Mise en Place - the Podcast

Episodes

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  Jonathan Merrill 16.10.2026 1h 16m

  On this weeks podcast we have Owner/ Operator and jack of all trades, of Bar Bravo and Barnacle, Jonathan (Jon) Merrill. He talks about how he caught the restaurant bug and has been deep in it ever since. Jon also talk about bootstrapping the opening of Bravo and how the business of having a restaurant in 2026 is going. I hope you enjoy the chat. Send us your feedback
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  COOKSCAMP & A New Chef's Code of Conduct 09.10.2026 49m

  After a short hiatus, we are back to talk about the greatest hospitality event on the planet, COOKSCAMP. Also I explain a New Chefs Code of Conduct. Where it came from and what it could mean to the industry. Send us your feedback
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  Jasper Cruickshank 04.09.2026 1h 8m

  On this week's Podcast we have L'Abattoir Executive Chef Jasper Cruickshank. Japser has worked with some of the best in the business. Bruno Marti, Tobias McDonald, Alex Chen, Roger Ma, to name a few. His pedigree and attention to always pushing to be better has taken him far in his career. He has a a lot of really great advice for young cooks, from finding the right mentors to having the right mindset for success. I hope you all like our chat. Send us your feedback
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  Bruce McAdams 28.08.2026 1h 31m

  On this weeks podcast we have a returning guest, Professor Bruce McAdams. He is a tenured academic, teaching and researching at the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism, University of Guelph in Ontario. A career restaurant pro with a really varied skill set, who decides to change gears, becomes an academic and studies ways to figure how to truly change the hospitality sector from a more disciplined and scientific perspective. We dive into tipping as he is the foremost expert on the matter ...
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  Sam Payne 21.08.2026 1h

  On this weeks podcast we have a very well known name and voice in the craft brewing scene here in BC and in Canada, Mr Sam Payne, of Parkside, Rewind and Slackwater Brewing, also owner of Good Hustle Distribution. His insights in beer, hospitality and business of fun makes him a legend in our business. I hope you all enjoy our conversation. Send us your feedback
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  Aaron Surman 14.08.2026 1h 12m

  On this weeks podcast we have Pastry Chef/ Baker/ Owner of Ex Animo, Aaron Surman. Originally from Brisbane Australia, Aaron started by knocking on the door of the right kitchen to get himself on path of hard work, and perpetual inquisitiveness. From fine dining to building a wholesale bakery empire. Aaron has figured a lot of it out on his own but always goes back to the fundamentals he learned from books. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Send us your feedback
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  Steve Lewis 07.08.2026 1h 46m

  On this week's podcast I am very happy to have the Corporate Chef of the Keg, and BC Chefs Chapter President, Steve Lewis. His passion for the industry has had him doing, bartending, waiting, floor manager, store manager, cook, Chef, almost every job you can have in a restaurant he has been successful at. He is also an adamant about nurturing and mentoring younger talent in our industry to become tomorrow's new leaders. I hope you enjoy getting to know Steve as much as I did. Send us yo...
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  Julian Bond 31.07.2026 2h 31m

  On this week's podcast, we have Chef Julian Bond. A Father, a Chef, a Teacher, a Businessman, a Mentor, and absolutely an industry Leader. We get to better understand what makes Julian tick and how he got to where he is today. Love, loss, family, balance, in an industry that is unforgiving and hard. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Send us your feedback
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  Dickson Li and Pearl Lam 24.07.2026 1h 28m

  On this weeks episode I am very happy to have 2 people on that need no introduction. These two are the force behind Dicky's Dumps, some of the most popular frozen dumplings sold in the lower mainland. For many years these two worked outside the food world and became absolute experts in marketing, branding and sales. That, along with years of event and social media experience and an absolute love of dumpling, their own Hong Kong heritage and their incredible sense of community has made these t...
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  Jason Pleym 17.07.2026 1h 39m

  On this weeks podcast we have a perspective we don't see that often on the podcast and that is from the supply/ distribution side. Jason Pleym, owner and mastermind behind the wholesale and retail operations at Two Rivers Meats. They also happen to operate a darn tasty restaurant next to the retail butcher shop. There is not a better place to buy a dry aged steak in the lower mainland. Plus they have so many other aspects to their operations, from beef, jerky, sausage making, charcuterie and ...
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  Oliver Bernardino 10.07.2026 1h 25m

  On this weeks podcast we have Pastry Chef Oliver Bernardino of the Wentworth Hospitality Group here in Vancouver. Oliver knew from a young age that being a pastry Chef was what he wanted and he has devoted his life to it. Please take a listen to this humble man's journey to fulfilling his dreams and accomplishing so much more. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback
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  Karen Barnaby 03.07.2026 56m

  On this week's podcast I had a great chat with Chef Karen Barnaby, cookbook author, Chef, development Chef, practicer of voodoo and woohoo. We go back in time a bit talk about some of the older restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver along with her very long tenure at the Fish House in Stanley Park. Now working a bit slower pace of life as a development Chef, Karen imparts the best advice any Chef can give. You'll have to listen to hear what it is. Send us your feedback
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  Charles McDiarmid 26.06.2026 1h 20m

  On this week’s episode, I’m thrilled to chat with hospitality and hotelier legend Charles McDiarmid of the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino BC. Charles grew up in Tofino and fell in love with the idea of running his own hotel from a young age. After studying at Cornell and gaining experience with the Four Seasons Hotel Group across North America, he returned home to Tofino to pursue his dream. We talk about what hospitality truly means and what it takes to anticipate your guests needs before they e...
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  Thomas Haas 19.06.2026 1h 3m

  On this week's podcast I get to chat with return guest, amazing pastry chef, chocolatier, small business owner and opinionated guy, Mr Thomas Haas. We try and tackle some of the bigger problems that we see out there in our industry right now. Commodity pricing, macro economics of chocolate and food, seeing if there is much sense to be made in our very unnecessarily complex system of food. We also delve a bit into a favourite show topic and the exponential increase in tipping culture and how t...
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  Kurtis Kolt Part 2 12.06.2026 1h 24m

  This episode is part 2 of my conversation with longtime hospitality pro and wine expert Kurtis Kolt. In this part we talk about mental health, the state of the industry, tipping and where he sees the industry going. All very insightful takes. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback
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  Kurtis Kolt Part 1 12.06.2026 57m

  In this week's podcast we have a two parter. Kurtis Kolt has been a front of the house legend and sommelier in BC for as long as I have been in Vancouver. Originally from Ontario, he has called Vancouver home for a very long time. His love for wine and our industry permeates everything he does. As one of the founders of Top Drop Vancouver, Kurtis and his partners have built one of the most prestigious wine events in western Canada. Highlighting some of small boutique wineries from around the ...
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  Luke Kennedy 05.06.2026 1h 24m

  On this weeks podcast, we have a very old friend and Industry veteran Luke Kennedy. Vancouver born, starting as a young eager dishwasher at a local North Van place to working in Michelin starred kitchens in Europe to opening Daniels Boulud's first restaurant in Toronto. We chat about his story in the business and in and outs of this amazing industry. Luke has also been involved with COOKSCAMP as our "Pitt Boss", the go to guy to help the different Chefs cook over the charcoal pits and BBQ's. ...
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  Coulson Armstrong 29.05.2026 1h 15m

  On this weeks podcast I am happy to have on Coulson Armstrong, Culinary Director of Our House Hospitality, based out of Toronto, Ontario. Coulson grew up on a farm and has an incredibly deep love for agriculture and utilizing the best he can find locally. He trained here and Canada and like a lot of friends of the podcast, he fell in love with the business of food and travelled to see the world through the eyes of a cook. His experiences and passion brought him in contact with another great C...
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  Robert Clark 22.05.2026 1h 41m

  On this podcast we have cook, Chef, sustainability expert, Order of Canada Recipient, Robert Clark. Originally from humble beginnings in Gaspé Quebec, making his way through the kitchens of Toronto, to around the world and ending up in Vancouver. This is where Robert, turned his passion for great product into his lifelong work in seafood sustainability. A great Chef, a voice and and advocate for our industry and still always asking the hard questions. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your f...
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  Todd Perrin 15.05.2026 1h 12m

  Mise en Place on the Road. On this weeks podcast, we are recording is sunny, windy, rainy, overcast and beautiful St. Johns Newfoundland. We are joined by a true native son, fourth generation Newfoundlander, Chef Todd Perrin of Rabble Restaurant in St. Johns. We chat about the sights, some of the history and what it is like to run a restaurant in St. Johns in 2026. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback