Kitchen Day Podcast
Kitchen Day Podcast is hosted by Dominique Fourie McMillan and explores the hospitality industry through conversations with people who work in service. Guests include hosts, bartenders, sommeliers and owners who share their philosophies, challenges and triumphs. The show highlights why service is an honourable craft and why those who do it well deserve celebration. It is aimed at anyone who works in hospo or simply enjoys dining out.
Episodes
Leah Kirkland of the Emett Group: so much more than a sommelier
Leah Kirkland’s career has taken her from waiting tables in Takapuna to fifteen years working alongside chef Adam Byatt in London, cooking for Michel Roux Jr. in Provence, working a harvest in Burgundy, and eventually finding her way back home to New Zealand. Today, she looks after wine and beverage across the impressive Emett Group, including Onslow, Gilt Brasserie, The Oyster Inn and the newly o
Jared-Lyron Fa'asalele of Red Rabbit Coffee on service and the power of self-worth
Jared-Lyron Fa'asalele took the long way into coffee. Fashion school, then a stint at Deadly Ponies, then founding his own leather bag label, before moving into buying.. a lot of seemingly logical 'next steps' before he finally worked out what he was actually good at: talking to people, finding common ground and looking after others. Now the general manager of Red Rabbit Coffee, Jared
Judith Tabron of First Mates, Last Laugh: 50 years of lessons worth sharing
Judith Tabron has spent nearly 50 years in hospitality, from accidentally landing an apprenticeship as a teenager, to cooking in London, running Sails through the '87 crash, owning Ramses in Newmarket at just 26, and spending 18 years at the helm of the iconic Soul Bar & Bistro. Now, with First Mates, Last Laugh at Westhaven, she’s back doing what she loves.. and with five decades behind h
Charles Williams of Bowler on turning past failures into future success
Charles Williams of Bowler has spent the last decade learning from businesses that didn’t quite go to plan. From opening Ceremony in Grafton with a $20,000 car loan, to a gallery café at the Pah Homestead and then seven years running the uber chic Williams Eatery, Charles talks openly about the mistakes, setbacks and hard-won lessons that eventually led him to the supernova that is Bowler. It’s a
Sophie Egan on the pride of building a career in service
Sophie Egan has hospitality in her bones. She started as a glassy at 12, spent five years at Caravan in London where she was running a restaurant by 23, then came home to lead teams at Onslow and Gilt. She is a brilliant front of house operator, a natural host, and someone who cares very deeply about the people on both sides of the pass. Now, after taking some much-needed time away from restaurant
Eric Kong of Dragons on living up to a family legacy in service.
Eric Kong is 24 years old and runs Dragons, Wellington's most beloved yum cha institution on Tory Street in Wellington. But the story starts in 1908, when his great-great-grandfather arrived in New Zealand alone at 14, paid the Chinese poll tax, and started a fruiterers' guild that gave the Chinese community a foothold in Wellington. Five generations of hospitality has followed, and Eric h
Melissa Lind of Charley Noble on walking the line between control and chaos in a busy service
Melissa Lind didn’t plan to become the General Manager of one of Wellington’s busiest restaurants. She walked into Charley Noble with a single CV, no appointment, and asked for a job. Three months later, she was running the floor. Eight years on, Mel oversees Charley Noble and The Food Lab as GM of Knife Block Hospitality, leading huge services, managing teams of up to 75 staff, and navigating the
Natalia Schamroth of The Engine Room on 20 years of restaurant excellence
Natalia Schamroth never planned to open a restaurant on the North Shore. She and partner Carl Koppenhagen had a list, they'd searched for a year, and the day they went to see the old post office in Northcote Point they'd already talked themselves out of it. But then they saw the steel-framed windows, and the rest is history. Twenty years later, The Engine Room is the restaurant everyone in
Stephen Wong MW on passing the hardest wine exam in the world
There are roughly 420 Masters of Wine in the world, and Wellington has one of them. This week on The Kitchen Day Podcast, I sit down with Stephen Wong MW, a Master of Wine, wine educator, consultant, and judge. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to become a Master of Wine, this conversation breaks it down, from the famously difficult MW exam to the years of blind tasting, study, and re
Ismo Koski of Apéro - the restaurant every restaurateur adores
Ismo Koski - or Mo, as he’s known in hospo circles - is one of Aotearoa’s most respected front-of-house operators. He came up through the city's most influential fine-dining rooms, including The Grove, Sidart, and the French Café under Simon Wright and Creghan Molloy-Wright, before opening the iconic Apéro on K'Road with his partner, chef Leslie Hottiaux.Twelve years on, Apéro is the rest
Hannah Wells of Puffin on building Wellington’s most beloved hidden wine bar
I’m delighted to bring you this conversation with none other than Hannah Wells, the charming owner of Wellington’s beloved hidden wine bar Puffin. With a background in design, Hannah came into hospitality with a strong sense of feel and intention, and opened Puffin at exactly the right moment, backing herself to create something small, considered, and entirely her own.This is a conversation about
Rebecca Smidt of Cazador & San Ray on the true cost of greatness in hospitality
An art history major who took a shift at Cazador at 18 and never really left.Two decades on, Rebecca Smidt now owns and runs Cazador, the Cazador deli next door, and San Ray on Ponsonby Road with her partner Dariush. Three very different venues, all with their own identity, all built the hard way.This is a wide-ranging, honest conversation about what it actually takes to run serious restaurants in
Tait Burge and William Bridewell Roberts of Swimsuit Coffee on building a company around a perfect cup of coffee
In this episode of The Kitchen Day Podcast, I chat with Tait Burge and William Bridewell Roberts, two of the most driven, humble, and exciting entrepreneurs in New Zealand right now. These guys started out with a simple obsession: to make the perfect flat white. Fast forward to today, and they’re behind one of the most influential coffee empires the country has ever seen. And trust me, they’re jus
Renee Coulter of Coco’s Cantina on what caring for others actually looks like
In this episode, we sit down with the incredible Renee Coulter, co-founder of Coco’s Cantina and one of the most influential voices in Auckland hospitality.Opened with her sister Damaris in 2009, Coco’s Cantina was always intended to be more than a restaurant. It’s a place built on care, where generosity extends beyond the plate to staff, regulars, and the wider community. A true K’ Road instituti
Mike Egan from Monsoon Poon on a lifetime spent in hospitality
Season 2 starts here - and we’re kicking things off with one of the true heavyweights of the New Zealand hospitality industry.In this episode, we sit down with Mike Egan, President of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand and a modern-day restaurateur whose work has helped shape the restaurant scene in Wellington and across Aotearoa. This is a conversation about what actually stands the test o
"No regrets": The making of Cuba Street hospo icon, Roger Young
Roger Young is a true Cuba Street original - a hospitality rockstar whose venues helped shape the soul of Wellington. In this episode, Roger shares the wild, funny, and fearless stories behind building iconic spots like Little Gringo’s and Fidel’s, from scraping by in the early days to creating places that would become cultural institutions.With no regrets and no filter, Roger talks about the chao
Hospitality, parenthood and partnership with Capitol's Kate McMillan Hutchison
In this episode, we sit down with Kate McMillan Hutchison of the iconic Wellington establishment Capitol, to talk about her journey into hospitality and how that path has changed over time. Kate shares how she first found her way into the industry, the role her education played in shaping how she thinks about service, and why hospitality became a place where she felt a real sense of belonging. Fro
Hospo veteran Steve Logan on service, success and 30 years of Logan Brown
In this episode of The Kitchen Day Podcast, we sit down with hospitality legend Steve Logan, co-founder of Wellington’s iconic Logan Brown restaurant. With over 40 years in the hospitality industry, Steve shares his story of building one of New Zealand’s most respected dining rooms and what it really takes to build a legacy that lasts.We talk about opening Logan Brown with confidence, why hiring f
Building an empire, piece by piece: Dean White of Mosaic Venues on the business behind great restaurants
Dean White fell in love with the business of hospitality early -and from that point on, it wasn’t just food or service that captured his imagination, but how great venues are built and sustained. Now, at 35, Dean is the owner of Mosaic Venues, the group behind some of Wellington’s most iconic restaurants: Mr Go’s, Ombra, Kisa, Parla, and LTD.In this episode, Dean takes us through his unexpected en
Leave people better than you found them: lessons from Ortega Fish Shack's Davey McDonald
In this episode, we sit down with one of Wellington’s most loved (and awarded) front-of-house leaders: Davey McDonald of Ortega Fish Shack. Davey has spent more than 16 years shaping one of the country’s most consistently adored dining rooms, but if you ask him what the secret is, he’ll tell you it’s simple: make it fun.We talk about everything from work/life balance with two busy kids, to why Ort
More than just a cup of coffee: Megan Wyper on New Zealand's specialty coffee scene
In this episode, we sit down with Megan Wyper - barista-turned-coffee cup designer, and one of the fiercest champions of New Zealand’s specialty coffee industry.From pulling her first shots on her mother’s coffee cart to now co-owning the iconic Acme Cup Co, Megan has built a career defined by craftsmanship, and a deep commitment to elevating every part of a guests' coffee experience.Megan sha
Hospitality for life: Katie Woodhead on finding joy, one table at a time
Katie Woodhead is a sommelier, hospitality lifer, and the ultimate “waiter’s waiter” whose gift for service has shaped dining rooms across the UK and New Zealand. She’s joy, wisdom, craft, and charm wrapped into one unmistakable hospitality force.Katie first cut her teeth at Darcy’s, a UK restaurant run by two formidable Australian women who shaped her early understanding of discipline, humour, an
Paul Schrader on pastoral care and the power of connection in service
In this heartfelt conversation, we sit down with Paul Schrader, co-owner and front-of-house lead at Rita, to explore what truly sits at the centre of beautiful hospitality. From his early days as a teacher to becoming a guiding presence in Wellington’s dining scene, Paul shares how pastoral care, empathy, and genuine connection shape the way he serves and leads.We discuss the evolving perception o
Hospitality of the heart: Enzo Bresolin on the art of service
If you know Wellington’s dining scene, you’ll know the Bresolin name. But this story isn’t just about legacy - it’s about how Lorenzo Bresolin has taken that heritage of hospitality and shaped it into something uniquely his own.Growing up in the family that helped define Wellington’s restaurant culture, Enzo learned early what it meant to make people feel welcome - not just through food and servic
From passion to profession: Juno Miers' journey through hospitality
What does it really take to create a restaurant people fall in love with? In this episode, Juno Miers, co-owner of the beloved Margot, shares her journey from her early days in service to running one of the city’s most talked-about dining spots. She opens up about the power of genuine connection, the leap from employee to employer, and how the hospitality industry is evolving - from building great
Welcome to the Kitchen Day Podcast
Welcome to The Kitchen Day Podcast!This series celebrates the people behind some of New Zealand’s best restaurants and front-of-house teams - those for whom service is more than a job, it’s a calling. Hosted by Dominique Fourie McMillan and Chris Thompson, the podcast goes beyond the surface to show that exceptional service takes skill, dedication, and a deep understanding of people.Dom and Chris
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