The Gary Mehigan Show

Annie Smithers is one of Australia's most highly regarded chefs and one of the first Chefs in Australia,  to truly epitomise the ‘paddock to plate’ ethos. Her career spans over 30 years and she spent the last 25 of them firmly ensconced in the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn Spa region in Victoria. Her restaurant Du Fermier in Trentham is one of my favourites, the dining room is beautiful, it feels like home and everything has Annie’s touch. A proper sense of place the food, the staff and every interaction with each customer expresses generosity of spirit and wonderful hospitality. If you peak in the kitchen, people are often surprised it’s just Annie maybe a helper of two but she does everything, baking, pickling preserving, peeling, roasting plating….planning her next menu…..idyllic and charming on one hand, but damn hard work on the other. She lives on a small nine hectare farm in Lyonville called Babbington Park only 10 minutes from Trenton and its beautiful! The kitchen garden and orchard is not a token bit of green that pretends to stock the shelves and fridges at the restaurant…. but it is brimming with a bounty of green and growth that needs a lot of attention, thought and hard work. It’s a place that is constantly evolving and Annie and Susan her wife, are not short of ideas or ambition for the future. She holds regular master classes teaching fabulous honest and wonderful French Country cooking and her recent book ‘Recipe for a kinder life’ is an inspirational read for every serious foodie and gardener. She describes it as ‘part meditation - part memoir’ I loved chatting with Annie, she lives a life dedicated to seasonal food, aims to tread lightly on the ground beneath her feet……she says that this is the best time of her life but it hasn’t always been that way. We do talk about mental health towards the end of this podcast so if you are triggered by this feel free to skip forward……enough said…..Annie Smithers take it away! 

Khanh Nguyen is an exceptional young chef and now restaurateur who is re-shaping Australian dining, creating eclectic, interesting and delicious food. He is a man who has carefully orchestrated his career and has the kind of energy for the business that I admire greatly. What he has in spades that sets him apart, is creativity and a thirst for knowledge that sends him off down a path to perfection. Take his ‘Buttermilk milk roti with Vegemite curry’, or his latest obsession diving deep into lamination and croissants. Check out his Instagram page and you will see what I mean.He grew up in Sydney in the Western suburbs and found himself naturally drawn to the kitchen early on. In his mum’s kitchen first, then a couple of part-time jobs and quickly onto an apprenticeship at Luke Nguyen’s Red Lantern.  Training under the likes of Justin North at Becasse, Dan Hong at Mr Wong, an internship at Noma when Rene Redzepi’s pop up came to Australia and Brent Savage at the Bentley group show hard work and striving for the very best is in his DNA.Sunda Dining & Aru have both had enjoyed great success. Aru has just won two hats so far, I am sure there will be more to come.There’s a lot on this young man’s plate but I love his enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge and the way he lights up every time he thinks about food…

There are few Chefs that are as recognisable as Gabriel Gate. He’s an institution in cooking circles in this country, and has enjoyed a long and productive career in front of the stoves, and the cameras for over 50 years. He has charmed Australia with his wonderful French accent, delicious recipes and emotive stories about food as early as the 1980s. Certainly, by the time I arrived in Oz in 1991 he was well established, as a chef, author, educator and television personality.  ‘What’s Cooking’ was the first of its kind and ground breaking television back then, long before MasterChef, attracting big sponsors and large and loyal following. What I love Gabriel, is how at ease he is with an audience, he has a wonderful way of describing and talking about food and inspiring those around him. But what most of us forget, however, is that he is a chef at heart. Skills honed in great kitchens and born out of heart work and a hard apprenticeship. Names like Alain Ducasse and Raymond Blanc on your resume are not to be underestimated. Gabriel and I could have chatted for hours, the conversation was easy and full of wonderful recollection,s and the joy of food and cooking.Settle in and won’t be surprised if you are hankering after a rich and winey Coq au Vin or a French Onion soup when you finished listening

Mention Karen Martini to any serious Melbourne diner and they'll tell you that she helped shape dining in our city. Beautiful Mediterranean food with flare and bags of flavour, I've always thought of her as one of the cool kids, especially back in the day - and to be honest I still do.  Everything she touched, worked, did, she had a confidence and style about her, the X factor that some people have and most of us only dream of. Her resume is long and reinforces her serious chef credentials, and also the fact that she's a proper hospitalitarian and restauranteur at heart. If you know her, she's also just someone who really loves food in all its guises, and loves to cook and feed people. She was the founding chef at the Melbourne Wine Room, at The George in Saint Kilda which she ran with Michael Sapountsis, her partner, for 15 years. Along with Icebergs in Bondi, the two won hats and hearts and had legendary stakes in the minds of Melbourne and Sydney foodies - and beyond.Since then they've continued on a string of successes, including Mr Wolf in Saint Kilda (which they have only recently sold), Acmi at Federation Square, and now Thyme at Alba Thermal Springs. But this is only the beginning,  her television career and cook books continue to be much  loved, and in between all of this it took us a bit of time to find a day in the diary where we could sit down and chat - but we did it, and so here she is... Karen Martini. 

When I first read Matthew Evans' book on eating meat, it was probably on top of a number of books that had got my thinking in a particular place. But, it was this particular book that made me really question what I buy, why I buy it and also why I eat what I eat... it sounds very deep doesn't it, maybe it's the point in my life? or maybe it's just time for a change. A lot of us are conflicted in one way or another about eating meat. Whether you're a meat eater, a vegetarian, a vegan, pescatarian, whatever your view is Matthew's insights on sustainable farming and what constitutes ethical eating will give you something to think about. Matthew started his career as a chef, became a food critic, and then gave it all up to start a small farm in Tasmania called 'Fat Pig Farm', where he now lives with his wife and family. He's written a number of books which we talked about too. So here he is, Matthew Evans. 

Two Birds Brewing Co. is Australia's first female founded brewery and Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen are the brains behind it. Located in Spotswood, Melbourne Jayne and Danielle's award-winning brewery typifies everything that is good about the craft beer industry in Australia.The two friends are continuously developing sophisticated, approachable beers that can be enjoyed with anyone, anywhere, anytime.You can drop into 'The Nest' to see what all the fuss in about for yourself by visiting their website.

Struggling with gut problems from a very young age, Rosie Mansfield thought that she would spend her life dealing with chronic stomach pains. But when she modified her diet and saw things rapidly improve, she realised that the connection between the gut and the mind was much stronger than she had ever known. She now wants to bring this understanding to the world and has coined the term 'food hacking'. Today I sat down with Rosie to talk about her philosophies, the stigma of mental health, and the affect that one of her food heroes - Anthony Bourdain - has had on her life. 

Actor, radio presenter, voice over artist and philanthropist. Samuel Johnson is probably best known for his part in Secret Life Of Us, Rush and as Molly Meldrum in the mini series Molly. He also competed in and won Dancing With the Stars 2016. Samuel has won an AACTA award for Best Actor, an a Gold Logie for most popular personality on television. He grew up with his two sisters Connie & Hilde in Daylesford Victoria, and at age 14 performed in his first school play and got a break into acting seemly by chance. A career that he says was not designed by him!Although very successful and very popular, his life has been punctuated with grief and sadness. The loss of his sister ‘Connie’ to breast cancer in 2017 was life changing – a pivotal moment that has seen him become an unstoppable force, advocate and fundraiser for the charity he started along Hilde. ‘Love Your Sisters’. The mission: to remind every Australian woman about the need to be ‘Breast aware’.Sam and I had all sorts of technical issues during this interview, the tyranny of distance, geography, network coverage... that’s our excuse anyway! It’s a shorter interview than I’d hoped but well worth a listen and a gentle reminder to support Sam’s charity if you are able. Sam is a wonderful sole, his manner and expressions, disarming and warmth and sense of humour contagious.

Janella Purcell has been championing food as medicine for as long as I can remember. She's written six cook books including 'Elixir' and 'Eat for the Seasons', and has run holistic retreats and clinics in Bondi and Byron for almost 20 years. For Janella, good health is so much more than food. She has some fascinating insights on how we live, how our environment affects us, and of course so much more that we dive into on this episode of The Gary Mehigan Show, so take a listen!

Often referred to as the 'Queen of Chocolate', Kirsten Tibballs is an Australian pastry chef and chocolatier who is a leading figure in the industry. She has travelled all over to the world to share her culinary creations  and has even represented Australia at the World Pastry Championships in Las Vegas, where she was recognised as the best in the world for her handmade chocolates. She has been a judge for global competitions such as the World Chocolate Masters in Paris, the Patisserie Grand Prix in Japan and the World Chocolate Masters National selections in London.In 2002 Kirsten founded Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School in Brunswick where she provides a learning environment dedicated to creating and educating in everything chocolate and patisserie. She is the author of two cookbooks, Chocolate to Savour and Chocolate, and is a regular contributor to pastry publications globally, as well as regularly appearing on MasterChef Australia.

Guy Grossi has been entrenched in the Melbourne food scene for over 40 years. He's one of a handful, and a rare breed of chefs and restauranteurs, that have survived and flourished over the long haul. Importantly he's remained relevant and he's still very much a force in the industry. He opened his first restaurant, Quadri, in 1988 (that's over 30 years ago) and bought Florintino, a Melbourne institution and Australia's oldest restaurant in 1999. When he's not busy running his Restaurant, Guy is a cook book author, and television personality, and was awarded L'insegna Del Ristorante Italiano by the president of Italy for his dedication and promotion overseas of La Cucina Italiana. Please welcome to the podcast, Guy Grossi. 

Here's part 2 of my conversation with Ben Shewry, and if you haven't heard the first part I'd encourage you to go back and have a listen now.  

My guest today is Ben Shewry and he is known for owning one of Australia's most awarded restaurants, Attica. In fact people will book a plane ticket to Melbourne just to visit the restaurant - fly in, eat, indulge and fly out... can you believe it?!Ben's food reflects his rural New Zealand upbringing, and increasingly a fascination with Indigenous Australian ingredients. His championing of native ingredients has been highly influential in the Australian dining landscape, and he's made it a mission to learn about the culture and cuisine behind the ingredients directly from indigenous Australians. But what's been inspirational too has been the way that he's supported the hospitality industry through the Attica soup kitchen, his support of Visa workers, and his buy into the community and their buy back. This man has a lot to say and believe me, as a foodie you will love it. In fact, it was so good we decided to split it into two parts. So, without further edu please welcome Ben Shewry. 

Paul West is the presenter of the Australian remake of River Cottage, and the way he found himself as the host of the show is quite extraordinary! He was a farmer from Tasmania who worked at Vue De Monde for a stint, until he decided he needed a change and left for greener pastures, but what he didn't know then was that eventually the move would give him the opportunity to teach people the wonders of food through television. He's a lovely bloke, full of passion and enthusiasm for anything homegrown and homemade, and it was such a pleasure to have him on today's episode. So take a listen and please welcome Paul West to the podcast,  I think you'll love this chat as much as I loved having it.

Alastair McLeod has an unbridled enthusiasm. The much loved Chef and TV personality is bestowed with, what he would describe as, the gift of the gab... and we think he's pretty quick witted too. He is best known for his roles on Channel 7's 'Great Day Out', and Network 10's 'Ready, Steady, Cook'.  I've known Alastair for a long time and he always makes me laugh, but in this interview he also brought a tear to my eye. So here he is, Alastair McLeod. 

Neale Whitaker... sophisticated, stylish, with a wealth of international experience in publishing and interior design, that's the guy we know and he's one of Australia's foremost style gurus. He became a household name as a judge on Channel 9's Logie winning smash hit, The Block, and co-host of Foxtel's number one series, Love it or List it  Australia. He certainly has a chemistry with Andrew Winter who is his cohort. Neale also boasts a hugely successful international publishing career, and has edited some of the most respected lifestyle magazines in the world, including Vogue Living, Vogue Entertaining & Travel, Belle, Delicious, and Waitrose Food Illustrated... and actually that's where I'm connected. When I met Neale he was the editor at BBC Good Food when George and I were contributing to BBC Good Food at the start of our Masterchef careers. He describes himself as an accidental foodie, and actually wrote a book with the same name with some of the best chefs in Australia. So, it's my great pleasure to welcome Neale Whitaker to the Gary Mehigan Show. 

She's an award-winning author and one of Australia's favourite broadcasters. She's been the cookery columnist for The Weekend Australian Magazine, host of Saturday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne, culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast, as well as creator of digital food education program Phenomenom. There's a reason Alice Zaslavsky is the friendliest voice in Australian food. She's  widely recognised for her modern, accessible approach to cooking and eating as well as her down to earth, kind and hilarious nature. Her vegetable bible, In Praise of Veg,  won the 2021 ABIA for best illustrated book and went on to win accolades around the globe, being published in eight countries. When Alice is not on stage hosting international culinary talent, or on screen showing people how to find every shortcut to delicious food, she's at home testing recipes and sharing insights online as @aliceinframes.Today she joins me to chat about her career, upbringing and heritage, and how all of this has lead her to where she is today.

Author, Journalist, TV Presenter, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Life and Health Coach for millions of people. In another life Sarah Wilson was the editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Judge on the very first season of Masterchef, but the book 'I quit sugar' and then founding iquitsugar.com (the world's largest digital wellness site) changed everything with success guaranteed and seemingly no limits. I mean imagine being one of the top 200 most influential authors in the world!But much to everyones surprise in 2018 Sarah closed the business and handed the knowledge to the community, she moved on to follow another path and passion. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2008, and has talked openly about her struggles with anxiety, and bipolar disorder... and for the foodie out there, don't worry we'll get there.We had so much to talk about in today's episode to please welcome to the podcast Sarah Wilson.

Joanna McMillan is a Doctor and Nutritionist who's Ted X talk has racked up nearly half a million views on YouTube. In the talk Joanna debates why food goes beyond just the nutrients in it, and how it can be the gateway to our memories, our community and of course our culture. I loved the idea so much that I wanted to talk about it more with Joanna, so we sat down and we ended up discussing so much more. Take a listen to my chat with the incredibly charming Joanna McMillan. 

Being successful in business in these troubled times, is no easy task, but imagine running one for nearly half a century? It takes a special kind of business and special kind of people behind it, maintaining their success. So what's the secret? Well, keeping it in the family means everything to Franco from Adriatic Furniture. And he's unwavering in the idea it is the bedrock of the business, the driver for the next generation of the family. It was started by his Grandfather, a cabinet maker from Bari in southern Italy, in 1974 and as with many stories like it, it was humble beginnings in a small shop in Bell Street, Coburg in Melbourne. He had undoubtedly a real knack for selling, an eye for quality and detail, and certainly not afraid of hard work. Now in Franco and his brother's capable hands, Adriatic Furniture has gone from strength to strength. Franco talks about family, furniture, a little about food, and the up's and down's of running a retail business through COVID and beyond.