The Crackling - a food podcast.

Many chefs dream of making the big time. Carving out careers, building the foundation of skills and then hope to create their own restaurant or showcase their interpretation of great food. Many discover their style, but few take on the world and make a mark on the biggest food capitals on the planet. But for Paul Donnelly (Chinese Tuxedo, The Tyger) his career has taken him from Glasgow all the wa...

After decades as a horticulturist, Andrew Hearne (Near River Produce) had a yearning to get out to the country and grow nutrient rich, organic vegetables and help replenish the soil and land. It wasn't long before he became enamoured by the teachings of organic pioneer, Joel Salatin who inspired him to introduce pigs to his farm. With the firm belief that it is important to connect with the food y...

After learning the craft of soft charcuterie such as terrines, rillettes and pates in kitchens in England and Australia Robbie Bell (City Larder) hung up his cheffing apron and began a career as a charcutier. Together with his wife, he's created one of Australia's most successful brands by utilising chefs in the production kitchen and creating connections across the country. https://city-larder.co...

Growing up in the regional Victoria town of Warrnambool, Jake Nicolson (Ghanem Group) had no idea of the level of skill, comradery and influence the world of cheffing could possibly have. But after beginning his apprenticeship with one of Australia's most influential operators, Alla Wolftasker, he began a journey that has led him to run some of Brisbane's best restaurants. https://www.instagram.co...

A yearning to have a deeper connection to food can open the most unexpected doors and lead you down a path you hadn't even considered. As Marcus Papadopoulo (Whole Beast Butchery) completed a university degree he felt something wasn't quite right, and when looking to do something more fulfilling he landed a job with Vic's Meats and the skills and knowledge he garnered gave him the confidence to em...

Some chefs recognise that the link to great produce and quality butchering enables them to create the very best eating experiences. For Scott Pickett (Scott Pickett Group) the chance to create his own butchery to supply his restaurants was too much to resist was too much to resist as his restaurant group grew. https://www.scottpickettgroup.com.au Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thec...

The melting pot of different cuisines, cooking techniques and cultural backgrounds has given Australia's culinary landscape a unique, yet rich tapestry. For Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook), the world of fine dining gave him a different lens to look at the food of his Malaysian and Chinese heritage, and its helped him create one of Australia's best restaurants. https://www.instagram.com/smokeystevenson/...

Having a greater connection with the land, the environment and our impact on it has always been a driving force behind the culinary career of Jo Barrett. But education, learning and sharing knowledge have been part of the foundation to let her explore what's possible. With more time on her hands thanks to the pandemic, Jo Barrett (Future Food Systems) delved into the world of publishing to create...

Working in some of the best restaurants, under incredible mentors can give you the grounding to go on to great success as a chef. But, for some, delving into the world of professional butchery, as well as learning the cheffing trade, has given a greater understanding of the anatomy of an animal and the best ways to not only cook it, but use every little bit too. This is the building blocks that cr...

When it comes to food the importance and value of connections, from farmer to chef can not only change the way one cooks, but the evolution of the culinary landscape too. For Ben Williamson (Agnes, Bianca) that connection has been vital to not only know and understand where food comes from, but to be able to push the boundaries of his own cooking. The ethos has lead him to a career defining restau...

For almost one hundred years Swallow Rock Reach, on the banks of the Hawkesbury River has been the home of the Stones family, first as a citrus farm. But for a period of time the farm sat idle until third generation farmer Sue Simmons (Melanda Park) and her husband started growing Certified organic vegetables for the wholesale markets in Sydney. When help was needed to remove left over potatoes fr...

As a child, Will Mahusay (Sydney Cebu Lechon) grew up helping his father deliver the colour and vibrancy of Filipino cuisine with his catering. As an adult, he's taken the reigns of the family business, found bricks and mortar and is leading the charge to celebrate and take filipino food to a wider audience downunder. https://www.sydneycebulechon.com.au/ Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram....

After growing up in a regional New South Wales town on a mixed cropping and cattle stud farm, Lauren Mathers (Bundarra Berkshires) felt a real connection to the land. While running a small foodstore she realised she couldn't source good local pork. Determined to stay local, she set about creating her own pig farm and now produces some of Australia's best pork. https://bundarraberkshires.com.au Fol...

Whether it be putting your hands in the soil to discover what it takes to farm or grow quality produce, or sharing food with friends and family. As a child Aaron Ward (Sixpenny) spent a lot of time on his Grand parents farm and it ignited a love for food that has seen him trail blaze a career as one of our best young chefs. https://www.instagram.com/aaronward88/?hl=en https://www.sixpenny.com.au F...

Falling into a career as a butcher in a small border town on the Murray river, Troy Wheeler (Meatsmith) soon yearned for a greater understanding of where produce comes from. Eager for a greater understanding of his craft, he made the move to Melbourne and after rising the ranks at one of the city's best butchers, he embarked on a journey with renowned chef Andrew McConnell to create one of Austral...

When Andy Evans (Spice Temple, Sydney) first stepped into the kitchen at Rockpool it opened his eyes, not only to the potential for an amazing career in top level kitchens, but to the different lives, cultures and people that colour our culinary landscape. It set him on a chain events to be part of one of Australia's most influential Asian restaurants ever. https://www.instagram.com/spice.temple/?...

The Huon Valley is one of Tasmania's most picturesque regions and famous for Apples and cherries. But it's fast becoming famous for incredible free range Berkshire pork, fed a vegetarian diet that includes the best fruits of the valley. For pig farmer Lillian Reardon (Mimosa Park Pork), the lifestyle, genetics and diet of these incredible pigs is producing an outstanding top of class fresh pork. h...

After feeling out of his depth as a leader in a kitchen while working as a chef, Darren O'Rourke (Vic's Meats) decided to reassess his career in the food industry. The moment led him to move into butchery, and a decade later he's become one of Australia's very best. https://www.instagram.com/darren.x.orourke/?hl=en Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecracklingpodcast/ Follow Huck htt...

After growing up in a Vietnamese family in Brisbane, Jerry Mai got an appetite for cooking the cuisine of her heritage. After years of plying her trade learning many other cuisines she embarked on a journey in Melbourne to explore the authentic flavours and combinations of her family home, and her impact on Melbourne's culinary landscape has been monumental. https://www.instagram.com/chefjerrymai/...

After buying a large property in the Hunter near his award-winning restaurant Troy Rhoades-Brown (Muse) started growing vegetables, housing chickens and soon enough fulfilled a long-time dream of having his own pigs. Although he'd always had great connections with local pig producers, the personal experience of raising pigs was life changing. https://musedining.com.au Follow The Crackling https://...

After years out of the hospitality game to raise a young family Karena Armstrong (The Salopian Inn) found herself cooking more and more extravagant meals at home, before she realised she missed the connection and joy of working in the hospitality industry. When an offer to run her own restaurant popped up, it was too good to refuse and 8 years on she's created one of Australia's best restaurants w...

When Khanh Nguyen (Sunda Dining) was a child, picking herbs and helping in the kitchen was his mother's way of disciplining him for errant behaviour. But he grew to love the connection he was forming with both the ingredients and techniques that underpin the food of his Vietnamese heritage. It lead to a career in food and a determination to take Vietnamese and South East Asian cuisine to new heigh...

After years of owning a construction company, Jason Stephenson (Boston Bay Smallgoods) was spending too much time away form family and feeling burnt out. Wanting a greater connection to his loved ones and the region he lives in, he invested in a pig farm, and began to revolutionise pork production best practices with their extensive natural bush grazing systems, and chefs are taking note. http://b...

There are some that choose a life in hospitality, and there are others for whom hospitality choose them. Growing up in family run hospitality businesses, Nicky Riemer found the lure to carve out her own career in the industry was so strong it has felt like second nature. https://www.instagram.com/nickyriemer/?hl=en Follow The Crackling https://www.instagram.com/thecracklingpodcast/ Follow Huck htt...

When it comes to food the sophistication and celebration in simplicity means there is no place to hide. To find produce at its optimum, then let it shine on the plate without too much interference takes bravery, knowledge and years of dedication to master. As the right hand man to one of Australia's most celebrated chefs Neil Perry, Corey Costelloe is an unsung, talented chef with an uncanny abili...