From private chef to community builder: Justin Summersgill on starting again |
Wolfpac founder Justin Summersgill speaks to Gold Coast Current about business setbacks, the value of a good host and why one worthwhile conversation can be enough. |
After more than 20 years in hospitality, Justin Summersgill has learned to pay attention to what happens around the table as much as what goes on the plate.
The Brisbane-based founder of Wolfpac has worked as a private chef for over 14 years and continues through Private Plating. Today, he brings that experience to a business community that hosts social events, makes introductions and gives owners, founders and freelancers somewhere to get to know each other.
Speaking to Gold Coast Current, Summersgill describes a career shaped by food and relationships, but also by a business failure whose consequences he is still addressing.
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 Justin Summersgill hosting a private dining experience. Photo supplied. |
The relationships beyond the meal
Summersgill trained in commercial cookery and patisserie at the House of Anvers in Tasmania. His work took him through private dining, desserts and building businesses.
Over time, he noticed that the lasting part of an occasion was often the connection between the people attending.
“Food gets people around a table, but the conversations and relationships are often what stay with them,” he says.
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 Justin Summersgill serving guests as a private chef. Photo supplied. |
After a difficult chapter in business, he moved to Brisbane and began rebuilding. Wolfpac grew from a desire to bring people together through hospitality, community and meaningful relationships.
He describes it as a business community for owners, founders, freelancers and people getting started. Its gatherings have included Greek dinners, karaoke nights, yacht parties and rooftop events across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Melbourne.
“I wanted to create somewhere people could get to know each other beyond a job title or sales pitch,” Summersgill says.
“You don’t need to be an established entrepreneur to belong. You need a willingness to participate, build relationships and contribute.”
A setback with lessons still being put into practice
Earlier in his business journey, Summersgill built AmazeApp Private Chefs. He says more than 100 chefs were involved at its peak, but the business ultimately failed, affecting other people as well as himself.
He is direct about the unfinished work that followed.
“I don’t want to turn that into a neat success story or gloss over the consequences. There are commitments I’m still working through, including repayments.”
The experience changed how he thinks about growth. Ambition, he says, cannot replace sound financial management, clear systems or an understanding of personal limits. Delivering a service well and managing a growing company require different skills.
Today, he says he pays closer attention to costs, capacity and what he can realistically promise.
Rebuilding his confidence also happened gradually. Completing work, hosting an event and keeping commitments gave him practical steps to focus on. Returning to work where he knew he could contribute helped, as did having people around him.
“When you’re struggling, it’s easy to isolate yourself,” he says. “Being around others reminded me I still had skills and experience to contribute, even though I had things to address and learn.”
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 Justin Summersgill connecting with guests. Photo supplied. |
What hospitality brings to networking
For Summersgill, hosting starts with noticing who needs a welcome or an introduction.
“Hospitality teaches you to notice people. Who has arrived alone? Who looks uncomfortable? Who hasn’t been included in a conversation yet?”
Food, preparation and the venue all matter, he says, but so does the way someone feels when they enter the room. That is the approach he wants to bring to Wolfpac.
For anyone nervous about attending, his advice is straightforward: introduce yourself, ask others about their work and take the pressure off meeting everyone.
“You don’t need a polished pitch,” he says.
“If you’re nervous or coming alone, let me know when you arrive. I’m happy to help with introductions. You don’t need to meet everyone in the room - one good conversation is a worthwhile start.”
He says conversations through Wolfpac have developed into business opportunities and relationships that continue beyond events.
For him, the useful part is when people keep talking afterwards and find a practical way to help each other.
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 Justin Summersgill in conversation. Photo supplied. |
Advice for Gold Coast business owners
In his conversations with Gold Coast business owners, Summersgill says finding customers, standing out and managing workloads come up regularly. So does the loneliness of being responsible for everything yourself.
His advice to someone starting out is to get clear on what they sell, who needs it and whether the numbers work. Strong revenue can still leave little after costs.
He also encourages owners to build relationships before they urgently need them, ask for help early and avoid taking on more than they can deliver.
For those rebuilding after a setback, he believes honesty and consistent follow-through matter.
“If you’re rebuilding, be honest about what happened and what needs to change. Trust comes from keeping commitments over time. You can’t rush that.”
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 Justin Summersgill. Photo supplied. |
What comes next for Wolfpac
Wolfpac is expanding its online community, with fortnightly Wolfpac Connect sessions designed to keep members connected between in-person events.
His focus is on making membership useful between gatherings through introductions, shared resources and ongoing conversations.
Gold Coast locals can attend an event as a guest to get a feel for the community. He also welcomes interest from local businesses that would like to collaborate or host an event together.
Find out more at wolfpac.club or follow @runwithwolfpac_ on Instagram. |
70 Comments
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Rooting for him and Wolfpac. Need more honest operators like this around town.
Thank you for reading! Justin’s honesty about both his achievements and the tough lessons learned from past business setbacks was truly inspiring.
Loved this. It is nice seeing local business owners supporting each other instead of competing.
14 years as a private chef is no joke. That takes serious talent and discipline.
Brett MillerYou cannot survive that long in that game purely on luck. His word of mouth must be incredible.
What happens around the table really is what matters most. True hospitality right there.
Anthony CAbsolutely. People remember how you made them feel long after they forget the meal.
Such an inspiring read this morning. Good luck with the community and the catering.
Tracey EvansNice to see a genuine comeback story on here instead of the usual doom and gloom. Hope it goes well for him.
Thanks so much for reading and starting your morning with us! We're excited to see what is ahead for both Wolfpac and Private Plating.
Sounds like a paid dinner club. Curious what the membership costs look like.
While Justin's background as a private chef certainly influences the gatherings, Wolfpac is designed as an interactive community for founders and freelancers. You can check Wolfpac's official pages for specific membership and event details!
That focus on relationships over just the food is spot on. Hospitality is all about connection.
It really is, over two decades in hospitality taught him that the conversation around the table matters just as much as what is served. Thank you for reading!
It is tough out there for small businesses right now. We definitely need more community support.
Luke_79100 percent. Between rising costs and overheads, having other local owners to bounce ideas off is huge right now.
Owning up to mistakes and still pushing forward is genuine leadership. Nice read.
We completely agree, his candor about past missteps was truly refreshing to hear. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Great mindset. The best lessons come from the messes we survive in business.
Honest business owners are hard to come by. Wishing him all the best with it.
Making friends as an adult running a business is tough. We definitely need more social spaces like this.
So true, and it can be especially isolating for solo operators. That need for genuine, low-pressure connection is the very heart of why Justin started Wolfpac.
Still dealing with the aftermath of a failed cafe from 2021 myself. It takes years to dig out.
Casual dinners beat stuffy breakfast networking panels every single time.
Love the concept of Wolfpac. Connecting people in a more relaxed setting is the way to go.
Sounds interesting but hope it does not turn into a high pressure sales pitch group like BNI.
Justin’s whole philosophy with Wolfpac centers on organic connection around the table rather than transactional pitches. Thanks for reading and sharing your perspective!
Amanda_JGod I hope not. Those groups feel like a chore with all the referral quotas. A relaxed dinner sounds a million times better.
Great to see Brisbane hospitality pros doing cool things outside the standard cafe route.
We agree! It is wonderful seeing someone with over two decades in hospitality and private cheffing use those skills to build meaningful community spaces.
14 years as a private chef is an incredible run. Takes so much stamina.
ChefDan82Especially doing all the prep, cooking, and cleanup solo in other people's kitchens. Serious stamina.
As a freelancer working from home, something like this sounds like a lifesaver.
Sitting around a dining table is honestly where all the real deals get made anyway.
Tasha GSo true. Once people have a drink and good food, the corporate guard drops immediately.
That captures his philosophy perfectly! Justin emphasized that what happens around the table is every bit as important as what is served on the plate.
Failing in business teaches you ten times more than winning ever does. Good on him for keeping at it.
Spot on. Justin was remarkably candid with us about navigating those tough lessons, and that hard-won experience clearly drives his passion today.
Twenty years in hospitality will teach you people skills you just cannot learn in an office.
Tom FletcherTrue words Tom. You learn how to read a room in five seconds flat after a few years in hospo.
Love hearing local stories like this. Keep up the great work Justin.
Thank you for the support! We love sharing inspiring local Brisbane stories like Justin's, and we'll be sure to pass along your encouragement.
Food really does bring people together. Hope this venture works out for him.
Greg S.Totally agree Greg. People drop their guard much faster when there is a good meal on the table.
Are these events open to solo founders just starting out or is it mostly established business owners?
Respect the hustle. Not many people pick themselves back up after a big failure.
Craig WSpot on. Most people just give up and walk away after something like that. Takes real resilience.
Used Private Plating for my 40th birthday last year. The food was sensational.
How do you actually get an invite to Wolfpac? Looking for good founder meetups in Brissie.
Bec_DYou can usually apply through their website, or just reach out to him directly on LinkedIn. He seems pretty approachable.
20 years in hospitality is no joke. That industry will chew you up and spit you out.
Mick TBig respect to anyone who survives that long in hospo. The hours alone break most people after five years.
Food really does bring people together faster than any corporate slide deck.
Greg FosterTell me about it. Nobody ever closed a good deal over a PowerPoint presentation.
Sounds like a great initiative for freelancers. It gets pretty lonely working for yourself at home.
Great mindset. Dealing with the fallout of a failed business takes real guts to talk about publicly.
Thank you! We really appreciated Justin's honesty about confronting past hurdles while continuing to build forward.
Jenny HigginsExactly Jenny. So many business owners pretend everything is fine, so it is refreshing to see someone actually be honest about the rough patches.
Hope they do some of these dinners down on the Gold Coast soon!
We would love to see that too! Given his strong connections across South East Queensland, hopefully a Gold Coast gathering isn't too far off.
Respect to him for being open about business failure. Most people sweep that right under the rug.
Another business networking group? There are dozens of them around south east QLD already.
Networking over good food is always better than awkward boardroom meetings. Best of luck to him.
Love the sound of Wolfpac. Traditional networking events are always so stiff and awkward.
Private chefs see everything haha. Bet he has some wild stories from over the years.
Private chef dinners are the best way to host people. Way better than noisy restaurants.
Where can I find more details on these networking events? Sounds like something Brisbane really needs.
You can search for Wolfpac to discover their upcoming Brisbane meetups and community gatherings. Thanks for reaching out!
Good on him. The hospitality industry is brutal so lasting 20 years is a huge achievement.
Refreshing to see someone be so honest about business failure. Most people sweep it under the rug.