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Welcome to the third episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In SNACKS Episode 3, Chef JKP brings together insights from Björn Frantzén and Regan Hillyer, exploring leadership, mental resilience, and how emotional state influences performance inside high-pressure kitchens.

Björn reflects on leadership from lived experience at the highest level of gastronomy. He speaks about accountability, hiring and training responsibility, and why a leader must first look inward when performance drops. Drawing from his time building world-class restaurants, he explains that what truly separates elite kitchens is not technique alone, but culture, pride, and a team that believes deeply in how and why the work is done.

Regan brings a complementary perspective grounded in wellbeing and performance psychology. She breaks down how stress shows up in the body before people are even aware of it, why most leaders miss those signals, and how breath, awareness, and presence directly affect decision-making. She connects leadership to service, explaining why calm is not passive, ego blocks performance, and true leadership is felt more than announced.

Together, this SNACK examines why great kitchens rise or fall on the emotional state of the people inside them. From how stress transfers through leadership to how energy carries into food itself, this conversation reframes performance as something shaped long before service begins.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Leadership accountability and owning team performance
• Why culture matters more than control
• What elite Michelin-level kitchens have in common
• Personality, pride, and belief inside great teams
• Recognising stress responses in real time
• Breath, presence, and decision-making under pressure
• Leadership without ego
• Why calm is a leadership skill
• How energy transfers from kitchen to plate
• Creating environments where teams perform with clarity

CHAPTERS

01:00 Leadership responsibility and accountability
03:00 Hiring, training, and owning outcomes
05:00 What defines top-level kitchens beyond technique
07:00 Culture, pride, and chef personality
09:00 Recognising stress in the moment
11:00 Breath, presence, and performance
13:00 Leadership as service, not ego
15:00 Energy, food, and emotional transfer
17:00 Final reflections on calm and excellence

FOLLOW THE GUESTS

Björn Frantzén

Personal
https://www.instagram.com/bjornfrantzen

Restaurants
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantfzn

https://www.instagram.com/restaurantzen.sgp

https://www.instagram.com/restaurantfrantzen

Regan Hillyer

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/reganhillyer

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Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/chefjkppodcast

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17

TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpaccheco

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

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Welcome to the second episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In SNACKS Episode 2, Chef JKP brings together insights from Himanshu Saini and Peggy Pui Ki Li, exploring pressure, recognition, and what really changes after success arrives.

Himanshu speaks candidly about what Michelin recognition actually feels like. From the uncertainty of awards season to the pressure that follows, he reflects on how visibility reshapes a restaurant, its guests, and the expectations placed on the chef. He shares the emotional weight of recognition, the responsibility that comes with it, and why peace and patience matter more than chasing the next milestone.

Peggy brings a complementary perspective shaped by years of operating at the highest level of hospitality. She breaks down the difference between commercial and fine dining, how attention to detail defines premium experiences, and why leadership, clarity, and mental resilience are essential when operating under constant scrutiny.

Together, this SNACK episode explores what happens after recognition. The pressure it brings, the responsibility it creates, and how chefs navigate visibility, expectations, and their own wellbeing without losing focus on the craft.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• What Michelin recognition actually feels like in real time
• The pressure that follows awards and global attention
• How visibility changes guests, expectations, and business
• Mental health challenges after success arrives
• Managing distractions outside the kitchen
• Leadership through uncertainty and responsibility
• Commercial dining versus fine dining operations
• Attention to detail at the highest level of hospitality
• Developing talent and kitchen culture
• Staying grounded while navigating recognition

CHAPTERS

01:00 The reality of Michelin announcements
03:00 Pressure, nerves, and expectations
05:00 Visibility and changing audiences
07:00 Managing attention beyond the kitchen
09:00 Mental health and balance
11:00 Leadership under pressure
13:00 Commercial versus fine dining
15:00 Talent, culture, and long-term thinking
17:00 Final reflections on recognition

FOLLOW THE GUESTS

Himanshu Saini

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/chefhimanshusaini

Restaurant

https://www.instagram.com/tresindstudio

Peggy Pui Ki Li

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/peggy_p_li

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Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/chefjkppodcast

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17

TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpaccheco

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

Send us a text

Welcome to the first episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In Snack Episode 1, Chef JKP brings together insights from the legendary chef Pierre Koffmann and Reim El Houni, offering two perspectives on leadership, craft, and visibility in hospitality.

Pierre reflects on building excellence in an era before trends, PR, and performance culture. He shares what it took to shape The Waterside Inn on its rise to three Michelin stars, why a kitchen needs one clear voice, and how originality and restraint defined his approach.

Reim brings a modern lens to the conversation with a clear message. If you are not visible, you are invisible. She explains why visibility is now part of the job, how chefs and creatives can turn presence into opportunity, and why preparation, testing ideas, and owning your platform matter more than ever.

Together, this SNACK contrasts two generations of excellence. One built quietly through discipline and craft. The other shaped by communication, visibility, and evolving expectations.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Building a Michelin kitchen in a very different era
• Life inside The Waterside Inn during its rise to three stars
• Leadership, authority, and why one clear voice matters
• Cooking without trends, tweezers, or theatrics
• Ingredient quality versus presentation culture
• Knowing when to back your own taste
• Why originality creates attention
• Visibility as a modern responsibility
• Turning content into real opportunity
• What longevity in gastronomy really requires

CHAPTERS

01:00 Michelin kitchens before trends and performance
03:00 Leadership at the pass and owning responsibility
05:00 Cooking with instinct, seasonality, and restraint
07:00 Opening your own restaurant and backing your taste
09:00 Originality, risk, and confidence
11:00 Visibility and modern expectations
13:00 Testing ideas before building them
15:00 Creating your own platform
17:00 Final reflections on longevity

FOLLOW THE GUESTS

Pierre Koffmann
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/pierre.koffmann/
https://www.instagram.com/thefoodheroesfamily

Reim El Houni
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reimelhouni/
https://www.instagram.com/ti22films

FOLLOW CHEF JKP

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/chefjkppodcast

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpaccheco

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE