Deep in the Weeds - A Food Podcast with Anthony Huckstep

Unsure of what he wanted to do for a career, Simon Palmer (E'cco Bistro, Brisbane) stumbled into hospitality in the regional city of Newcastle as a means to make money. He soon fell in love with the energy, and into kitchens where true mentorship from great chefs helped him begin to carve his own path. All roads led to Brisbane, and after working in some of the city’s best restaurants he’s now pro...

Growing up in a huge family on a tiny island in Holland, Sander Nooij (Yellow, Sydney) had a limited experience of food in his childhood. But when the opportunity to travel and explore the world presented itself, he dived head-first into the hospitality sector. It took him to some amazing places, and by luck or chance he landed in Australia, and after working in some of Sydney’s best venues he fin...

For many in the hospitality industry food is much more than sustenance. For Alex Herbert it's always been a means of connection to the produce she uses, and to people she cooks for and cooks with. https://alexherbert.com.au Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecracklingpodcast/ Follow Huck https://www.instagram.com/huckstergram/ Follow Rob Locke (Executive Producer) https://www.instag...

Eddie McDougall is the talented face behind The Flying Winemaker, he is also chairman of the AsianWine Review, wine judge and TV personality. Don’t be fool by his baby face, this man knows the wine business. Eddie joins us today to tell me more about his life, unrestricted by boundaries. https://www.instagram.com/theflyingwinemaker/?hl=en Follow Over a Glass https://www.instagram.com/overtheglassp...

While cutting his teeth at Tetsuya’s Rodney Dunn (The Agrarian Kitchen, Tasmania) got a glimpse of what a career might be like in food media while on a trip to the US with Tetsuya Wakuda. He made a shift to work with some of the countries best food titles until a yearning to escape to the country saw him back his bags and moved to Tasmania to open The Agrarian Kitchen Cooking School in Lachlan in...

Being 5th generation in hospitality, Martin Bouchier (Phat Mango, Darwin) always knew he’d live a life in food. After success with venues in the UK and Spain the global financial crisis landed and left him in ruins. Then a call from a friend in Adelaide saw him jump on a plane with the clothes on his back to to man the pans at a popular regional pub. The move helped him piece his life back togethe...

Looking to get a greater connection and understanding of her heritage Helly Raichura (Enter Via Laundry) began pop up dinners in her home that explored different regions of India. As she delved deeper, she realised the incredible depth and breadth of its culinary offering. With the success of her pop ups, came bricks and mortar, and now she is helping to carve a new path for the vibrant and colour...

A career as a chef gives you an opportunity to express yourself on the plate. Many have great careers running kitchens owned by others, but sometimes the chance to let go and do it on your own, can change the way you approach your craft, and for Cameron Matthews (Mapleton Public House, Mapleton) that opportunity came from the most incredible set of circumstances and a shared adversity. https://www...

Emma Norbiato is chief winemaker of Calabria Family Wines working with family owned vineyards and a large collection of growers throughout NSW and South Australia. It’s an impressive operation with labels such as Saint Petrie, Three Bridges and Pierre D’Amour to name a few, and Emma is one of the powerhouses of knowledge and talent behind it. https://www.calabriawines.com.au Follow Over a Glass ht...

He’d built a career managing large hospitality groups with a multitude of offerings, venues and staff, but when the pandemic landed Duncan Thomson (Kick On Group) realised and seized the opportunity to do things differently. He and a few other like-minded professionals set about creating a group with an ethos that if the staff are happy with clear career paths, and customers yearn to return, then...

Growing up in Australia in a family of Greek and Macedonian heritage Matt Germanchis (Lorne Hotel, Victoria) had a real connection with food, produce and family from a young age. It fostered a great love of sharing food and ignited a yearning to build a career in the food industry. From the Café Grossi to the UK’s The Fat Duck, Movida, Pei Modern and Captain Moonlite, he has made a major impact on...

Not everyone grows up in a family were food, cooking and techniques are passed down from generation to generation, but for chef Richard Ousby this is exactly the environment he grew up in. Hooked on the magic in the kitchen from a young age it was an easy transition to an amazing career in food. https://www.instagram.com/richardousby/?hl=en Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecrackli...

This the seventh and final episode of The Producers in Launceston, a special podcast series celebrating the food, wine and people of this very special part of Tasmania.  Mr Brown and Towns is an urban mushroom farm in the city of Launceston. Best mates Michael Townsend and Fergus Brown grow exotic mushrooms in an old abattoir that’s been given new life as a hub for small businesses and startups. M...

Alex Head fell in love with wine whilst travelling and has worked numerous roles in the industry since.  It is his label HEAD wines that has beocme synonymous with the Barossa, where he crafts age worthy and site specific wines. https://headwines.com.au Follow Over a Glass https://www.instagram.com/overtheglasspod  Host Shanteh Wale https://www.instagram.com/shantehwale/?hl=en Executive Producer R...

He came to Australia from Nepal to study engineering, but Sushil Aryal (Miss Pearl Bar and Dining) fell in love with cooking while working part time in a renowned restaurant in Bondi. Fascinated by food and immersed in the energy of a commercial kitchen, he trained under some of the best chefs in Australia before securing a $50,000 loan and travelling the world for inspiration. Now, having built a...

This the fifth episode of The Producers in Launceston, a special podcast series celebrating the food, wine and people of this special part of Tasmania. Ian White is the cellar door manager at Clover Hill, a sparkling wine producer 50km northeast of Launceston in the Pipers River wine region. He talks about dismantling the elitism of the Champagne world with sparklingly inclusive experiences and ex...

Creating your own restaurant, covid aside, has its challenges. Years of dreaming, creating, and overcoming many obstacles, and then, for some, to have something like a pandemic come along just as you prepare to swing the doors open has made the endeavour even more challenging. What’s it been like for businesses just getting started? For Sean Flannagan (Wildgrain, Mornington) it’s taken every ounce...

This is the fourth episode of The Producers in Launceston, a special series celebrating the producers and people of northern Tasmania, in partnership with AgriCULTURED.  Liz and Rick Mahnken grow Angus beef on Summerlea Farm in north Lilydale, 35km north of Launceston. Their children are the 7th generation of Mahnkens on this farm. After a tragic start to their working life here, Liz and Rick are...

The connection between grower and chef has in some ways become closer than ever. From the 100-mile movement, to slow food, kitchen gardens and farms creating their own accommodation and top class restaurants. What’s it like for a chef working on the farm and delivering exceptional dining experiences accessing produce literally on the doorstep. For Ally Waddell (Frida’s Field) it is a life, and car...

Here is a postcard from Italy- delicious, local and just caught seafood is what we all dream about Follow Fishtales, a Seafood Podcast on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/fishtalesseafoodpodcast/ Follow John Susman  https://www.instagram.com/fisheads/?hl=en Follow Rob Locke (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/foodwinedine/ Follow Huck (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/h...

The ability to reach into the pantry of your parents, and grandparents has allowed many chefs to tell a unique tale on the plate. For some, like Jowett Yu (Merivale) his unique heritage, coupled with a myriad of travelling and life experiences has given him a truly unique context on the plate, and it’s hardly surprising that he leaves an indelible mark whether he cooks. https://www.instagram.com/t...

Losing all work when the pandemic and lockdowns sent the catering industry into a spin, Marco Bevilacqua (Mi Scusi, Perth) saw a hole in the market and opportunity to jump into his own catering business once everything opened up again. The move proved pivotal and his unique approach to catering has seen his business grow exponentially from inception. https://www.miscusifood.com.au Follow Deep In T...

Sam Renzaglia is a third generation winemaker located out of Bathurst NSW, Sam and his father Mark have made great bounds for the uncharted wine region. Their reputation for quality wines continues to grow and expand. https://renzagliawines.com.au Follow Over a Glass https://www.instagram.com/overtheglasspod  Host Shanteh Wale https://www.instagram.com/shantehwale/?hl=en Executive Producer Rob Loc...

For the second episode of The Producers in Launceston, we chat to Massimo Mele, a local chef and restaurateur who has made it a mission to nurture, highlight and champion local farmers and the produce they grow, make and coax into being. We talk about his transformation from a chef who ticked items off an order sheet for next-day delivery to a collaborator who plans menus months in advance alongsi...

After earning his striped in the United Kingdom, Ludo Baulacky (The River Deck Café, Albury) took an opportunity to take his career in a new direction in Australia. It wasn’t long before he made the move to regional Victoria where he has made a significant influence on the culinary direction in multiple venues. And although running an establishment just over the border in Albury NSW and living in...