The PAX Hospitality Podcast

Cutting to the chase with Pat Nourse

As Creative Director of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and the man Leon calls the "Keyser Söze of hospitality," Pat Nourse brings a rare combination of credentials to the table: former editor of the Gourmet Traveler restaurant guide, longtime Chair of The World's 50 Best Restaurants for Australia, and the person who ultimately shapes what MFWF becomes each year. In this conversation, Pat makes the case for why Melbourne is already a genuine global contender, built not from the top down, but from grassroots markets, multicultural neighbourhoods, and venues that simply refuse to be ordinary. He shares exactly what it takes to build a standout MFWF 2027 event and gets brutally, brilliantly honest about how food media really works. How to craft a pitch that doesn't get deleted. Why great photos change everything. And why the validation you're0 chasing from the outside world is the wrong place to be looking. (02:00) Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's core mission (11:15) Why Melbourne is a winnable choice for the world's best food festival (14:00) The power of Melbourne's grassroots food scene and local markets (30:20) Practical steps for venues to prepare for the next festival (34:10) Why festival events need a "clever twist" to be successful (44:15) The first rule of media engagement: being hospitable (56:00) The danger of seeking "exogenous validation" (awards, media) For a downloadable PDF of Pat’s tips and advice on navigating the media and how to pull of a great MFWF event, head to https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-7 [https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-7] To make sure you don’t miss out on any industry news, including key dates for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2027, sign up to their industry only newsletter here: https://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/industry/ [https://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/industry/] If you're keen to understand how you can work with the team at Pax, get in touch hello@pax.melbourne.  If you're needing advice or want to discuss your business's current status, we highly recommend scheduling a call with Leon. It's just a chat and doesn't have to be anything more than that. We're here to listen and help where we can. Book a call here. [https://calendly.com/hello-pax/30-minute-call-clone ] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au/]

Kitchen Ops: Beyond the Food

In this episode, we delve into the raw reality of kitchen operations with PAX’s Head of Culinary Ops, Scott Eddington. With over 24 years of experience ranging from Michelin-starred fine dining to high-volume taco shops and hotel chains, Scott brings a business mind to the back-of-house. The conversation moves past Instagrammable dishes to focus on the mechanical truths of running a profitable business: systematic training, organising workflows, and identifying the 'invisible leaks' in labour and COGS. Scott shares his practical framework for forensic accounting - fixing menus one week at a time - and explains why a chef’s ability to receive feedback is more critical than their knife skills. This is a must-listen for owners looking to bridge the gap between culinary creativity and business sustainability. [00:15:49] Red Flags When You Walk Into a Kitchen [00:16:33] Asking for Help Is a Sign of Strength, Not Weakness [00:19:14] Energy and Culture Are Visible From the Pass [00:28:39] Costing Your Menu One Section at a Time [00:32:10] Breaking Down Labour by Service [00:39:32] Measure Growth in Net Profit %, Not Revenue [00:48:58] Feedback as the Fix-All For access to our easy-to-digest PDF outlining the 10 key take-aways from this episode, head to https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-6 [https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-6]. Treat it as checklist to review where your business is at.  If you're keen to understand how you can work with Scott and the team at Pax, get in touch hello@pax.melbourne.  If you're needing advice or want to discuss your business's current status, we highly recommend schedule a call with Leon. It's just a chat and doesn't have to be anything more than that. We're here to listen and help where we can. Book a call here. [https://calendly.com/hello-pax/30-minute-call-clone] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media. [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au/]

Unlock 218% Income Growth with Learning & Development

In this episode, host Leon joins guest Kate Hemat-Siraky from Zest People Solutions to deconstruct the critical role of learning and development (L&D) in the modern workplace. Kate brings her extensive expertise in "people experience" and Gallup-accredited coaching to a provocative discussion on why traditional, "out-of-the-box" training often fails. The conversation highlights staggering data, including how comprehensive training can lead to 218% higher income per employee and why 94% of staff would stay longer at companies that invest in their growth. Listen to gain insights into building effective L&D architecture, the power of individualised "strengths-based" leadership, and practical strategies for empowering teams through shared vulnerability and "failing forward". This conversation is essential for any business leader looking to move the needle on productivity and retention. (0:03:31) Staggering L&D Retention Statistics (0:05:40) Why Managers Are L&D Champions (0:07:54) Walking Away from $260K Incentives (0:11:52) The 16-Hour Day Solution (0:19:33) Building a Baseline of Clarity (0:30:58) Power of Individualized Development (0:47:58) Self-Awareness as Leadership Bedrock For more information on PAX , visit pax.melbourne [http://www.pax.melbourne] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media. [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au]

Authenticity is Social Media's Engine

This episode leans into the art of storytelling in social media with guest Tim Harris from True Tribe. Leon and Tim discuss how storytelling shouldn't start a "turf war" with conversion experts, but instead must be built on a consistent foundation of clear brand identity. Tim emphasises that small businesses should not "freak out" over the word 'brand', but focus on the intrinsic motivation and asking the key question: "What are you excited about in the business?". Key insights include viewing social media as a magnifying glass that highlights what is genuinely there and understanding the difference between 'pull' content (audience appeal/entertainment) and 'push' content (sales/ethos). Tim shares a successful case study where an event sold out in 24 hours due to clarity of message. (00:00:45) The turf war: conversion vs. storytelling  (00:02:30) Tim's definition of brand and storytelling  (00:04:22) The importance of authentic self-reflection for founders  (00:05:15) Social media is a magnifying glass  (00:12:15) Case study: selling out an event in 24 hours  (00:20:11) Self-reflection tools: logotherapy and a "mood board"  (00:22:45) Push vs. Pull content: diagnosing revenue issues For more information on PAX , visit pax.melbourne [http://www.pax.melbourne] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media. [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au]

Hospitality's Social Media Conversion Kit

On this episode, Loren Daniels (Head of Sales & Marketing at PAX) and Yolanda from Kiss the Cook Creative join the PAX table to dissect the biggest headache in hospitality marketing: social media. Stop obsessing over vanity metrics and start focusing on the core strategy - Awareness, Behaviour, and Conversion (ABC). This episode provides a practical, no-fluff guide on how to make social media work for your venue, not against it. Learn why your profile's 'architecture' is more important than virality, why an iPhone photo outperforms a professional shoot, and the sweet spot for posting frequency. Yolanda shares her on-the-ground tips for creating authentic, low-lift content, and Lauren reveals how your social setup impacts discoverability on platforms like ChatGPT. Tune in for the mechanical, working truth behind turning scrolling into seating.