Avsnitt
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Neil Perry has spent almost five decades shaping the way Australians eat, drink and experience hospitality.
In this episode of The Hospitality Edit, Neil sits down to reflect on the career that took him from Barrenjoey House and Blue Water Grill to Rockpool, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Margaret and beyond. He shares the lessons that have guided him throughout: an obsession with produce, generosity in service, the importance of backing your people and why hospitality is ultimately about creating memories.
Neil discusses the influence of his father, a butcher, fisherman and gardener, and how those early experiences built his lifelong respect for seasons, ingredients and suppliers. He also unpacks the evolution of Modern Australian cuisine, the pressures of scaling a major hospitality group, the importance of knowing when to pivot a concept and why he now enjoys being closer to the floor, the kitchen and his family-run businesses.
The conversation also explores leadership, culture, staff development, sustainability, philanthropy and Neil’s belief that every first-time guest is an opportunity to create a regular.
Whether you work in restaurants, lead a team, own a business or simply love great food, this is a conversation about building something people remember long after they leave the table.
If you care about hospitality, wine, restaurants or building a career in the industry, this episode is a masterclass.
www.tranchescholarship.com.au
https://www.traderhouse.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/tranchescholarship/
https://themargaretfamily.com/venue/margaret/
In this episode, we cover:
Why Neil Perry believes hospitality is the business of creating memories
The influence of his father and early life around fishing, gardening and produce
How Blue Water Grill helped define Modern Australian cuisine
Building Rockpool into one of Australia’s most influential restaurants
Why great restaurants begin with great suppliers and ingredients
The “care philosophy” behind Neil’s approach to hospitality and leadership
Creating an inclusive culture across front and back of house
Scaling restaurants without losing the DNA of the business
Knowing when to persist, pivot or close a concept
Working with family and developing the next generation of hospitality talent
Hope Delivery and serving hundreds of thousands of meals during COVID
Neil’s perspective on Michelin in Australia
His advice for young people entering hospitality
Neil Perry’s ultimate death row dish and drink
THE MENU
00:00 Hospitality is about creating memories
01:48 Neil Perry’s early food influences
04:25 Discovering Modern Australian cuisine
08:15 Moving from chef to restaurateur
09:20 Building Rockpool and Rockpool Bar & Grill
14:03 The care philosophy behind great hospitality
19:44 Turning first-time guests into regulars
20:46 Scaling a restaurant group without losing its culture
25:30 Returning to a family-focused hospitality business
27:03 Hope Delivery and hospitality during COVID
29:48 Working with family
31:21 Knowing when to pivot a restaurant concept
34:14 Leadership, trust and empowering teams
39:21 Neil Perry on Michelin coming to Australia
41:12 What makes a successful restaurant
43:32 Advice for the next generation
44:20 Neil’s death row dish and drink
Follow The Hospitality Edit for conversations with the people shaping the future of food, restaurants, wine, travel and hospitality.
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In this episode of The Hospitality Edit, Mathilda and Michael sit down with Stuart Gregor, one of Australia’s most influential voices in drinks, hospitality and brand building.
Stuart is the founder of Liquid Ideas, co-founder of Four Pillars Gin and now Managing Director and CEO of Lark Distilling. Across wine, spirits, public relations, hospitality and tourism, he has spent decades helping Australian brands understand how to tell better stories, build stronger relationships and earn attention in crowded markets.
The conversation starts with Stuart’s early days in wine, from Roseworthy College to working with winemakers and turning technical product stories into something people could actually connect with. From there, the episode moves into the idea at the heart of the conversation: brand is not a dirty word.
Stuart argues that the value of a business rests in the value of its brand. For wine, spirits and hospitality businesses, great product is only the beginning. The real work is showing up, telling the story, building relationships, supporting restaurants and bars, and staying relentlessly curious about what is happening in the world.
He shares lessons from building Four Pillars into one of Australia’s great craft spirits success stories, including the importance of timing, funding, creativity, product innovation and constantly giving people new reasons to care. He also reflects on the difference between wine and spirits, why the bar world often feels more consumer-focused and energetic, and what wine can learn from that.
For hospitality operators, producers, winemakers, bartenders, sommeliers and anyone building a food or drink business, this episode is a reminder that success rarely happens from behind a desk or inside a shed. It happens in market, in restaurants, in bars, in conversations and in the small moments where people feel that you genuinely care about their business.
Stuart also talks about his new role at Lark Distilling, the growing global interest in Tasmanian whisky, and why Australia needs more ambitious, globally recognised food, wine and spirits brands.
www.tranchescholarship.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/tranchescholarship/
In this episode:
Why “brand” should not be treated like a dirty word
What wine can learn from spirits and hospitality
How Four Pillars kept its story fresh through new products and new occasions
Why great brands need relentless storytelling
The importance of winning at home before trying to win overseas
Why restaurants, bars and sommeliers matter so much to drinks brands
How curiosity shapes great hospitality careers
What young hospitality professionals should spend their time learning
Why Tasmania is having a major moment in whisky, wine and food
Guest: Stuart Gregor
Hosts: Mathilda Hill Smith and Michael Hill Smith
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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What does it take to build one of Australia’s best restaurant groups?
In this episode, we sit down with Leanne Altmann, one of the most respected voices in Australian hospitality and wine. From working under Gordon Ramsay in London to leading the wine programs at Trader House, Leanne shares what truly defines world-class service, leadership and guest experience.
We explore the realities of a career in hospitality, the role of education like WSET, and how top venues balance commercial wine lists with creativity and personality. Leanne also unpacks how great restaurants are built from the floor up, why connection matters more than qualifications, and how Australia’s wine scene is evolving on the global stage.
If you care about hospitality, wine, restaurants or building a career in the industry, this episode is a masterclass.
www.tranchescholarship.com.au
https://www.traderhouse.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/tranchescholarship/
https://www.instagram.com/lea_alt_/
The Menu
00:00 The moment she knew hospitality was her career
02:30 Winning a career-changing scholarship
04:20 Working for Gordon Ramsay in London
05:30 What makes a great restaurant experience
07:00 The “secret sauce” behind Trader House
08:50 Building and leading top sommelier teams
10:40 WSET, training and developing hospitality talent
13:20 Why education drives staff retention
14:50 Why connection matters more than qualifications
16:20 The reality of working on the floor
18:00 Why everyone should work in hospitality
19:50 Career pathways beyond restaurants
20:50 The $15,000 scholarship opportunity explained
23:00 What would you serve Harry Styles?
25:30 Why Australian wine is world-class
27:30 Advice for young hospitality professionals
31:00 Dream restaurants and global inspiration
33:30 Most memorable dining experience ever
36:40 Best restaurants in Australia right now
36:50 Death row dish
hospitality careers, sommelier, wine podcast, Australian wine, restaurant industry, Trader House, Gordon Ramsay, WSET, wine education, hospitality leadership, restaurant management, fine dining, wine list strategy, Melbourne restaurants, sommelier career, hospitality training
