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The Ingredients

The Ingredients

By: Open Pantry Co.
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The Ingredients From the team at Open Pantry Co., The Ingredients is a hospitality podcast that gets to the heart of what makes a venue work. Each episode breaks down one essential ingredient, from brand and fitout to team culture and menu design, through real conversations with operators, makers, and thinkers across the industry. This isn’t about trends for trend’s sake. It’s about the thinking behind the service, and how better decisions get made. If you’re building a venue, leading a team, or just craving more meaning in your work, this is the podcast for you. This episode is proudly brought to you by Tanda, helping hospitality venues stay compliant, supported, and ahead of the game. Connect with the team at https://www.tanda.com.au/ or hospitality@tanda.com.au How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Email us at Open Pantry Co: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: LinkCopyright 2025 Open Pantry Co. Art Cooking Economics Food & Wine Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Episode 12: Dehne Bingham - Smithburg - From 100 Flights a Year to One Perfect Cheeseburger

    Episode 12: Dehne Bingham - Smithburg - From 100 Flights a Year to One Perfect Cheeseburger
    Mar 17 2026
    Smithburg isn't just a burger joint; it's a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the kind of operational honesty that prioritises substance over ego. In this episode of The Ingredients Podcast, Shaun sits down with Dehne Bingham, founder of Smithburg, inside the South Melbourne market venue that's become one of Melbourne's most compelling American diner experiences. Dehne shares his remarkable journey from flying 100 times a year across North America as a commercial manager for A&W Canada, managing $300 million in supply chain spend, to opening a plant-based restaurant that didn't work, to building the burger brand that finally did. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to pivot without losing everything: why Marco, his plant-based diner, was the best university project that never made commercial sense, how he rebranded an entire restaurant in five days for $30,000, why he refused to raise capital and dilute ownership when the business was struggling, and how his memories of eating at dive bars, diners, and burger joints across the US became the entire menu foundation for Smithburg. Dehne unpacks the philosophy behind building a brand on authenticity rather than Instagram appeal, why he believes the story of the founder matters more than design in scaling a restaurant, how switching from a flat top grill to a sandwich press transformed their lobster shack operations, and why neighbourhoods, not shopping centres, are the future of Smithburg's growth. They discuss the realities of running a venue at a market that's only busy four days a week, why being an engineer in the automotive industry prepared him better for hospitality than most chef backgrounds, how losing a head chef two days before opening taught him what real hospitality pressure feels like, and why he's finally ready to tell the story of cow paddocks, spreadsheets, and the craft behind a perfect cheeseburger. There's also a powerful reflection on knowing when to stop, why Melbourne's food media perpetuates a chef-first culture that sidelines great operators, and how Smithburg's success is built on simplicity executed relentlessly well. This is a conversation about failure and focus, menu and meaning, and building something sustainable without chasing trends or compromising ownership. If you run a venue, work in food, or want to understand what it takes to rebuild after a concept doesn't work, this one's essential listening. This episode is proudly brought to you by Tanda, helping hospitality venues stay compliant, supported, and ahead of the game. www.tanda.com.au More about today's guest: Website: https://www.smithburg.com.au/ Our guest's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dehne-bingham-42859036/ Follow Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-open-pantry-consulting/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openpantryconsulting/
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    50 mins
  • Episode 11: Lachlan Ward - St Ali - From Melbourne Icon to Global Player: The Future of Coffee

    Episode 11: Lachlan Ward - St Ali - From Melbourne Icon to Global Player: The Future of Coffee
    Mar 10 2026
    St Ali isn't just a Melbourne coffee institution; it's a 20-year masterclass in craft, scale, and the kind of brand building that prioritises authenticity over expansion. In this episode of The Ingredients Podcast, Shaun sits down with Lachlan Ward, CEO of St Ali, inside the original South Melbourne venue that remains the beating heart of the business. Lachlan shares his remarkable 15-year journey with the brand, from navigating the complexities of coffee sourcing during climate disruption to building a global presence across Asia, all while staying true to the craft ethos that made St Ali special from day one. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to scale a coffee brand without losing its soul: sourcing futures 12 to 18 months in advance, diversifying supply chains across emerging origins like India, China, and Timor, why a two-day shift in maximum roast dates transformed production planning, and how St Ali uses hospitality venues as brand accelerators rather than revenue centres. Lachlan unpacks the philosophy behind treating coffee as a vehicle for creativity, why signature beverages now outsell traditional coffee products, the lessons learned from opening their first Manila store, and why localising menus (eggs on rice, not toast) was essential to success. They discuss the realities of building a team across hospitality, wholesale, retail, and e-commerce, why hiring outside of coffee has been the biggest step change for the business, how to stay energised after 15 years by focusing on global potential rather than local saturation, and why St Ali's boldness in design and brand identity has always been a competitive advantage in a market obsessed with muted minimalism. There's also a powerful reflection on coffee pricing volatility, the new normal of complexity in sourcing, why coffee remains an affordable luxury people refuse to give up, and how physical connection with staff and venues keeps leadership grounded. This is a conversation about craft and commerce, people and product, and building a brand with global ambition that's still rooted in the energy of a single South Melbourne warehouse. If you run a cafe, work in coffee, or want to understand what it takes to scale without compromise, this one's essential listening. This episode is proudly brought to you by Tanda, helping hospitality venues stay compliant, supported, and ahead of the game. www.tanda.com.au More about today's guest: Website: https://stali.com.au/ Our guest's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachlan-ward-395b4393/ Follow Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-open-pantry-consulting/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openpantryconsulting/
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    30 mins
  • Episode 10: Jackson McGrath - Greenstreat - Be Curious, Not Judgmental: Building Trust Through Food

    Episode 10: Jackson McGrath - Greenstreat - Be Curious, Not Judgmental: Building Trust Through Food
    Mar 3 2026
    GreenStreat isn't just a salad brand; it's a values-driven mission to change how Australians eat, feel, and experience fast casual hospitality. In this episode of The Ingredients Podcast, Shaun sits down with Jackson McGrath, co-founder of Green Street, inside their Little Collins Street location in Melbourne. Jackson shares his remarkable journey from growing up in his parents' restaurant to building one of Australia's most respected healthy fast casual brands alongside his brother Jesse, navigating multi-state expansion, COVID lockdowns, and the relentless challenge of staying true to their core values while scaling. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to build a sustainable health brand without compromise: developing products around peak seasonality rather than availability, using family salad dressing recipes as a competitive advantage, why fruit in a salad can outsell a burger bowl, and how centralisation isn't about cutting corners but achieving consistency. Jackson unpacks the philosophy behind making food that nourishes and satisfies, why GreenStreat prioritises flavour over Instagram appeal, and how opening stores 2,000 kilometres apart during a pandemic forced him to evolve from operator to strategist. They discuss the realities of scaling across three states with three different store cultures, why magical moments and street fights have transformed team engagement, how to retain hospitality staff by treating venues as careers, not stepping stones, and why being curious beats being judgmental every time. There's also a powerful reflection on competition, the future of fast casual in an AI-driven world, and why slow, controlled growth built on trust will always beat mass expansion built on transactions. This is a conversation about legacy and leadership, product and people, and building something that makes a genuine impact without losing the human connection at its heart. If you run a venue, care about nutrition, or want to understand what authentic hospitality looks like in the fast casual space, this one's essential listening. This episode is proudly brought to you by Tanda, helping hospitality venues stay compliant, supported, and ahead of the game. www.tanda.com.au More about today’s guest: Website: https://www.greenstreat.com.au/ Our guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackson-mcgrath-046b23169/ Follow Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-open-pantry-consulting/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openpantryconsulting/
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    54 mins
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