Open Fire Cooking, Culinary Education & Hospitality Life | Ross – Open Flame Experience

In this episode of Rad-Ventures, I sit down with Ross, founder of The Open Flame Experience, to talk about his journey through the catering world and into building a business centred around open-fire cooking and hands-on food education.We talk about where his passion for food started, how travelling shaped the way he cooks, and why teaching people about food, fire and technique is such a big part of what he now does. Ross explains the thinking behind the Open Flame Experience, what actually happens at his sessions, and why hands-on learning is so important.We also get into the realities of working in hospitality, how the industry has changed, the challenges caterers face post-COVID, and why collaboration and community matter more than competition. Ross shares his views on work-life balance, mental health in hospitality, and what it’s like building something new in a demanding industry.A relaxed conversation about cooking, business models, creativity, travel, and finding enjoyment in the work you do.00:00 – Introduction & meeting Ross02:57 – What is The Open Flame Experience?05:50 – Food education & awareness09:03 – Cooking techniques & open fire cooking11:59 – Hands-on experiences & course structure14:56 – Knife skills & tools17:48 – Ross’s catering background29:54 – The reality of the catering industry34:14 – Work-life balance in hospitality38:14 – Mental health in the industry45:58 – Travel & cooking abroad52:09 – Living in the moment58:01 – Collaboration over competitionLinks:https://theopenflameexperience.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/theopenflameexperience/https://www.theburntchefproject.com/https://www.instagram.com/pardoeandco/https://www.alexpoleironwork.com/Enjoying Rad-Ventures? Help keep the podcast going:☕ Buy me a Ko-fi - https://ko-fi.com/radmin_assist🎙️ Join the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/radminassistAbout me!Hey, I’m Radmin — founder of Radmin Assist, freelance admin support pro, podcast host, and small business champion. Rad-Ventures is where I sit down with business owners, creatives and entrepreneurs for relaxed conversations about work, ideas, tools, and the journeys behind what they do.