Deep in the Weeds - A Food Podcast with Anthony Huckstep

After heading to England to attend the funeral of his father, award-winning chef and restaurateur Stephen Clarke (Clarke’s of North Beach) and his family had to go into hotel quarantine to get home because the pandemic had landed down under. With a venue closed and time to think he teamed up with his wife to comb through every element of their restaurant and they’ve not only discovered a better wo...

After plying his craft in Western Australia, Tasmania and Melbourne Chris Howard (The Humble Onion) returned home to Perth with an eye on opening his own venue. The pandemic hit and in order to keep busy and creative he started a youtube channel sharing recipes. It soon gained notoriety and lead to an opportunity to begin his very first venue – with just one minor set back. He was due to open the...

After 10 months with 4 lockdowns and a pandemic still out of control in London, Matt Abé (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London) has not only held onto his entire team but, was awarded with Three Stars Michelin for the 20th consecutive year. With the majority of 2020 in lockdown he was afforded the rare opportunity to not only re-invigorate his love for food and re-think his craft, but found a greater...

They say fame can change people. But what is fame, and what image does it present? The notion of celebrity chef has become a driving force on television, but for most that make a crust in the limelight, it came after years of hard work learning their craft. Who is Manu Feildel? http://manufeildel.com.au Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecracklingpodcast/ Follow Huck https://www.ins...

After being given a second chance at cheffing Amy Hamilton (Liberte restaurant) travelled around Australia only to find herself in Albany at one of the most southern tips of Western Australia. Keen to begin a family and anchor herself in the region, she bought a local haunted wine bar housed in one of the oldest buildings in the state and turned it into one of WA’s leading restaurants. https://lib...

After spending the last nine years turning his award-winning venue into the benchmark local sustainable restaurant Kane Pollard (Topiary and Sôl Bar & Restaurant) he took the opportunity to take his knowledge and ideas to a larger scale at a brand new restaurant on top of Skycity Adelaide. With a determination to create a sense of place on the plate and ensure a perfect circle of sustainability, i...

After leaving his full time job right before the pandemic hit Tai Tate (Built to Spill Wines) decided the best plan of survival was to roll the dice on a dream business. With no money and no income he withdrew money from his superannuation account and joined forces Crowbar and Unified Music Group to start a unique music and wine project connecting some of Australia's best musicians and wine makers...

While working at Barangaroo House Daniel Duffy Sykes had an accident on his way home and woke up face down on the ground. At the same time his Josh brother was having problems with his heart in his sleep. After seeing specialists they became the youngest brothers in Australia to receive pacemakers. With a new lease on life and an opportunity they couldn’t refuse, the pair joined forced and open a...

After a decade working with one of Australia’s most influential chefs, Andrew McConnell, JP Twomey decided the time was right to go in search of his own identity, his own style of cookery. As he soon discovered the incredible foundation built over the last decade gave him the confidence to not only step out of his comfort zone, but deliver Melbourne one of its very best restaurants too. https://ww...

Cacao is one of the most sought after and traded commodities on the planet and is mostly grown in third-world countries in tropical zones, but is consumed in large amounts in the first world in the form of Chocolate. After working in plantations in the South Pacific and connecting with growers, workers and chefs of the region leading chocolatier Jessica Pedemont (Chocolate Artisan and South Pacifi...

After plying his trade in award-winning restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney Max Walker (Paranormal Wines, ACT) moved to Canberra with plans to open his very first venue aimed at taking the fear and intimidation out of the wine experience. Inspired by visits to Paris' caves à manger and Venice's bacaros, and lessons learnt from the industry’s need to adapt, survive and run a resilient business, he’...

After a career in events and nightclubs, Jad Nehmetallah (The Picnic) turned a hole in the wall café into a thriving business. Keen to up the ante he drew inspiration from his family to create one of Sydney’s busiest hospitality venues, but in an exclusive for Deep in the Weeds, things are about to change dramatically. https://www.instagram.com/jadfunk/?hl=en Follow Deep In The Weeds on Instagram...

When Claire Van Vuuren first opened Bloodwood in Newtown, all she hoped for was a restaurant of her own that got the support of the local community, but little did she know her restaurant would trigger the beginnings of one of the countries most vibrant, diverse and creative food hubs. https://www.bloodwoodnewtown.com Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecracklingpodcast/ Follow Huck...

How wild things are After working in some of the world’s best restaurants including Quay and Mugaritz, Analiese Gregory found solace in regional France foraging food, connecting with nature and cooking produce of the season. Inspired by a real connection with nature she moved to Tasmania, started renovating her 110-year-old farmhouse in the Huon Valley and began a life of foraging, diving, hunting...

After making a name for himself as culinary director of three of New York’s best restaurants Colin Wood (Arimia Estate) returned home to Perth at the beginning of March when the pandemic was taking hold. A chef that’s been more willing to learn than seek the limelight, he’s re-engaged with the Perth scene to help train and mentor the next generation of young chefs, explored the art of cheese makin...

With incredible produce and a young and dynamic restaurant scene Tasmania has become a destination for food-loving travellers. Sparked by a throng of well-travelled and highly skilled local professionals, Alice Chugg (Templo, Hobart) believes the regional and local travel focus could shine a light on some of the Apple Islands best kept secrets. https://www.instagram.com/templohobart/?hl=en Follow...

While making small goods at one of Melbourne’s finest restaurants Mick Nunn (Salt Kitchen Charcuterie) discovered his calling and it set him on a path of discovery through Spain, and France to his hometown of Ballarat where he is producing some of Australia’s best charcuterie. https://saltkitchen.com.au Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecracklingpodcast/ Follow Huck https://www.ins...

For the last day of 2020, Huck gets in a room with stablemate Dani Valent and our producer Rob Locke to record our first ever dual Dirty Linen / Deep in the Weeds episode. From Huck's Canberra recording studio (ie dining room), we reflect on the year that was and look forward to the year ahead. And then we go out for dinner! The last bit of this episode is recorded at Pilot restaurant, at the end...

After cutting his teeth in some of the world’s best Michelin star restaurants that challenged the realms of gastronomy, Lennox Hastie felt he was losing touch with ingredients in their purest form. After a trip to San Sebastian it set a fire in his belly and sent him on a journey to discover the art of cooking over fire, where ingredients are left to show their true character. https://www.firedoor...

After one of the most challenging years, Australian culinary icon Stephanie Alexander talks about how much the culinary landscape has evolved, what it takes to overcome adversity when running a restaurant, and the importance of quality ingredients and care when cooking. Celebrating 80 years this year, her work is not done as she has more plans for the incredible Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden...

With over 200,000 cases of covid-19 daily in the US and a government offering little to no support, award-winning Michelin star chef and restaurateur Daniel Patterson (Coi, Alta Group, San Fransisco) believes the restaurant industry has undergone irreparable damage. Although the new Biden government offers hope, he says the road to recovery could take decades, but he’s starting with the most vulne...

As the cluster of covid-19 cases in Sydney’s Northern Beaches increased Doug Fraser’s (Lovat, Newport) restaurant appeared in the newspapers as a restaurant linked to a case. The impact of such was sudden. All staff members sent home to be tested, a restaurant deep clean and closure of the restaurant at the busiest time of year. But with a positive outlook they’re working on Christmas packs for lo...

After turning his three hat restaurant into a bakery and breakfast takeaway, Dan Puskas (Six Penny) relished the time spent with his team and took a moment to relax without the pressure of reviews, expectation of three hat dining and holding onto them too. With a business that has evolved daily since inception, he’s giving his staff more license than ever to take Six Penny into the next decade and...

After 40 years of business with one of Australia’s most successful food brands and export businesses, Mike Murray (Prestige Foods) saw everything he’d built come to a grinding halt in March – with his Maldives business alone going from $2M sales per month to zero overnight. But the ultimate optimist and a man to never say no, he set about planning and re-organising the business that meant he not o...

Drought and bushfires had a devastating impact on farming in Australia, and for soft fruit producer Julie Anderson (Parkesbourne Produce) the smoke taint and drought meant some crops will take 18 months to recover. But the fruits of her labour, that include the stunning Alpine Strawberry, over 30 plum varieties and many more rare berries, make the hardship and challenges all worth it, and Australi...