Chef Sherief Shawky: From Egypt to Unox, A Journey Built on Opportunity

Chef Sherief Shawky's journey is anything but conventional.
Raised between Virginia and Egypt, Sherief's path began in a family-owned pizzeria before taking him through some of the industry's most demanding kitchens, working alongside award-winning chefs, opening restaurants, leading culinary teams, and ultimately becoming Corporate Chef and Team Leader for North America at Unox.
In this episode, Sherief shares the experiences that shaped him—from learning to leave his ego at the door, navigating burnout, overcoming a serious back injury, and making the difficult decision to step away from restaurant operations at the height of his career.
We also discuss mentorship, leadership, mental health in hospitality, his work as an ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project, and why he believes food remains the universal language that brings people together.
Most importantly, this is a conversation about opportunity—recognizing it when it appears and having the courage to say yes.
Topics Covered: • Growing up between Egypt and the United States • Working with Chef Sherry Yard and Chef Jamie Lynch • Lessons learned from high-pressure kitchens • Burnout, injury, and career transitions • Leadership and mentoring the next generation • Mental health and The Burnt Chef Project • Life at Unox • Why food is the ultimate connector
Plus, Chef Sherief prepares two incredible dishes in the studio, showcasing the creativity, discipline, and culinary perspective that have defined his career.
This is Episode 202 of the Walk-In Talk Podcast.
BRAND PARTNERS
Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA metro.com
Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens.
TriMark USA (trimarkusa.com)
TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service.
RAK Porcelain USA rakporcelain.com
Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation.
Citrus America citrusamerica.com
Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors.
Crab Island Seafood crabislandseafood.com
Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners.
Testo North America testo.com/en-US
Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens.
CAUSE PARTNERS
The Burnt Chef Project theburntchefproject.com
Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry.
Operation BBQ Relief operationbbqrelief.org
Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters.
Sustainable Supperclub sustainablesupperclub.com Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access.
TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS Florida Restaurant Show therestaurantshows.com/florida
New York Restaurant Show therestaurantshows.com/new-york
California Restaurant Show therestaurantshows.com/california
Pizza Tomorrow Summit pizzatomorrow.com
U.S. Culinary Open usculinaryopen.com/About
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay cltampa.com
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