Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent

Can you bee-lieve it? Honey is variable, precious and under threat. Bees are responsible for pollinating a large proportion of crops: we don’t eat without them. Jessica Locarnini spends a lot of time thinking about all this in her role as Australia’s only honey sommelier. Beekeeper, educator, judge and passionate honey-lover, we rhapsodise about a special, unspoilable and undervalued sticky treasu...

There’s nothing like coffee prices to get a conversation going! Melissa Glentis is general manager at The Bean Cartel coffee roasters. How much should a cup of coffee cost and why? What can cafe owners do to increase understanding and spend, and what should coffee drinkers know about the coffee supply chain? I mentioned Melissa’s LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/coffee-prices-need-...

Restaurant life is emotional! Heidi Modra recently sold Pinotta after 14 years of looking after community, and thinking about her business day and night. She’s now an employee at Ophelia, adjusting to cafe rhythms and steering the ship as they open for nights. The transition was necessary but there’s rawness and grief along with reflection and relief. https://www.opheliawestgarth.com.au Chapters 0...

West Australian apple grower Ann Lyster is also the chairperson of Fruit West Co-operative. She didn’t start life as a farmer but she finds it extraordinarily satisfying, rich and diverse. Not only is there the joy of feeding people, there are also the challenges and learning opportunities of digging into everything from soil to marketing to intellectual property. ⁠https://www.fruitwest.com.au/ind...

It’s the sixth episode in our Illuminating Lumen series, and this one has some big news. After working all the angles, owners Emma and Marichi have decided to call time on the North Melbourne location. What wouldn’t they compromise on? What are they proud of? And what’s next? https://www.lumenpeople.com SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https...

What are the biggest pain points in hospitality right now? Perth-based consultant Hayley Illing (Hayley in Hospitality) lands on working holiday visas - they don’t work for employees or businesses. There are also issues with broader perceptions of hospitality, and the resilience of people within it. We also tackle Google reviews: what’s the best way to respond to a one-star downer? https://www.hay...

At first glance, this pod is a conversation with Sarina Kamini about her new book What We Call Masala, which explores theories and practices around regional Indian spices. But go deeper and it’s an invitation to connect with our bodies, minds, souls, heritage and one another. There’s also some homework: get your turmeric and your salts! Sarina Kamini https://www.sarinakamini.com I mention this pod...

There are so many ways to be inclusive when it comes to dining. Kurt Lovell runs Project Salubrious, a three-year-old cafe north of Brisbane. Following his own health issues, he eliminated dairy, gluten and grains from his own diet, and has reflected that style of cuisine at the cafe. What’s the response been? How does he deal with sceptics? And how hard is it to run an independent business which...

How do restaurants ensure customers fall in love with them and decide to return? Studio Round strategy director Robert Nudds has worked with some of Australia and New Zealand’s most engaging restaurants to create and communicate identity, purpose and brand touchpoints. We talk about ‘experience philosophy’ and how it can help restaurants thrive. https://round.com.au Chapters 00:00 Introduction to...

As Dirty Linen celebrates 5 years, we return to the airwaves with chef, restaurateur and author Annie Smithers, owner of Du Fermier in Trentham, Victoria. Last time we spoke to Annie, we lamented the loss of her water rights. Suddenly, her small farm was imperilled. Now she’s once again able to water her carrots but the overall picture for local food is still a patchy one. Previous podcast with An...

Illuminating Lumen episode 5: We’re keeping an eye on Lumen cafe & wine bar in North Melbourne in our Illuminating Lumen series. Today we have a quick catch up with co-owner Emma Sheahan on the eve of the Victorian government raising the payroll tax threshold. It means Emma might be able to pay herself. LISTEN TO THE ILLUMINATING LUMEN SERIES https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2z0EVQvpqPohmYrUGcbLf...

How does a bar group find its way when people are drinking less and all eyes are on workplace culture and keeping staff and patrons safe? We chat to Anthony Drew, GM of Good Company Bar Group, which has 11 Melbourne venues and more in the wings. https://www.gcbg.com.au SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.c...

Friday on my mind, an occasional series where I share what I’ve been eating, drinking, doing and thinking. Dirty Linen is five years old! I talk about Bendigo Taco Trail, cafes opening nights, a French gastronomy festival and the modern pub. Then I read out my story about wheat, published recently in Good Weekend magazine. Hope you enjoy! Bendigo Taco Trail https://www.bendigoregion.com.au/explore...

What’s it like breaking down a beast in front of 6000 whooping butchery fans? Troy Wheeler from Meatsmith knows, because he was recently part of the Australian team that went to Paris to compete in the World Butchers’ Challenge, coming home with an impressive podium finish. We talk about the art of butchery, why it’s still motivating and engaging, and the unfortunate lack of rabbit in home kitchen...

Simon Schulz is a third generation dairy farmer and processor in Timboon, in south-western Victoria. It’s been the driest two years on record and recent rain, though welcome, isn’t a total fix for the pasture or the business. Simon talks about the pressures on farmers, the lack of assistance and understanding from government and the importance of sharing tough realities with the public and custome...

There’s your everyday morning porridge and there’s The Golden Spurtle, the world porridge-making championships held each year in Scotland. Australian film maker Constantine Conti had a mate in the running and was so intrigued he made a documentary about the competitive combination of oats, water and salt, and the way food brings people together, even as it pits them against one another. The Golden...

What drives a chef to open (and keep opening) small businesses in a challenging market? Sutinee ‘Tinee’ Suntivatana owns Humble Rays, Tori’s matcha cafe and Regale Asian-Australian fusion restaurant in Melbourne. We talk about being a female chef and a women in business, the balance of competition and collaboration, and the excitement of serving eye fillet with Massaman curry red wine jus. https:/...

Are we worried about winter? We continue our occasional series chatting to the people of Lumen, an independent cafe and wine bar in North Melbourne. Today’s guest is co-owner Marichi Clarke. We talk about the state of the food world, the ups and downs of the seasons, and why he’s still energised about his business despite the challenges. https://www.lumenpeople.com SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR...

Keen to escape the city life, Astrid Birt (Fresh Tracks Farm) took over the family property in rural Western Australia where she is now raising a young family, cattle, sheep and chickens on a small-scale regenerative farm. ⁠⁠https://freshtracksfarm.com.au⁠⁠ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES ⁠⁠https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscri...

Dirty Linen travelled to South Australia to meet the people, eat the food and sip the drinks. The Fleurieu Peninsula is a diverse region where working farmland and wine regions meet the ocean. Ryan Sherry is the third generation of the family to farm here. Harvest the Fleurieu is a regional produce store, cafe and pick your own patch, connecting urban adventurers with the source of their food. Thi...

Dirty Linen travelled to South Australia to meet the people, eat the food and sip the drinks. In McLaren Vale, we catch up with Sean Baxter, co-founder of Never Never Distilling Co, producer of award-winning gin. Sean shows us around the distillery and introduces us to Wendy (the still), we do a tasting in the cellar door and talk about his joyful pathway to becoming a juniper freak. This episode...

Dirty Linen travelled to South Australia to meet the people, eat the food and sip the drinks. In the buzz of Adelaide’s Town Square, we catch up with Clare Falzon, straight off the back of a Tasting Australia lunch. We talk about Clare’s new restaurant Staguni, a restaurant in a schoolhouse in the Adelaide Hills, inspired by the seasons and Clare’s Maltese background. How does a chef craft a resta...

Bruce Maynard isn’t farming like those around him. His fields at Willydah, west of Dubbo in NSW, look different, greener, wilder, a little more chaotic. He’s a wheat and sheep farmer like many in the region, but he’s just as interested in lizards, migratory birds and native legumes as grain yield. Where the system pushes for simplicity, he’s valuing diversity and soil health, and looking for ways...

Dirty Linen travelled to South Australia to meet the people, eat the food and sip the drinks. In the Adelaide Hills, cheesemaker Kris Lloyd runs Woodside Cheese Wrights. She shares the joys of artisan produce, the flow-on from happy cows, sheep and goats, and the pleasures of being a food lover in South Australia. Oh, and we eat her cheese! This episode is part of a Taste of South Australia, a spe...

Friday On My Mind…Where I’ve been eating and drinking, and what I’ve been thinking, writing and talking about this week. Today’s rave takes us to Dimboola, McLaren Vale, Koreatown, a couple of wheat farms, a fine dining restaurant that’s shaken itself up, a matcha-focused cafe and more. If it’s about food, people and connection, I am there. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS,...