure
• Why atmosphere, lighting, music, and service shape how guests feel
• The thinking behind The LightUp Group and improving guest experience
• Tasty Humans, unscripted conversations, and why hospitality is all about people

CHAPTERS

00:00 Childhood food memories and growing up in the UK
08:00 School struggles, engineering, and early life lessons
18:00 London tunnels, burnout, and changing direction
27:00 Discovering bartending and hospitality
38:00 Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and service culture
58:00 Pacha London, nightlife, and leadership under pressure
01:16:00 Service standards, atmosphere, and guest experience
01:42:00 Tasty Humans, podcasting, and advice for hospitality professionals

FOLLOW THE GUEST

Samuel Graham
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/samuel_f_graham/

Tasty Humans Podcast
https://www.instagram.com/tastyhumanspodcast/

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LinkedIn
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TikTok
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PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALRHONA

Valrhona partners with chefs and artisans to elevate chocolate through craftsmanship, innovation, and a commitment to a more sustainable cocoa industry.

Website:
https://www.valrhona.com/en/valrhona-middle-east-africa-and-india

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Stay hydrated with the Chef JKP thermos flask.
Get yours here: https://pay.ziina.com/chefjkp/RKwVHDfpN
Support the show
Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

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What changes when a three Michelin star restaurant becomes a book?

In this episode, Chef JKP sits down with Himanshu Saini and Liam Collens for the launch of The Rise of Indian Food: Recipes Reimagined by Trèsind Studio.

This episode goes inside the making of the book.

How a three Michelin star restaurant was translated onto the page.
How recipes were selected, tested, written, edited, photographed, and made clear for readers outside the kitchen.
And how Himanshu’s story, Trèsind Studio’s philosophy, and Liam’s writing came together in one of the most important Indian cookbooks of its time.

The book captures five regions of India, more than 50 recipes, and the thinking behind one of Dubai’s most celebrated restaurants.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Why the book started and how the idea was pitched
• How Trèsind Studio’s story became a published cookbook
• Why the book is structured around five regions of India
• What it took to write recipes from a three Michelin star kitchen
• The challenge of making complex dishes clear for readers
• How Himanshu chose what to share and what to leave out
• Liam’s role in shaping the writing and voice of the book
• The photography, editing, revisions and publishing process
• What the book means for Indian food globally
• Advice for young chefs and writers

CHAPTERS

00:00 Catching up after three Michelin stars
08:00 The moment Michelin walked into Trèsind Studio
18:00 What the three stars meant for Indian food
33:00 How the book idea first started
52:00 Why Liam became the co-author
01:14:00 Writing the book alongside restaurant service
01:28:00 Structuring the book around India’s regions
01:40:00 Food photography, recipes and publishing edits
01:53:00 The title, the design and holding the first copy
02:28:00 Quickfire round and advice for chefs and writers

ORDER THE BOOK

The Rise of Indian Food
Phaidon: https://www.phaidon.com/en-int/products/the-rise-of-indian-food-recipes-reimagined-by-tresind-studio?

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/0bPlAYGe

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Himanshu Saini
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefhimanshusaini/

Liam Collens
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsliamcollens/

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LinkedIn
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TikTok
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PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALRHONA

Valrhona partners with chefs and artisans to elevate chocolate through craftsmanship, innovation, and a commitment to a more sustainable cocoa industry.

Website:
https://www.valrhona.com/en/valrhona-middle-east-africa-and-india

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Stay hydrated with the Chef JKP thermos flask.
Get yours here: https://pay.ziina.com/chefjkp/RKwVHDfpN
Support the show
Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

Send us Fan Mail
What starts with olives on a kitchen counter becomes a life built around food, travel, stories, and bringing people to the table.

Chef JKP sits down with Tiffany Eslick, content and creative director at Spinneys, food writer, podcaster, and founder of Tiff’s Table.

From climbing onto kitchen counters for olives as a child to leading content across one of the region’s most respected food brands, Tiffany shares a path shaped by risk-taking, reinvention, and an enduring obsession with ingredients, stories, and people.

At its heart, this is a conversation about craft. About writing with depth, building a point of view, trusting unexpected turns, and how food can become both profession and personal language.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Tiffany’s childhood in South Africa and the food memories that shaped her palate
• How a path once aimed at law and politics led into publishing, media and storytelling
• Lessons from Switzerland, London and learning through discomfort
• Her years in magazine publishing and building a career in travel and food journalism
• What it was like leading Etihad’s in-flight magazines and writing around the world
• How she approaches travel writing, pitching stories and finding original angles
• Why hiring people better than you can change everything as a leader
• The thinking behind Spinneys’ content ecosystem, from magazine to social to storytelling
• Why she went to Ballymaloe Cookery School and what it changed in her relationship with food
• The story behind Tiff’s Table, supper clubs, and her dream of a future culinary retreat in Greece

CHAPTERS

00:00 Childhood food memories and growing up in South Africa
08:00 Switzerland, risk taking and finding a creative path
18:00 London, publishing and early career lessons
33:00 Travel writing, Etihad and building a global editorial career
52:00 Writing craft, pitching ideas and storytelling structure
01:14:00 Spinneys, content leadership and building Nourish magazine
01:28:00 Ballymaloe and returning to school for food
01:40:00 Tiff’s Table, supper clubs and cooking as community
01:53:00 The future of food media, print and long form storytelling
02:28:00 Quick fire round and advice for aspiring writers

FOLLOW THE GUEST

Tiffany Eslick
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/tiffany_eslick/

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LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpaccheco

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALRHONA

Valrhona partners with chefs and artisans to elevate chocolate through craftsmanship, innovation, and a commitment to a more sustainable cocoa industry.

Website:
https://www.valrhona.com/en/valrhona-middle-east-africa-and-india

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Stay hydrated with the Chef JKP thermos flask.
Get yours here: https://pay.ziina.com/chefjkp/RKwVHDfpN
Support the show
Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE