What happens when culinary school structure collides with old-world intuition? In this heartwarming and hilarious episode of Chef Life Radio, Chef Simon Zatyrka joins Adam Lamb to talk about the early kitchen lessons that shaped his philosophy—not in a fine-dining kitchen or training program, but at his grandmother’s side.

From pinches of this to splashes of that, Simon’s grandma cooked with a rhythm and intention that no textbook could teach. And as it turns out, her casual instructions carried some of the most valuable leadership lessons Simon would carry into his professional culinary journey.

👉 “How much is a splash?”
👉 “Until it tastes right, baby.”

Sound familiar?

In this conversation, Simon reflects on the challenge of reconciling precision training with the soulful improvisation his grandma embodied. He shares how her deeply intuitive way of cooking helped him tune into something modern kitchens often overlook: the power of presence, care, and doing things with heart.

What starts as a funny contrast between “measuring everything” and “just feeling it out” quickly becomes a deeper dialogue about mentorship, trust, and leadership in the kitchen. Simon explains how he took those early lessons and applied them to how he leads his teams today—with a focus on relationships over rigid systems, people over procedure, and intention over perfection.

You’ll hear chef lessons from Grandmother

Why grandma’s kitchen might be the best culinary school you never applied to

How “too much structure” can kill creativity and culture

Why leadership, like great food, should be rooted in feel as much as formula

The moment Simon realized that showing up on purpose is more important than getting it “right”

This episode is a masterclass in authenticity, legacy, and what happens when we stop chasing the perfect recipe—and start trusting ourselves to cook (and lead) from the soul.

If you’ve ever struggled to follow a recipe that just didn’t make sense…
Or if you’ve ever heard “just eyeball it” and panicked—
This one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and get reconnected with the roots of real leadership and flavor
👉 [Insert Link to Full Episode or Website]

Don’t forget to subscribe, share with your crew, and drop a comment with your favorite grandma-style cooking advice.

“She didn’t follow recipes. She followed her gut. And damn—she was almost always right.” – Chef Simon Zatyrka

#ChefLife #KitchenWisdom #LeadershipLessons #ChefLifeRadio #CulinaryRoots #FromScratchLeadership #GrandmasRecipes

🤣 "Roast the bones TOO HOT?! Sheet pans?!" Learn more @ https:///link.chefliferadio.com/connect #culinaryschool #chefproblems #cookingfail #grandmasknowsbest #funny