When you are able to travel to Mexico and drink Mescal on the beach with shorts, shirts and birkenstock's, you could easily forget you are one of the chefs involved in the Noma Pop up. That was the vibe across the Noma team during their time in Mexico. Embracing the land around them while sharing some of the most delicious meals to ever come out of a kitchen. The restaurant had no roof, the floor was sand and even the waiters didn’t wear shoes during service. Because when it comes to delicious food and exceptional service, Rene refuses to lose sight of what’s really important and this struck a chord with Hugh. Hugh and I chat about the importance of the high standard set at some of the best restaurants and if chefs really need to be pushed that hard and work the long hours they do in order for the food to be some of the worlds best. It’s the big question that’s getting different responses. At 24, Hugh Allen's career has superseded more than what some people would expect. Having walked through kitchens such as Rockpool Bar and Grill, Vue De Monde and Noma in Copenhagen, whilst also tagging along to the pop ups in Mexico & Australia. When he decided to return to Australia, he very quickly became recognised as the new face of Vue De Monde by becoming their new executive head chef and with his recent creative creations like the Bottlebrush dessert (Which unfortunately won’t hit the menu unless they hire a full time Bottlebrush Brigade to stick those red flowers on), Mums Gumnuts and Billy Buttons are proving both his level of skill and passion for thinking outside of the box when it comes to both delicious food and providing a unique experience to his customers. We chat about the highlights of his time at the various venues he both worked and staged at and the memorable moments that stuck with him now, like the time he had to pass on his booking at Brae because of a hangover from drinking too much with Bo Beck the night before. All of this and more on this weeks episode. So be sure to tune into the Roots Podcast or go and follow @rootsforaging on Instagram for the latest guest news and soundbite. I would like to note that Roots Podcast is proudly supported by the Australian Good Food Guide. A hospitality guide that started in 1977 and still continues to rate and support restaurants ever since. Music by Charlie Fester.