COOKING THE BOOKS - From Inside the Food Industry

Josh began his career qualifying as an architect, but after struggling to find work he ended up working in hospitality and fell in love with it. After a few changes he came across his perfect job, combining his love of sport with his career in the hospitality industry. We managed to sit down with Josh immediately after the 2019 Australian Open for a debrief. I hope everyone finds it interesting as we did.

This is a look back on season 2 and a quick reminder that we are still here working on season 3, which will be coming mid-Feb.

This episode was meant to be the same as normal but unfortunately, due to work, Robbie had to cancel the interview. So this is Robbie saying his thank yous, concluding season two and explaining what's coming up in season three.

This week Robbie spoke to Charlie Carrington, owner and chef of Atlas Dining and Colours Kitchen. Atlas is a very unique restaurant as it changes its menu every 4 months. But not just the menu; the whole cuisine. Every few months Charlie flies to a different country, studies the food markets and culture, then returns home and recreates a menu inspired by his trip. Colours Kitchen is Charlie’s casual eatery, inspired by his time in Israel.

This week Robbie spoke to Pat, also known as Ultra Chef. Like a lot of chefs, Pat was struggling in his relationship because of too much alcohol and too many parties. But after the announcement of his first baby coming Pat changed his life around and turned to running. Now 5 years later he is ranked one of the best in Victoria and best ultra runner. This is Pat’s story. https://www.instagram.com/ultra_chef/ www.ultrachef.com.au

This week Robbie spoke to Paola about her new book, Adriatico. They broke down the chapters and discussed some of the fantastic places Paola visited. Robbie also spoke about some of the recipes in the book that resonated with his cooking career and his time in Italy.

This week Robbie spoke to Sam Canning From Cannings Free Range Butchers. Sam fell into butchery after getting a job as a clean-up boy; he then got an apprenticeship before heading to London. Fast-forward 20 years and Sam now runs six very successful butcher shops around Melbourne, with more coming next year. https://canningsfreerangebutchers.com.au https://vimeo.com/170335474

This week Robbie spoke with Graham from Smithward wine bar in Collingwood, Melbourne. Graham started his career in radio before following his dream of opening his own neighbourhood wine bar. This episode is a great example that you don't need heaps of experts. just lots of planning, good values and a passion for giving good service. www.smithward.com.au

Richard is English-Jamaican and is living here in Melbourne. I really wanted to sit down and chat to him, to hopefully inspire someone to start their own business. Richard has no culinary background, has a full-time job in government and his side hustle is Little Brixton, with the hope of it one day being his full-time gig. He shares some of the tricks he has learnt on the journey so far.

Banjo is a man with a plan who knows how to execute it. He is a sommelier by training but no doubt now he is an entrepreneur; part-owner of four thriving businesses, including an online wine/tech business. The great thing about Banjo is that you really feel that he is not driven by money, but more by offering a fantastic product, serviced and experience to his guests.

This week Robbie caught up with long-time friend Jeff Claudio over the phone; this catch-up has been a long time coming, so it’s a genuine eavesdrop into two industry pals chewing the fat and hearing what Jeff’s been up to.

This week on the podcast I was lucky enough to sit down with hospitality royalty chef Ian Curley, and what a humble gentleman he was. Hospitality runs through Ian’s veins; after 35 years of cooking he is stepping away from the pass to concentrate on other projects still in hospitality, so that he has more time to focus on his family. It was a real honour to listen to Ian talk us through his career, his thoughts, and to listen to where he came from and what he has achieved in and out of the kitchen. http://frenchsaloon.com http://www.kirkswinebar.com https://www.instagram.com/chefiancurley/

This week Robbie sat down with the newly-appointed head chef of Restaurant Lûmé and San Pellegrino 2018 Asia Pacific Young Chef of the Year winner, John Rivera. Robbie and John worked together at Rockpool Bar and Grill Melbourne where John first started his professional career, initially on the restaurant floor before moving into the kitchen. John talks about his career so far, gives his thoughts on where the restaurant scene and culture is heading, as well as sharing his experiences in the San Pellegrino competition. http://www.restaurantlume.com

This week Robbie talks to the guys from Rooftop Honey all about bees and their importance, what a vital part bees play in the ecosystem as well as the amazing honey they produce. We all need to be taking more care of our bees and helping them out where we can, because without these guys we are going hungry to say the least. www.rooftophoney.com.au

This week Robbie talks to Chef Matt Wilkinson about his career. Matt really breaks it down and goes through the ups and downs, and shares some great advice he has picked up on the way. He also brings up some great points for discussion, like what do chefs do after 45 years old? Link to web sites: https://mrwilkinsons.com.au Everyone's social media: https://www.instagram.com/mrwilkinsons/ https://www.instagram.com/robbiebell8/ https://www.instagram.com/cookingthebookspod/ https://www.instagram.com/citylarder/