Colin Fassnidge on why good business partners are crucial to keep chefs “in line” - hospitality | Magazine
Colin Fassnidge has shared the importance of good business partners keeping chefs “in line” to make sure the business “doesn’t go down the toilet”. The chef, who reached national acclaim with the Four in Hand. . .
Colin Fassnidge has shared the importance of good business partners keeping chefs “in line” to make sure the business “doesn’t go down the toilet”. The chef, who reached national acclaim with the Four in Hand – the first pub in Australia to achieve two Chef’s Hats – before becoming a nationally recognised TV chef, was talking to Tawnya Bahr on the latest edition of theStraight to the Sourcepodcast. A version of the podcast was recorded earlier this month live atHospoNext, the inaugural trade event for pubs, clubs, bars, and restaurants, hosted byHospitalityandAustralian Hotelier. “There were tough times in [the Four in Hand] when we first started; we were doing six covers a night and people wanted to close the joint,” Fassnidge revealed to Bahr. “We worked 16 hours a day. We were known as one of the hardest kitchens in Sydney. But we were doing some cool stuff that no one else was doing. No one else wanted to touch the offal or the whole beast. That was our jam. ”He says between his business partner, Joe Saleh, who managed the books, and his partner Jane Hyland, who ran the floor, it kept both his food goals – and the pub’s finances – realistic. “Jane ran the floor. She worked extremely hard and kept me in line, actually. Because if you’re just going to leave it to the chef, half the time it’s going to go down the toilet because we all had egos back then, we were all trying to outdo each other. That’s just young chefs – they’re like young bulls,” Fassnidge said. He added that Saleh also worked to keep him in line, with weekly meetings to keep an eye on spending. But even in the tough times, he said, Saleh stood by him. “He’s one of my best friends. Together, with Jane, we brought the pub to two hats, booked out six months in advance,” says Fassnidge. The team then borrowed $900k from the Four in Hand to open 4Fourteen and build the grease traps, put hoods in, and put new power in. “We paid back Four in Hand within six months. That’s how much money we made out of that. And that’s out of someone backing me,” said Fassnidge. “You have got to find a person who’ll stand by you in the dark days. In the light days, everyone wants to stand by you and give you money, but it’s the dark days. ”In the conversation, he also shared elements of his journey – from starting out in a society where “men don’t cook”, to moving up the ranks in Australia. Now, Fassnidge is known for his television career, hostingMy Kitchen Rulesalongside Manu Feildel and presenting onBetter Homes and Gardenswith Karen Martini. In 2025, Fassnidge and Feildel began their latest show with the Seven Network,Off The Grid, with Colin and Manu. The chef also shared with Bahr what’s next for him – from talks of creating a YouTube show, to thoughts about opening a new venue. Listen to Straight to the Source with Colin Fassnidge onSpotify,Apple Podcasts, orYouTube. HospoNext, which was held at the Hyatt Regency Sydney on 13 July 2026, also hosted theTop 50 Gastropubs Awards. Find out morehere. For exclusive hospitality news every Tuesday and Thursday, subscribehereor follow us onLinkedInandInstagram.