Kitchen Culture – Fear and intensity. Stephen Hickmore Interviews Chef Karen Rossouw

Podcast – Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox

From fiery tempers and military-style kitchen brigades to emotional intelligence and modern hospitality leadership, this week on Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox we dive deep into the fascinating psychology of chefs and kitchen culture.

Joining us is Chef Karen Rossouw, Head of Culinary at ⁠The Swiss Hotel School South Africa⁠, for a candid and often humorous conversation about what really happens behind the pass.

Why are professional kitchens so intense? Do screaming chefs still belong in modern hospitality? Can discipline exist without fear? And what personality types exist in every kitchen — from “The Ramsey” to “The Burnt-Out Veteran” and “The Michelin Fantasist”?

We explore chef burnout, toxic kitchen culture, mentorship, psychological safety, emotional intelligence in hospitality leadership, culinary education, restaurant pressure, and the future of professional kitchens.

Packed with real stories, honest insights and plenty of humour, this episode is essential listening for chefs, hospitality students, restaurant owners, culinary educators and anyone fascinated by the world of food and hospitality.

Stephen Hickmore

Stephen is a hospitality professional from Johannesburg South Africa. His career started with THF hotels in the UK and subsequently with the Southern Sun Hotel group in Johannesburg. Stephen’s first steps into entrepreneurship was Hickmore Recruitment / CareerMap,  a leading supplier of Senior and Exec recruitment services.  Stephen was a founder  of Pple Hospitality (formerly HSC) the largest Hospitality Industry full-service outsourced staffing company in South Africa. In March 2020 Stephen became a director and owner of the Swiss Hotel School South Africa, which is now his full time passion.

SHS – Institute of Hospitality Management

SHS – Institute of Culinary Arts

Stephen writes for a number of publications on food and hospitality industry matters, trends and opinions. He also hosts a Podcast on Spotify “Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox”