Kitchen Day Podcast

Kitchen Day
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Hosted by Dominique Fourie McMillan, the Kitchen Day Podcast celebrates the people who bring hospitality to life through service. Each episode features chats with some incredible folk who work in service - from hosts and bartenders to sommeliers and owners - sharing their philosophies, challenges, triumphs, and why they believe service is the best job in the world. Whether you work in hospo (or did once!) or simply love dining out, these stories will reveal why service is an honourable craft, and those who do it well are worth celebrating.

  1. 5d ago

    Emma Rogan of Hello Beasty on risking it all to chase a dream

    What does it take to give up the security of your family home and put everything on the line for a restaurant dream? For Emma Rogan, co-owner of Hello Beasty, it was a decision twenty years in the making. She got her start in a North Shore nightclub, eventually found her way into restaurants, and met her now-husband Stu while working in Queenstown. The rest, as they say, is history. Along the way came a young family, an impressive career in graphic design, and years of watching Stu work long chef hours for other people. Eventually, they decided it was time to back themselves, selling their family home and take the chance of a lifetime. In this episode, I chat with Emma about the journey to Hello Beasty, from the realities of raising a family in hospitality to the risks and sacrifice of opening your own place. We get into the careful dance of finding the right site and landlord, what a good accountant can do for your business (and sanity), and why you never want to just buy yourself a job. We cover branding, obsession, community, and there's a lot of love for the mighty folk who have made Beasty what it is. This was a heart-on-the-sleeve kind of conversation and I really hope you enjoy it. THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Emma Rogan of Hello Beasty on risking it all to chase a dream

  2. Oct 25

    Nici Wickes, author and former restaurant critic, on a life spent championing restaurants

    Nici Wickes loves restaurants. Not just the food, but the people behind them, the risks they take, and the passion, drive and talent that goes into creating somewhere people want to be. It’s what made her become a respected restaurant critic, and why she approached the job a little differently: she wanted to champion restaurants, not tear them down. In this conversation, Nici takes us inside the world of restaurant reviewing - including her thoughts on giving and receiving feedback - before we trace her unexpected path from corporate coaching to food television, thoughtfully written cookbooks and an unlikely social media career born from a desire to help others. There’s plenty here about the realities of working in food and hospitality, the courage it takes to change direction, and ultimately, about what it means to build a life that feels right for you. THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Nici Wickes, author and former restaurant critic, on a life spent championing restaurants

  3. Oct 18

    Justin McKenzie of Hawthorn Lounge on the discipline behind a great cocktail bar

    Hawthorn Lounge was only ever meant to last two years. Make some cash, buy a house, move on. Twenty years later, Justin McKenzie is still behind that black door on Tory Street, running one of Wellington’s most respected cocktail bars. In this episode, we get into the wild early days of 42 Below, a bartender sabring champagne on a helicopter skid, the year-long ritual behind the perfect Manhattan, and why Justin still reckons you can tell a lot about a bartender by watching them make a G&T. But underneath all the stories is a pretty clear idea of what hospitality is actually about. Justin talks about why every guest gets welcomed and farewelled, why he backs his team’s decisions 100%, and how you build a bar people keep coming back to for twenty years. We get into cutting people off, the details that make Hawthorn what it is, and what happens when the job you love starts taking more from you than it gives back. THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Justin McKenzie of Hawthorn Lounge on the discipline behind a great cocktail bar

  4. Oct 11

    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 opened Lottie’s on Queen Street. In 2025, she was named number one in the inaugural Champagne Louis Roederer Top 100 Sommeliers New Zealand, though interestingly she’s not all that keen on being called a sommelier. Leah is one of those people who has spent a career at the very heart of hospitality, learning from some of the best in the business and developing a very clear idea of what great service actually looks like. She has stories from some seriously good dining rooms, strong opinions on everything from wine lists to team culture, and a refreshingly no-nonsense take on what it means to actually succeed in this business. We get into all of it with her, from the art and business of wine to why the smallest details can make the biggest difference. This is a conversation with someone who really knows her craft, so if you're in the industry too, prepare to take notes! THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻 Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂 Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚 Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Leah Kirkland of the Emett Group: so much more than a sommelier

  5. Oct 4

    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 sits down with Dom to talk about finding your calling, chasing validation, being the golden child, and what happens when you start to separate your self-worth from your work. At the heart of this chat is service. Growing up Samoan in central Auckland, Jared learned early that hospitality isn't just a job, it's an honour - from serving elders first to carrying the bowl of warm water around the table. They get into the millennial manager experience, Gen Z boundaries, leading with empathy, his ADHD diagnosis, and Red Rabbit's exciting next chapter. Expect a warm and very honest chat about work, identity, and learning that you don't have to earn your worth. THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻 Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂 Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚 Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Jared-Lyron Fa'asalele of Red Rabbit Coffee on service and the power of self-worth

  6. Sep 27

    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 her, Judith has plenty of lessons worth sharing. Judith joins Dom for a brilliantly candid chat about what it really takes to build and run great restaurants: knowing your numbers, learning from the best, front-footing the hard conversations, understanding your customers, opening slowly, and knowing when it’s time to move on. There are brilliant stories along the way, but underneath them is something every hospitality professional can take away: keep learning, keep adapting, and don’t spend too much time looking backwards. THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻 Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂 Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚 Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillanFilm production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Judith Tabron of First Mates, Last Laugh: 50 years of lessons worth sharing

  7. Sep 20

    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 conversation about why past failures can set you up for future success, and why sometimes the thing that feels like a constraint can become the Big Idea itself. We get into the thinking behind Bowler: the tiny kitchen that shaped the menu, the influence of fast-casual brands overseas, the winter that nearly undid the business, and the family reset that became Bowler 2.0. We talk about building a business with his brother Patrick, bringing in partners, and the ambition to take healthy fast food to the masses. This is a candid chat about hospitality, resilience, family, and staying in the game long enough to find what works - I hope you enjoy! THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Charles Williams of Bowler on turning past failures into future success

  8. Sep 13

    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 restaurants, she’s figuring out what the next version of a life in hospitality looks like. This is such a fun, generous conversation about the craft of service and the pride that comes with choosing to make a career of it. We talk about hiring for personality, why you can teach someone to carry three plates but you can’t teach them to care, 500-cover brunches in London, two-minute martinis, burning menus, Friday-night fights and what happens when caring deeply about your work starts to cost you. Sophie also talks candidly about leaving Gilt, learning to put herself back on the priority list, and finding a new way to stay connected to an industry she very clearly still loves. I hope you enjoy this episode, the very first of Season 3. I’m so happy to be back in your ears. And if you like what you hear, please subscribe! THE KITCHEN DAY PODCAST IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY DROPPAH. See why Droppah is the leading choice for hospitality rostering. Kitchen Day listeners can try Droppah for a month free. Click here! WITH THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS 💻 Andrew at Tevalis - Leaders in POS technology 🥂Angie Atkinson at Blanc Distribution 🚚 Anna, Sarah and the team at Goodman Fielder Foodservice Episodes of the Kitchen Day Podcast were filmed at Apero on K'Road in Auckland, and Loretta on Cuba Street in Wellington. Created, hosted and produced by Dominique Fourie McMillan Film production and editing by Jono Tucker at Empire Films Got a question? Drop us a line: hello@kitchenday.co.nz Thank you for listening!

    Sophie Egan on the pride of building a career in service
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About

Hosted by Dominique Fourie McMillan, the Kitchen Day Podcast celebrates the people who bring hospitality to life through service. Each episode features chats with some incredible folk who work in service - from hosts and bartenders to sommeliers and owners - sharing their philosophies, challenges, triumphs, and why they believe service is the best job in the world. Whether you work in hospo (or did once!) or simply love dining out, these stories will reveal why service is an honourable craft, and those who do it well are worth celebrating.

Information

  • Creator
    Kitchen Day
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kitchen Day
  • Show Website
    Kitchen Day Podcast

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