Episode Details

Our guest this week is Paolo Arlotta, a vegetarian chef, entrepreneur, yoga teacher and founder of Chefs of Yoga.

Use promo code INSPIRED and email polarlotta@gmail.com to redeem a 10% discount for 2 Food tickets.

About Paolo

Paolo is a qualified Yoga teacher and his 'Chefs Of Yoga' (C.O.Y) project aims to improve the work-life balance of hospitality industry workers. He aims to bring Yoga and Meditation to employees of restaurants and cafes on a weekly basis but also offers monthly Yoga community building classes at various facilities.

Classically trained in Italy at Michelin starred restaurants such as All’Enoteca (Davide Palluda) and Joya (Pietro Leemann), he originally started his career as a kitchen porter working in the U.K. back in 2006. He worked in numerous high-valued restaurants including the likes of the three Michelin starred restaurants, Guy Savoy and Mario Batali's Osteria Mozza in Singapore.

After relocating to Australia, Paolo gained experience at the coveted hat restaurants Vue de Monde, Tipo 00, Amaru and Nora and in addition to that he received training experiences at Quay in Sydney and the awarded best restaurant in the world, Noma. 

At the beginning of 2013, he helmed the Head Chef position for Melbourne's first Not for Profit cafe, Kinfolk. During that time they donated more than $80,000 dollars toward charity projects in and outside Australia in only a few years. In late 2014, Paolo created a unique series of fine dining dinners called 'Speak as You Eat' which lasted over two years and donated all of its profits (more than $10,000) to charity projects. The Speak as You Eat dining experience was a 5-course vegetarian fine dining meal with wine pairings prepared in collaboration with top-notch chefs in Melbourne.

Paolo’s food focuses strongly on sustainability (minimal waste as well as using local produce wherever possible) and encompassing the seasons by bringing vegetarian tasty alternatives to the next level with a strong emphasis on flavors, balance, and simplicity wrapped with deep and intense mouth sensations. His switch to a vegetarian diet in 2009 influenced a lot of his cooking, leading him more towards an active and healthy lifestyle. Conscious food, nutrition, Yoga, body movement, and fitness play a large role in Paolo’s life, but his greatest inspiration comes from his lessons in deep spirituality and self-development and sharing that with the world.

Connect with Paolo:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paolotancrediarlotta/
• Website: https://www.paoloarlotta.com/

In this Episode We Canvas:

• The Incredible Journey of Food and Yoga

Paolo shares his journey towards being an impactful chef and yoga teacher. From leaving his home in Italy to go to London in search of something more, to being inspired by Lenny Kravitz to teach himself how to play the guitar. He ended up becoming a very accomplished fine-dining chef, but that took its toll on him spiritually and physically due to working 70 to 90-hour weeks. This situation gave birth to his interest in spirituality. He will dive into the widespread mental health issues among workers in the hospitality industry and the toxic environment in fine dining.

“Yoga and a little bit of meditati