Deep in the Weeds - A Food Podcast with Anthony Huckstep

With hospitality and food media on their knees, award-winning brand specialist Jeanine Bribosia (The Cru) lost over 80% of business and feared the business she’d built over a decade could end literally overnight. But her belief in her staff and the restaurant industry helped her realise how important the people you work and connect with are in ensuring an open, honest and prosperous future for all...

With lockdown allowing many to take a breath and use the time to reflect, Anna Pavoni (Ormeggio) has been busier than ever – first renovating and re-launching their award-winning restaurant, before turning her hand to launch an extravagant Italian fine diner, a’mare this December.

After losing her father during the pandemic, Sandra Foti (Piccolina Gelateria) drew inspiration from his work ethic, and belief that whenever you are confronted with adversity and everyone else is scared, that is the time to be brave. It’s not only helped her overcome her challenges, but allowed her to be there for her team too.

With only one of his three French Bistros trading because of the pandemic award-winning chef and restaurateur Guillaume Brahami (Bistro Guillaume) has spent more time cooking at home and falling in love with cooking all over again. The impact of such has him rethinking his future with a dream to open a small, intimate venue where the offering changes weekly and there is no menu – just beautiful fo...

Feeling burnt out after years of setting one of the highest levels of dining standards down under Kylie Javier Ashton (Momofuku Seiobo) discovered that the restaurant’s forced closure gave her a chance to catch her breath, regroup and discover what made her happy. With the restaurant about to open its doors again, she is bringing a renewed energy to a new era of one of Australia’s best. https://ww...

In his first year as a restaurateur Matt Binney (Heartswood) experienced the joy of fatherhood and the throes of a global pandemic. With a restaurant on the periphery of Melbourne, he was forced into a second lock down, but the new model he built with the influence of locals, has set his young restaurant on a new path, and the Yarra Glen residents are cheering. https://www.heartswood.com.au https:...

With a restaurant (Almond Bar) in Sydney’s CBD and a café (3 tomatoes) in Sydney West Sharon Salloum and her sister Carol had to formulate very different plans to ensure both businesses survived lockdown. While the café in the suburbs boomed, their award-winning Syrian restaurant remained closed for three months – but it’s opened its doors again and allowing her to do what she loves – cook in abun...

After years of believing in his idea and product, Peter Gunn (Ides, Melbourne) found the perfect hospitality model where he could showcase is interpretation of contemporary Australian cuisine in an environment befitting of the new wave of dining. Although the pandemic is a set back he’s determined to get things back on track and re-ignite the model he spent so long getting right. https://www.idesm...

After years of running award-winning restaurants, Susan Sullivan (Boronia Kitchen) decided to take her hospitality nous to the suburbs and created a venue that quickly became a hit with locals. On the eve of its second birthday the pandemic hit and changed the entire operations, but thanks to the support of Gladesville residents, it’s become an integral hub of the community. https://boroniakitchen...

When the first lockdown shook the foundations of the industry Scott Pickett (Estelle, Matilda) sort comfort in an alt-ego character Digger, who went ‘rogue’ with a series of hilarious and inspiring videos that captured the attention of the industry. With a second lockdown in place, the high-octane, emotional experience has set him on a new path focussing on the things that truly matter. https://ww...

After being forced to close the doors for the first lockdown Brooke Adey (Coogee Wine Room) and her team decided the best option was to remain closed until they could serve guests in the dining room again. Nine weeks away from the restaurant made her realise how out of balance her life was, so after re-opening she changed habits and brought a new regime to the operations of the restaurant too.

The pandemic has forced operators to do whatever they can to survive, and others do things they never imagined. With the restaurant shut and the world spinning out of control Adam Liston (Shobosho) launched an initiative to feed medical professionals, another to feed homeless people, and even opened a new restaurant – ShoSho. https://www.instagram.com/adam_liston/?hl=en Follow Deep In The Weeds on...

After leaving the world of fine dining disillusioned and starting a family, Mary Macintyre (Superhero Banh Mi) made a come back with a simple, seamless and profitable Vietnamese eatery reliant on Melbourne and a loyal local Castlemaine market. With visitors in town dwindling due to Melbourne’s lockdown she refined her offering, and the impact has seen even more people queuing for her food, and a m...

After closing the restaurant in the first lockdown and trying a take away model, Hugh Allen (Vue de Monde) only had his restaurant open to sit-in diners for one week before the second lockdown came into effect. With uncertainty ahead he’s finding avenues to keep his staff employed and formulating a new business model to ensure his fine dining establishment blossoms in Spring.

When we last caught up with Matt Moran, Aria was closed and his brigade of head chefs where churning out Chiswick at Home meals. That was a few months ago, and now he’s on the verge of re-opening Aria again – and as he tells Huck he’s even donning the whites again. https://www.ariasydney.com.au https://www.instagram.com/chefmattmoran/ Follow Deep In The Weeds on Instagram https://www.instagram.com...

During lockdown the value of the local butcher and bakery as important hubs of the community saw a boom in trade for some, but James White (Bourke Street Bakery) had to think quickly and reshape their operations and offering to ensure they remained open and kept staff employed.

With sharp rises in daily Covid-19 cases forcing the government’s hand to lockdown Melbourne for another 6 weeks, Rob Kabboord (Lekker) is bouncing from angry, to disappointed and heart-broken about closing the restaurant again. But with the experience of the first lockdown under his belt he’s taking the time to get some air in the lungs and make sure his and his staff’s mental health is number on...

After switching to a takeaway model dishing up $16 dishes reminiscent of staff dinners Mark Jensen (Red Lantern) discovered a means to streamline his award-winning restaurant once the doors re-opened. The impact may be less revenue, but with far less costs, he's found a new model he believes could give him back some life/work balance. https://www.redlantern.com.au https://www.instagram.com/redlant...

After becoming disillusioned with the hospitality industry and keen to find a new path Zoe Birch (Greasy Zoe’s) launched a tiny sustainable restaurant championing hyperlocal produce. Just when business was booming the pandemic threatened everything until the support of the local community and some clever tweaks to create a 6-seat restaurant re-invigorated her belief in venue.

With his restaurants forced to close, and his contemporaries experiencing the same fate, Shane Delia (Delia Group) looked at the positives and began to see opportunities. Not satisfied with a quick stopgap solution he created a new business called Providoor – delivering the food from the best restaurants to Melburnian's front door. https://www.deliagroup.com.au https://www.instagram.com/shanedelia...

After a brutal summer with bushfires Troy Rhoades-Brown (Muse Restaurant) was hoping that Easter would bring a swell of visitors to the Hunter Valley, but the pandemic landed closing the doors indefinitely. With some forward planning and incredible business acumen he’s survived the shutdown and is certain a honeymoon period in the Hunter is looming as restrictions ease and consumers start to trave...

The Doomsday Plan After building an artisan award-winning brand supplying airlines, stadiums, cinemas and clubs with a best-in-class product over 20 years Karen Lavecky (Land of Plenty Food Co.) lost 90% of business overnight. But a Doomsday document her husband and business partner wrote a few years ago ‘just in case there’s a catastrophe’ set a plan in motion immediately to ensure their business...

With many people working from home due to the pandemic, restaurant precincts like Barangaroo that are normally packed with office workers have become ghost towns on weekdays. But Rebecca Lines (Banksii Vermouth Bar and Bistro) explains that consumers are out on force on weekends and spending big – offering a much-needed lifeline to area.

After a few years struggling to make ends meet, an opportunity to change the offering at Barzaari saw co-owner Darryl Martin renovate and re-launch just two weeks before the pandemic hit leaving his new vision potentially in tatters. But, the family banded together, and through luck or good fortune his new restaurant model has paved a new road to success.

After building their dream restaurant in the country and receiving a string of accolades as one of Australia’s best regional restaurants the pandemic came along and put everything Adam Bantock (Clementine, Yass) and his wife Brooke had built in jeopardy. But sometimes, tragic circumstances can give rise to a positive change in a new direction.