Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

Sydney is open! We last spoke to Stuart Knox, owner of Fix Wine Bar, on June 24 just as Sydney was going into a two-week lockdown. Fifteen weeks later, that lockdown is ending. Stuart is excited to be reopening though unsure how much city trade there will be. He's also expecting a few tricky moments checking the vaccination status of his customers. https://fixwine.com.au Follow Dirty Linen on Inst...

For farmer Angela Argyle (Argyle Australian Saffron), location was vital for the success of their foray into saffron. The regional New South Wales town Orange is perfect for Saffron, which demands four distinct seasons to thrive. In just five years Angela and Brendan are not only producing some of the best saffron in the world, but are living proof that belief, grit and determination fosters the m...

With Sydney close to reopening we talk to chef Danielle Alvarez about the energy and intention required to welcome guests again and the hope that diners bring their kind hearts to the table. There's also a great scrambled egg story and (from me) a creepy confession. https://www.instagram.com/daniellemariealvarez/?hl=en Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Fol...

We head to Blacktown, Sydney to talk to Nila Yousofzai from Afghan Chapli Kebab. Nila is proud and happy to showcase the street food of her birthplace and can't wait to come out of lockdown so more people can eat it. It's been tough in western Sydney but with a brother in Kabul she's able to keep the difficulties of the Australian pandemic experience in perspective. https://www.instagram.com/afgha...

Doug Brooke is owner and brewer at East Bendigo Brewing Company, an independent beer manufacturer in central Victoria. Some producers look for broad distribution networks and national - even international - acclaim and success. Doug prefers to think local: if you live here, or if you visit, he wants you to encounter and enjoy a beer that expresses and honours the region. https://www.ebbrewing.com....

Mike Russell expected COVID to visit Baker Bleu, his renowned sourdough bakery in Melbourne. But when a staff member tested positive - followed by half a dozen more - he was frustrated by an absence of guidance from Victoria's health authorities. Navigating the situation has been tough but it's prompted him to institute important changes: bye-bye break room for one.

Shiree Pilkinton founded Ballarat social enterprise cafe A Pot Of Courage because the migrant women in her circle were talented and capable but faced barriers to employment. Founded just before COVID struck, it's been one challenge after another - even so, the perspective and resilience of the Pot family is inspiring and energising. We find Shiree in New Zealand, stuck offshore after the death of...

We hear a bit about people with underlying health conditions when discussing COVID. Here's one: Satt Makkad runs Melbourne restaurant 3 Idiots with her husband Pratt. They are struggling with staffing, lockdowns, 'freedom marchers' out the front of the restaurant and the vexed question of the vax. They're also making great Indian food, based on stories and memories. https://www.3idiots.com.au Foll...

For Kim Kiss and her husband Bryan, Grassland Poultry is more than just producing chicken meat. For over 30 years they’ve practised regenerative farming, and in recent years they’ve added their prized Australian Heritage Breed Sommerlad Chickens to the mix – ethically grown, and free to roam – just as nature intended. https://grasslandpoultry.com.au Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.in...

Times are tough but there's light at the end of the tunnel and a community to buoy Tammy Brami, owner of Boosa in Melbourne's Bentleigh. The COVID times have reinforced and refined the values of this family cafe. She and husband Eitam have made pandemic pivots that they know they'll retain and they're even launching an adjunct events business. https://www.boosa.com.au Follow Dirty Linen on Instagr...

Today we bring you the second episode of the Producers Podcastwith our co-host Anthony Huckstep If one thing defines Jonas Widjaja (@fairgamewildvenison), it's a passionate dislike for waste. After discovering he was unable to donate excess meat after a hunting trip, he realized he could make a difference. With wild deer being culled and left in the field to go to waste in Northern New South Wales...

We head to Denmark to talk to Mette Gassner, owner of Ti Trin Ned, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Fredericia, two hours from Copenhagen. On September 11, the Danish government declared the COVID crisis over: with high vaccination rates (75% of the total population and 84% of everyone 12 and over), restrictions have been completely lifted. Mette is pleased but wary: after so many ups and downs, i...

We head to California for a great chat with winemaker Jason Haas. Tablas Creek Vineyard is the first winery in the world to achieve Regenerative Organic Certification, a farming gold standard that addresses climate change and social inequity. We also talk about the winery's decision to only serve vaccinated diners inside and the pandemic-prompted realisation that they could look after visitors bet...

Since 1999, Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs have been nurturing, creating and crafting at Sutton Grange Farm on Dja Dja Wurrung Country near Castlemaine in Victoria. The goats they milk to make their revered farmhouse cheese are central to the rhythm of their days. https://www.holygoatcheese.com.au Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/producerspodcast/ Host Dani Valent https...

In normal times, LA-based Australian chef Curtis Stone is back and forth between the US and Australia every few weeks. The pandemic has anchored him in LA where he's enjoyed more family time, refashioned his restaurant Gwen as a pie store, and had opportunity to reflect with humility on accepting the things that you can't control. https://www.curtisstone.com Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https:/...

The power of the suburbs and the differentiation of brands and business streams have been defining characteristics of the pandemic. We check in with Matt Woodhouse, chef at Comma in Melbourne's south-eastern suburb of Moorabbin. The past 18 months have been super tough but they've also been energising and heartening. And he's sure 2022 is going to be a cracker... https://www.wearecomma.com.au Foll...

Melbourne chef Mischa Tropp spent the first year of the pandemic in India, where he was developing a range of curry pastes. After an up and down year, he made it back to Australia in February and he's now launched Elsie's Butter Chicken, focusing on one key dish done very, very well. We talk about the immense variety of Indian food and the passion and culture that drives it and I can't help but sh...

How does a leader manage her own COVID blahs while motivating and connecting a team? We check in with Hannah Burke, manager of fine dining Cutler & Co restaurant in Melbourne. Hannah shares some of her strategies and life hacks for staying upbeat and maintaining team spirit in lockdown. We also talk about the joys of hospitality and looking after people and her confidence that we'll be back out th...

James Sinclair runs Signature Hospitality Group, which has TGI Fridays and Sporting Globe venues around Australia. We talk about why he's optimistic about 2022, his hopes to get outdoor dining kicked off sooner rather than later and his keen desire to see all his staff vaccinated. James has close TGI Fridays connections in the US: the difference in illness and business in under-vaccinated Texas an...

Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws is a leading scientific and policy voice in the pandemic. We talk about the importance of vaccinating younger Australians who make up such a large portion of the hospitality industry, the community impacts of deciding not to get vaccinated, what rate of vaccination will avoid the need for lockdowns, rapid testing, ventilation and whether it should be a focus, and...

This is a big juicy chat with hospo lifer Alex Ross, currently living in Benalla and working at town pub and hub The Northo. Alex was a driver of the cocktail revolution in Australia, turning drinkers from vicious vodka and terrible tequila to culinary sipping. We talk about the challenges of being a woman in the bar world, the insecurity of hospo work especially when major illness strikes, and th...

We start the week in conversation with Merica Charungvat, owner of Talay by Thai Tide, a delivery-first Thai seafood restaurant launched during Melbourne's second lockdown. Merica acknowledges that being a business owner is tough and draining at the moment but she's powering on, launching multiple food brands that don't rely on dine-in trade. https://www.talay.com.au Follow Dirty Linen on Instagra...

Patissier Audrey Allard was working at Lune Croissant when the pandemic hit. Amidst much uncertainty she launched her micro cake box business Holy Sugar and has turned it into a sweet success. We talk about the art and science of pastry, the heavy burden of trying to please people and the importance of showing and sharing emotion even - and perhaps especially - in the hothouse environment of a kit...

Dirty Linen travels to Israel to talk to Tel Aviv deli owner Yanai Erez. Yanai makes 60 dishes fresh each day at The Lux Deli. With high vaccination rates, Israel is open despite thousands of new cases a day. We talk vaccine passports, living in the moment and optimism. Is Israel a beacon for a rather locked down Australia? https://www.instagram.com/thelux_deli/ Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram htt...

Nature. Exercise. They're the key ingredients for staying upbeat in lockdown for chef Elijah Holland of South Melbourne's Lume. We talk about wild food in China, foraging for Noma and the importance of staying healthy during the uncertainty of lockdown. If you're not energised after this chat, I'll be surprised! https://www.restaurantlume.com.au Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagra...