Food for Thought
me&u
Welcome to Food for Thought! A podcast that explores the wondrous world of food, culture and innovation. In each spicy episode, the me&u team take a deep dive into the stories and amazing people behind the food we eat. Think decadent melting cheese oozing over a podcast microphone, in a field, on a piano, with a velvety merlot... only, with sickeningly talented people standing around chatting too. Are you feeling it?
From the latest food trends, to technology, to timeless culinary traditions, we'll examine the diverse flavours and experiences that make food so much more than just sustenance. We'll also speak with creatives, chefs, restaurateurs, farmers and other experts within the food industry, gaining insights into their creative processes, tribulations and triumphs.
So whether you're a #hashtagfoodie, a professional in the industry, or just looking to expand your culinary repertoire, this podcast may just pique your interest - or have you on full grillllll. Get ready to indulge your senses, satisfy your curiosity, and stimulate your appetite, this is Food for Thought!
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Top 10 Food for Thought Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Food for Thought episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Food for Thought for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Food for Thought episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Pete Gillespie | Co-founder, Garage Project
Food for Thought
04/19/23 • 31 min
Pete Gillespie is the brains and brewer behind one of the world’s great independent beer brands.
In 2011 Pete, brother Ian and their mate Jos Ruffell started brewing beer out of a run down auto workshop in Wellington, New Zealand, brewing just 50L of experimental, wild and at times wacky beer at a time - and Garage Project was born.
Since then, Pete and the team have created literally hundreds of different beers and with cans as distinctive as the beer inside, Garage Project has become one of the best known craft beer brands across New Zealand, Australia and on the global stage.
In this episode:
- Pete reveals the branding advice they were given in the early days and why ignoring has been instrumental in their success
- Shares the reasons being independent remains important - but why they’ll never rule out joining a larger commercial brewery
- Details why Wellington is such a great food and drink destination
- Recounts the best restaurant meal he’s eaten and shares his recipe for ceviche featuring Australian salmon
* Language warning: this episode contains some coarse language*
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Mark Limacher | Chef & Co-owner, Ortega Fish Shack
Food for Thought
05/15/23 • 31 min
Join us as we explore the culinary realm of Chef Mark Limacher and the renowned Ortega Fish Shack in Wellington, New Zealand. With a focus on fresh seafood and a casual dining atmosphere, Ortega Fish Shack has become a go-to spot for seafood enthusiasts in the city. Mark Limacher, the owner and chef, brings his creativity and expertise to the table, offering a variety of delicious seafood dishes that highlight local flavors.
In this episode, we explore the history behind Ortega, Mark’s thoughts on the future of the industry and his best tips on cooking with seafood. This ep is a must for any home cook looking to delve into the wonderful world of delights from below.
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Nick Stone pt. 2 | CEO and founder, Bluestone Lane
Food for Thought
03/14/23 • 30 min
We continue the conversation with Nick Stone, founder and CEO of Bluestone Lane. Nick took Melbourne’s famed coffee culture and brought it to the US a decade ago and now flat whites and avocado smash are served at more than 60 Bluestone Lane cafes and coffee shops around America.
Last time we spoke about creating culture, the importance of rituals, the value cafes provide communities and whether the cost of a coffee should increase. And that’s where we pick up the conversation.
In this episode:
Nick speaks about sustainability and how the company implements values into its operations
Reveals the secrets to working with family happily and successfully
The international expansion plans for Bluestone Lane and why he won’t “take beer to the pub”
And shares his favourite eggplant parmigiana recipe
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Calvin McDonald | Head of Australian operations, Brewdog
Food for Thought
03/14/23 • 32 min
Calvin is head of Australian operations for Brewdog - a Scottish craft beer company that over the past 15 years has expanded across the UK, EU, US and now Australia.
Calvin has pulled off the incredible feat of opening three new venues over just a few months across the east coast of Australia - in Brisbane's central party hub of Fortitude Valley, Pentridge Prison in Melbourne and in Sydney's South Eveleigh. These venues join the first Aussie Brewdog and home of one of its four global brewery operations that opened in Brisbane at the end of 2019.
In this episode:
- Calvin shares how he worked his way up from a Brewdog bartender through almost every venue position to now head up the Australian operations
- Talks about how he’s adapted a global business to Australia’s high-wage environment - and why that’s a good thing
- Reveals the key ingredients for staff engagement and how to create culture within a team
- And shares his favourite recipe for dandan noodles
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Natalie Paull | Founder and head baker, Beatrix Bakes
Food for Thought
03/14/23 • 25 min
Nat is the owner-baker of Beatrix Bakes, one of Melbourne’s most-loved bakeries. When it opened in 2011 Nat quickly found fans and fame for her take on traditional country bakery treats and today has transformed the bakery into an online store selling whole cakes that consistently sell out.
She is the author of a best-selling bakebook of the same name, has appeared on MasterChef sharing some of the secrets to her incredible creations and in March will embark on her biggest catering gig yet - cooking brunch for 1600 people in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival World’s Longest Brunch.
In this episode:
- Nat opens up for the first time about how she almost fell out of love with baking - and how she regained her creativity
- How she pivoted from retail store to thriving eCommerce business and how she stays connected with customers
- Reveals her favourite “ guilty pleasure” and why it’s inspired her next crowd-pleasing creation
- The reason one of famed chef Phillipe Searle desserts lives rent-free in her head and shares her secrets to the perfect sponge
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Simon Anderson | Food for Thought podcast | Episode 11
Food for Thought
03/06/24 • 24 min
After an illustrious career spanning both the advertising and hospitality industries, Simon Anderson sits down with me&u to discuss all things Black Sabbath, food halls and advertising, as well as his latest venture - founding hospitality venue consultancy, 'Ideas F.C'.
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Dan Leuzzi & Tom Giurioli | Founders, Freddy's & Tommy's Booze
Food for Thought
08/13/23 • 44 min
Meet the dynamic duo winning over the hearts and stomachs of Melbourne – Dan Leuzzi and Tom Giurioli. Co-founders of Freddy's, the self-described "friendly neighbourhood pizzeria" and Tommy's Booze, giving their take on Limoncello and surrounding liqueurs straight from Nonna's recipe book.
We spoke all things from: The Australian Government’s love of taxation, growing up around Italian food culture, signing leases without trying your head chef’s dishes, and the beautiful simplicity of making limoncello. We had a blast chatting with and learning from these two, and highly recommend listening over a swig, or two, of Limoncello.
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Jas & Shy | Founders & Designers, After Hours
Food for Thought
06/29/23 • 37 min
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the creative minds behind After Hours, a design studio that sets the stage for unforgettable experiences in the food and beverage industry.
Meet Jas and Shy, the dynamic duo behind After Hours, who bring their artistic flair and passion for design to collaborate with bars, restaurants, and cafes. With an intuitive understanding of the industry, they work their magic to craft captivating brands that capture the essence of each establishment.
Join us as we delve into the world of Jas and Shy, where their creativity takes center stage, crafting visual identities that leave a lasting impression on customers and bring a unique flavor to every establishment they touch.
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Daragh Kan | Fancy Hank’s, 100 Burgers Group, Mr Yum
Food for Thought
03/14/23 • 26 min
In 2007 Darah opened his first pub, the Mercat Cross in Melbourne’s CBD, and has since created a growing empire that includes some of Melbourne’s most loved bars and restaurants, including Fancy Hank’s, Welcome to Thornbury, Natural History and Good Heavens to name a few, while also building fast casual brands Mr Burger and Belle’s Hot Chicken.
The 100 Burgers Group, of which Daragh is a director, now employs hundreds of people and plays a vital role in creating Melbourne’s famed food culture.
In this episode:
- Daragh opens up on what he wishes he knew before starting out in the hospitality industry
- Talks about the role technology plays his venues - and in the sustainable future of the industry
- Why he still loves hospitality and the reason he’s bullish on the future of Melbourne’s CBD
- The reason kobe beef holds a special place in his heart and he shares his knock-out sichuan eggplant recipe
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
Ann Elliott | Founder Ann Elliott Hospitality
Food for Thought
03/14/23 • 32 min
Ann is a hospitality strategist with extensive sales, marketing and operational experience working with and for such brands as Pizza Hut, Beefeater and Whitbread, where she was responsible for 280 pubs across the UK.
With more than 30 years of living and breathing hospitality, Ann has a genuine love for - and deep understanding of - the industry and spends her days - and nights - bringing valuable insights, like-minded people, and creative solutions together, often over a great meal or drink in one of London’s world-famous bars, pubs and restaurants.
In this episode:
- Ann shares how she fell in love with hospitality and the occasion of eating out
- Why hospitality encourages entrepreneurship and how the sector works better together
- The work the industry needs to do to be more inclusive and foster diversity at all levels - but especially at the board level
- Why operators need to embrace technology or risk being left behind
- And shares her dinner party staple
We’ve got the ingredients that’ll help your business grow.
Find out how more than 6000 bars, pubs and restaurants use me&u to make every guest feel like a local.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Food for Thought have?
Food for Thought currently has 12 episodes available.
What topics does Food for Thought cover?
The podcast is about Bar, Marketing, Hospitality, Podcasts, Technology, Sales, Arts, Business, Service and Food.
What is the most popular episode on Food for Thought?
The episode title 'Dan Leuzzi & Tom Giurioli | Founders, Freddy's & Tommy's Booze' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Food for Thought?
The average episode length on Food for Thought is 36 minutes.
How often are episodes of Food for Thought released?
Episodes of Food for Thought are typically released every 26 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of Food for Thought?
The first episode of Food for Thought was released on Mar 14, 2023.
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