Suncoast Fresh Prodcast

Mal Meiers @malmeiers has travelled worldwide, perfecting his craft as a Chef, and in the process established 14 Food + Wine Pop-Ups across Europe with his beautiful wife Kate @katekettlekettle We enjoyed getting to know him in episode 51 on the Prodcast. We learnt about his Food For Thought Charity Dinners, which successfully raised awareness for mental health within the hospitality industry and...

We've made it to episode 50, and oh, what a fantastic journey this has been so far! Today, we were lucky enough to sit down with Angela Pennefather @fuzzyangel and were blown away by her integrity, strength, enthusiasm, passion and grit. She has lived a life different from anyone we've featured on the Prodcast, and we've got to say, you're in for a treat! Ange is a Superyacht Agent, Melanesian Exp...

Two beautiful babies and two highly successful businesses, all within a couple of years. What is the secret behind this balancing act?   We recently sat down for a chat with well-respected Chef Nathan Dunnell. @nathandunnell He and his wife Freya, own and manage @elskarestaurant - a fine dining restaurant located in New Farm, Brisbane, booked out for months in advance.  A couple of years ago, he a...

Once upon a time, Mr Xinis washed his chef whites in a bathtub in Athens because he didn't have a washing machine. Now, he is back living in Australia, working as Executive Chef of Nostimo Restaurant and Bar in the Greek Club. Oh, and he has a washing machine now. It's crazy to think where we start to where we go! Life has a funny way of leading us on a journey and it's almost like the universe kn...

What would you do if you found over 350+ weed plants on your property? One morning that was exactly what Gerard Buchanan (Buck) found on his farm near Chillingham, New South Wales. Buck brought the farm when he was just 19 and since then has been growing all different types of tropical and native produce featuring things like Finger Limes, Lemon Aspen, Kaffir Limes and Leaves, Yuzu, Buddha's Hands...

Mark Labrooy began cooking when he was only 16, and from that point, began perfecting his craft. Labrooy is among six entrepreneurs who manage and run the Three Blue Ducks, six cafes spread across Bronte, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Rosebery, Melbourne and Nimbo. Aside from cooking, Labrooy has many hobbies and, at one point, was among the top sixteen individuals in the country competing in motorbike rac...

We were lucky enough to record a Prodcast with self-proclaimed punk hippy David Moyle @moyle_david . On his journey as a Chef to find beautifully wild produce, poultry, seafood and all the spices in between, David has lived in Tasmania, Melbourne and Byron Bay. David now resides in Byron Bay, managing and running Harvest and Barrio . In Episode 45, we speak about the hospitality industry, referenc...

Daniel Mackay is Managing Director of fourth-generation business Mackays Bananas. His grandfather originally started the first-ever banana farm in North Queensland back in 1945 on a small plot by the beach, and since then, it has gone from one success to the next. However, like all farms, they have dealt with their challenges. In today's Prodcast, we delve into how it all began for Mackay Bananas,...

We sat down with Richard Mohan, also known as 'the pepper dude', and it was an absolute joy. Richard is our primary supplier of peppers and grows 16 different varieties from all over the world. When we arrived at his farm on the Sunshine Coast, we were greeted by the whole family, including dogs, cows, cats and more. It was insanely beautiful, and although we were only an hour or so from Brisbane,...

The second Prodcast of the 2021 Suncoast series is here! We were lucky enough to speak with the artist and environmental enthusiast Joost Bakker. We were blown away by his creativity, passion and knowledge in all areas of life.  He began as a florist who was installing floral designs in restaurants. Then, before he knew it, he was designing closed-loop/zero-waste cafes and restaurants while launch...

To kick off the Suncoast Prodcast series for 2021, we caught up with our dear friend and the incredibly talented Chef, Jo Barrett! She is currently living in the Future Food System home located right in Melbourne's centre in Federation Square. The Future Food System grows and breeds its own food and is an entirely zero-waste, closed-loop system. She helped build the self-sufficient property with h...

We couldn't have chosen a better candidate to finish off the Suncoast Prodcast Series for 2020! We spoke with Cameron Matthews the day before he opened his pop-up restaurant named Winston, located at Wasabi in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. He is well known for his Spicers' stint where he began as Head Chef and soon after stepped into the General Manager/Executive Chef role, achieving a position amo...

The man, the myth, the legend. Wow. We were blown away with the incredible life stories Uday Huja had to share in Prodcast #39. Mr Huja is the Executive Chef of Nineteen at The Star on the Gold Coast, which was recently awarded the Best Hotel Restaurant in Australia! He has worked alongside some of the best chefs in the world in locations like Vegas, Texas, Australia and beyond. His knowledge and...

It was a breath of fresh air to sit down with the legend himself, Jason Saxby, Executive Chef at Raes in Byron Bay! We felt honoured to listen to the stories Jason has collected over his lifetime, including how he trekked through the cold snow in canvas vans, his business adventures, his learnings, ethos, and oh, so much more. We even got a taste of their signature Lobster Roll and Oh. My. God. Ge...

It was a pleasure to sit down with Brendon Barker, Executive Chef and part-owner of two incredible restaurants here in Brisbane - Madam Wu on Eagle Street and Chu The Fat in West End! As we delved into the Prodcast, it became obvious that Brendon's travel and life experiences are what shapes his mouth-watering dishes. Sourcing inspiration from places like the Rusty's Market in Cairns, Hong Kong, T...

Prodcast #36 is with Ben Williamson, Co-owner and Head Chef of the newly launched restaurant, Agnes. Most known for his 6-year stint at Gerad's Bistro, Ben has a world of knowledge when it comes to sensational food. On entering the sleek and sexy Agnes, we felt this cool and calm energy, immediately understanding why the place was booked out 6 months in advance.  Ben shares the nitty-gritty of how...

What a privilege it was to sit down with the logical Mr Devlin.  He's worked with Noma in Copenhagen and Paper Daisy a little closer to home in Cabarita Beach NSW. Since then, Ben and his wife Yen have opened a little piece of paradise in Postville called Pipit. Oh, and while they were at it, they had their baby girl Penny! He has an authentic way of telling his story, which is realistic and relat...

In episode 34, we caught up with Jake Nicolson, Executive Chef working within the Ghanem Group. Among this group, you'll find some of Brisbane's most popular restaurants. Donna Chang, Blackbird Grill & Bar, Byblos Bar & Restaurant and the Boom Boom Room, to name a few. Jake is a self-proclaimed countryman who has loved cooking from a very young age. From working in Michelin 3-star restaurant, El B...

Episode 33: Food Journalists go to incredible lengths to keep their anonymity, creating aliases and fake OpenTable accounts to make reservations. We’ve hidden her identity to give her a head start. Anooska was born with a foodie’s palette, as a kid, her favourite breakfast was toast with påte or soft cheese, and she fulfilled her destiny landing her dream job as food writer for the Courier Mail at...

On this episode of the Prodcast I’m sitting down with Laurie Marguglio co-owner of Prime Cut Meats. Coming from a long line of butchers Laurie and business partner Neil Hughes opened Prime Cuts in 2007 to service the exploding Queensland restaurant scene. Offering the special cuts, the quirky cuts, the kind of cuts that chefs couldn’t get anywhere in Queensland. Laurie sounds like a New York cab d...

Ep#31 - Tim Adams - Tim Adams Coffee Tim, like many people, landed in the hospitality industry by chance but quickly realised that coffee was more than a morning ritual. It was his passion. Tim's spirited and determined nature drove him to enter a range of national and international barista competitions where he earned several awards.    Tim Adams Specialty Coffee places a significant emphasis on...

In 2008, Chris Savva with his business partner Andrew Solomon started with a simple fish & chip shop in Morningside. Since then, it has grown into one of Brisbane's premier wholesale and retail outlets specialising in both fresh and cooked seafood. @thefishfactorybrisbane  has an amazing story including their epic comeback from a fire 2011.⁠ ⁠ They take great pride in selecting the finest seafood,...

Adam moved to Brisbane last year as the new Head Chef of Gerard’s with incredible experience at Est. Marque, Monopole, Yellow, but also a rich Jewish heritage from his European and Yemeni family. Traditionally Queensland’s best chefs have been snatched up by top restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, but Adam joins a growing list of chefs moving north to take advantage of the incredible produce the...

This week I sat down with David Finlayson, Director of Culinary at the Howard Smith Wharves. David has worked in some incredible places, for some amazing people! From cooking South East Asian cuisine at Chin Chin in Melbourne to Classic French at Michelin Starred Pied á Terre in London, he has a world of knowledge. Now, David oversees all the restaurants in the precinct of Howard Smith Wharves and...

This episode of the Prodcast is a little different, definitely one for the chefs, and aspiring chefs out there. I sat down with the Head Chef of modern Italian, Ristorante OTTO Will Cowper. We chatted about the challenges of moving from Sydney, sourcing the best quality ingredients and running a fine dining restaurant in 2020. Will also shared some insights about the industry, challenging the trad...