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The Ingredients

The Ingredients

Written 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 8 - Sharon Romeo - Fino Vino - Why Looking After People Matters More Than Serving Them

    Episode 8 - Sharon Romeo - Fino Vino - Why Looking After People Matters More Than Serving Them
    Jan 13 2026
    Fino Vino isn't just a restaurant brand; it's a 20-year masterclass in regional and city hospitality, resilience, and the kind of service that prioritises connection over everything else. In this episode of The Ingredients Podcast, Shaun sits down with Sharon, co-owner of Fino Vino in Adelaide's CBD and the iconic Seppeltsfield destination restaurant in the Barossa Valley. Sharon shares her remarkable journey, from starting at Pizza Hut in 1988, through the toxic culture of 1990s hospitality, to building one of South Australia's most respected and enduring restaurant brands alongside her business partner, David Swain. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to sustain a business through two decades of change: opening a 30-seat venue in Willunga with no menu, transitioning to a 140-seat destination restaurant in the Barossa, surviving a CBD launch during the pandemic, and navigating the challenges of staffing, margins, and customer expectations across vastly different markets. Sharon unpacks the philosophy behind their produce-driven approach, the importance of community over trends, and why authentic hospitality is about reading people, not following scripts. They discuss the evolution of workplace culture, why Sharon refuses to replicate the toxic environments she endured early in her career, how she's learned to let go of control and embrace mentorship, and why the next generation of hospitality workers gives her hope. There's also a powerful reflection on business partnerships, the economics of express lunches versus fine dining, and why polishing cutlery is a waste of everyone's time. This is a conversation about resilience and relationships, margins and meaning, and building something that lasts without losing the human connection at its heart. If you run a venue, work in hospitality, or just care about what great service really looks like, 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.
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    45 mins
  • Episode 7 - Nick Corletto - Maybe Mae - Seasonality, Margins, and Making Drinks That Matter

    Episode 7 - Nick Corletto - Maybe Mae - Seasonality, Margins, and Making Drinks That Matter
    Jan 6 2026
    Maybe Mae isn't just a cocktail bar; it's a masterclass in seasonality, sustainability, and the kind of service that prioritises dialogue over decoration. In this episode of The Ingredients Podcast, Shaun sits down with Nick Corletto, operating partner at Maybe Mae, tucked away in the basement just off Peel Street in Adelaide. Nick shares his journey from working on his family's vineyard in Clare Valley to becoming a driving force behind one of Adelaide's most respected cocktail destinations for over a decade. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to run a sustainable bar (spoiler: no bar is truly sustainable), how to craft a profitable drink without sacrificing creativity, and why Maybe Mae moved to a fully digital menu. Nick unpacks the philosophy behind their produce-driven approach, the importance of curating spirits thoughtfully rather than stocking everything, and how honest dialogue with guests beats a leather-bound menu every time. They discuss the evolution of Adelaide's bar scene, the explosion of quality drinking across South Australia, the challenges of small bar economics, and why the smallest operational change—embracing seasonal produce—has had the biggest impact on their business. There's also a powerful reflection on mentorship, team culture, and why Nick's proudest legacy isn't the drinks he's made, but the people he's helped develop along the way. This is a conversation about margins and meaning, creativity and community, and building something that lasts without chasing trends or ego. If you run a bar, work in drinks, or just care about thoughtful hospitality, 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.
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    48 mins
  • Episode 6: Why Real Restaurants Don’t Chase Trends with Duncan and Lauren from Africola

    Episode 6: Why Real Restaurants Don’t Chase Trends with Duncan and Lauren from Africola
    Dec 17 2025
    Africola isn’t just one of Adelaide’s most influential restaurants; it’s a living, breathing example of what happens when culture, people, and product are put ahead of ego and expansion. In this episode of The Ingredients Podcast, Shaun sits down inside Africola with Duncan Welgemoed and Lauren Parsons to unpack the real story behind the venue: the fires (literal ones), the decisions not to scale, the obsession with people over praise, and why authenticity isn’t about copying heritage, it’s about building something honest that evolves on its own terms. They discuss candidly cooking over fire, building a team that genuinely wants to be there, why personality often beats skill in hiring, and how Africola has remained relevant for over a decade without chasing trends, critics, or headlines. There’s also a powerful reflection on Adelaide’s hospitality scene, where it’s been, where it’s heading, and why the city is finally keeping its talent instead of exporting it east. This is a conversation about restaurants as community anchors, menus as operational tools, and leadership that’s grounded in care, not control. If you run a venue or want to build something that lasts, this one’s worth your time. This episode is proudly brought to you by Tanda, helping hospitality venues stay compliant, supported, and ahead of the game.
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    47 mins
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