Beyond The Counter Podcast (archive)

Michael ‘Doc’ Weldon is a food celebrity originally from South Australia. First appearing on the Masterchef series in 2011, Michael is now a regular food host on the long-running, household renowned ‘Sunrise’ morning TV show. Doc also hosts his own network TV-show, ‘Farm to Fork’ amongst many other strings to his talented bow.

Doc’s passion for food has taken him all across the globe - to the likes of India, South-East Asia and the UK - and we were lucky enough to have him in our very own 'me&u-HQ' Collingwood nest for a bit of roast, if you will.

We were delighted to be able to pick Michael's brain about his early life, work in television, the Masterchef experience and 'that time' he tore his bicep playing a basic forward-defensive cricket stroke. We hear about Doc's favourite places to dine out, where he sees food trends heading in 2024, Aus Hospo T-shirt Day and ALL while he walks us through some cheeky little snack ideas, too!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

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.

visit the me&u website now!

Nick is the CEO and founder of Bluestone Lane - an Australian-influenced hospitality brand based in New York. 

Nick took Melbourne’s famed coffee culture - and while he didn’t quite bottle it - he brought it to the US and almost a decade after opening the first venue, there are now more than 60 Bluestone Lane cafes and coffee shops located throughout the United States.

In this episode:

• Nick shares the reason he took Australia’s coffee culture to the US 
• Why finding the right management and leaders is critical in a startup’s journey
• Reveals why culture is the true IP (intellectual property) of hospitality that enables businesses to scale - and how high-performance culture influences the Bluestone team 
• And talks about the true cost of coffee and whether consumers are willing to pay

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.

visit the me&u website now!