The Chef JKP Podcast

How do you turn a single restaurant into a globally recognised dining group?

In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Natasha Sideris, founder and CEO of the Tashas Group, for an inspiring and candid conversation about her journey from family-run kitchens to launching standout brands like Flamingo Room, Galaxy Bar, and her latest concept, Nala.

Natasha opens up about her childhood food memories, growing up in her father’s restaurant business, and how those early experiences shaped her passion for hospitality. She also dives into the realities of running a restaurant empire, the importance of work-life balance, and what it takes to scale without sacrificing quality.

Tune In To Learn:

👩‍🍳 How Natasha launched and scaled Tashas across multiple markets

👩‍🍳 The strategy behind choosing Dubai and navigating the London restaurant scene

👩‍🍳 Lessons in wellness, resilience, and sustainability in hospitality

👩‍🍳 What makes a strong hospitality brand stand out in a competitive market

👩‍🍳 Key advice for aspiring restaurateurs from one of the region’s leading visionaries

01:00 Chef JKP Live Announcement

02:39 Meet Natasha Sideris: Her Culinary Journey

08:09 Entering the World of Hospitality

21:21 Launching Tashas and Defining a Brand

42:51 Expanding with Flamingo Room & Galaxy Bar

57:17 DIFC and New Market Challenges

01:07:20 Wellness, Balance & Industry Realities

01:13:35 Global Expansion & Cookbook Creation

01:21:43 Fast Casual Concepts & Scaling Smart

01:30:03 The Future of Dining in MENA

01:33:13 Quick Fire Questions

01:39:57 Advice for Aspiring Restaurateurs

Learn more about Tasha's Group: https://www.tashasgroup.com/

You can see what Natasha is up to on LinkedIN

A huge thank you to our partners:

Luvv Fits – luvvfits.com

Westholme – westholme.com

🚨 The Chef JKP Podcast is going LIVE! 🚨

Join us for unfiltered, real conversations on April 13th, 20th, and 27th at Timeout Market Dubai. Expect deep insights, audience Q&As, and a chance to connect with industry leaders.

Please leave us a review on Apple, Spotify or any podcasting site - it’s the best way to support the show!

Food is memories! Enjoy the episode! 🍴

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In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, James Knight-Pacheco welcomes Doxis Bekris, Vice President of Culinary Shared Services and Concept Development at Emirates Flight Catering, for an in-depth conversation about the fascinating world of in-flight culinary operations.

From his childhood in Greece to leading one of the world’s largest catering services, Doxis shares his journey and the dedication it takes to create exceptional dining experiences at 40,000 feet.

Tune in to learn:

👨‍🍳 Chef’s journey: How Doxis transitioned from studying in Greece to working in Michelin-starred kitchens in the UK

👨‍🍳 Innovating airline cuisine: The art and science of creating meals that meet the highest standards of quality, taste, and consistency on a massive scale

👨‍🍳 Behind the numbers: The logistical feats of serving over 240,000 meals daily for Emirates and other airlines

👨‍🍳 Culinary leadership: Doxis’ approach to managing diverse teams, ensuring safety and hygiene, and maintaining exceptional service across global operations

👨‍🍳 Sustainability matters: How Emirates Flight Catering tackles food waste and adopts sustainable practices to improve the industry.

This episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the complexity and creativity behind in-flight dining. Whether you’re a chef, a traveler, or simply curious about what goes into those meals served at cruising altitude, Doxis’ story is packed with insights and inspiration.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode:

Chef Middle East (chefmiddleeast.com) - You can follow them on HERE

LuvvFits Gourmet Protein Bars (luvvfits.com) - You can follow them on HERE

Keep your beverages at the perfect temperature with our Chef JKP thermos bottles. Grab yours now at chefjkp.com or DM us on Instagram!

FOLLOW DOXIS:

https://www.instagram.com/doxisbekris/?hl=en

Be sure to follow, share, and subscribe to the podcast. If you loved this episode, leave a review and help us share these amazing stories with the world!

Food is memories. Enjoy the episode! 🍴

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a text

This podcast is bought to you by Gulfood - https://www.gulfood.com and Meelz - https://meelz.me

Michael De Souza was working at Emirates airlines for 15 years, the pandemic came along, he was made redundant like so many people at the time, however he didn’t rest on his laurels, as there was always a passion for food from a young age, so he decided to become a chef. During his time growing up in India, his family owned a bakery, so naturally he grew up around hospitality, he recalls in 1994 when cable was available there were a couple of chefs on TV that would catch his interest even more so.

The first would be a show called Yan Can Cook, by revered chef Martin Yan. https://yancancook.com/home/
The second would be the late great Keith Floyd.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Floyd

The two food shows ignited a spark within young Michael, to taste all of the wonderful food he saw, and to travel, little did he know back then, that this influence would be a huge part of his adult life.
His family wanted to be a doctor, an engineer, he had other plans, to be part of a cabin crew.

He applied and got rejected a total of 18 times, with various airlines for various different reasons. One day the opportunity arose to interview with Emirates, only problem is that there was already 500 people in the queue, most of those with flight experience. Undetered by the 12 hour interview, he gave it his best, and finally got the job!
https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/
During his time and working his way up through the ranks, he learnt a great deal about the various types of foods, how to serve, how to deal with people from all walks of life, it was a great learning process.
Not being the type of person to shy away from a challenge, Michael wanted to push himself further within a leadership role, so he applied to be a flight supervisor, he then went on to become a successful Purser for one of the best airlines in the world.

After a 15 year career, he forced to make lifechanging decision due to COVID- 19, this came naturally as he loved food, but how do you become a chef?

After a conversation with his wife, she mentioned how much he loved food and his interest was always to be a chef, so he enrolled himself into one of the leading culinary institutes in the country – SCAFA!
http://www.scafa.ae
He now is a qualified chef, his apprenticeship began by working at the 5 star luxury hotel ME Dubai, which fast tracked him into working all of the sections of the kitchen, and has taught him the values of what it takes to be a chef in the true sense of the word.

From one extreme to another, Michael without a doubt will go far in his culinary career, as there are no boundaries, his pure passion and dedcication to keep pushing himself to be better day by day is what chef’s always strive for, looking forward to seeing the next phase of his journey.

To see what he is doing, you can follow him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chefmichaelagnelo/

Stay tuned for next week’s show, we talk to one of the most re-known broadcasters in the region and in the UK!
Thank you to our partners Gulfood and Meelz, make sure to click on their links at the very top of the page.
Until next time, food is memories!

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a text

The Chef JKP podcast, hosted by James Knight Paccheco, features a conversation with Chang Sup Shin, the CEO of 1004 Gourmet.
The episode delves into Chang's culinary journey, business ventures, the unique concept of 1004 Gourmet, strategic business development in the food industry, product curation, sustainability efforts, and advice for young professionals.

Topics discussed:

· Chang's Culinary Journey

· Business Ventures

· Unique Concept of 1004 Gourmetd

· Strategic Business Development

· Sustainability Efforts

· Advice for Young Professionals

Key takeaways and lessons:

• Childhood food memories and experiences play a significant role in shaping culinary journeys.
• Strategic business development, product curation, and customer engagement are crucial in the food industry.
• Sustainability efforts, both environmental and human, are essential for long-term business success.
• Advice for young professionals includes learning from mistakes, embracing passion, and holding oneself accountable.
• Creating a memorable shopping experience and community support are vital in the food industry.

You can follow Chang on HERE
The show is proudly brought to you by our partners Chef Middle East, you can follow them on HERE

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a text

In this episode of the Chef JKP Podcast, James Knight-Pacheco welcomes Doxis Bekris, Vice President of Culinary Shared Services and Concept Development at Emirates Flight Catering, for an in-depth conversation about the fascinating world of in-flight culinary operations.

From his childhood in Greece to leading one of the world’s largest catering services, Doxis shares his journey and the dedication it takes to create exceptional dining experiences at 40,000 feet.

Tune in to learn:

👨‍🍳 Chef’s journey: How Doxis transitioned from studying in Greece to working in Michelin-starred kitchens in the UK

👨‍🍳 Innovating airline cuisine: The art and science of creating meals that meet the highest standards of quality, taste, and consistency on a massive scale

👨‍🍳 Behind the numbers: The logistical feats of serving over 240,000 meals daily for Emirates and other airlines

👨‍🍳 Culinary leadership: Doxis’ approach to managing diverse teams, ensuring safety and hygiene, and maintaining exceptional service across global operations

👨‍🍳 Sustainability matters: How Emirates Flight Catering tackles food waste and adopts sustainable practices to improve the industry.

This episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the complexity and creativity behind in-flight dining. Whether you’re a chef, a traveler, or simply curious about what goes into those meals served at cruising altitude, Doxis’ story is packed with insights and inspiration.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode:

Chef Middle East (chefmiddleeast.com) - You can follow them on HERE

LuvvFits Gourmet Protein Bars (luvvfits.com) - You can follow them on HERE

Keep your beverages at the perfect temperature with our Chef JKP thermos bottles. Grab yours now at chefjkp.com or DM us on Instagram!

FOLLOW DOXIS:

https://www.instagram.com/doxisbekris/?hl=en

Be sure to follow, share, and subscribe to the podcast. If you loved this episode, leave a review and help us share these amazing stories with the world!

Food is memories. Enjoy the episode! 🍴

Support the show

Follow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE