John Fink is not your typical restaurateur. The son of a hospitality magnate and movie mogul, this former musician turned film maker turned husband and father took a life-time to find his true north. But today he proudly runs some of the most successful restaurants in Australia, and is as passionate about his business as he is finding a sustainable way forward. This is a unique and honest insight into the heart and soul of good man and a great business. 

Meat is perhaps the most divisive topic on the planet. In this thought provoking conversation with Lisa Sharp and Pip Band from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), we take a very factual and balanced look at meat consumption, pasture fed v grain fed meat; a sustainability framework, cell-based and plant-based meat, animal welfare, climate change, carbon neutrality and a whole lot more. This is a wonderful episode for those wanting a deeper understanding of the meat industry and the many incredibly caring and conscious people who dominate it. Meat is not the enemy!

Plant based meat and clean meat were futuristic only 5 years ago. But today, from Bill Gates to Warren Buffet and Beyond Meat to Impossible Foods, these innovations are fast become main stream and viable. On the Show today, we talk with Henrik Lund, CEO of Naturli Foods in Denmark, who were pioneers in the plant based milk industry in the 80’s, and today are a driving force behind plant based meat. It’s a conversation, whose importance we probably won’t truly respect the importance of, for years to come, Enjoy.

The meat industry, actually anyone who likes a good steak, owes so much to Dr Temple Grandin.  Dr Temple Grandin has a unique ability to understand the animal mind, a skill she links to her autistic brain.  Using her ability to observe the world through an animal's eye, she has achieved significant breakthroughs in the area of animal welfare- specifically the processing of larger livestock: cattle and pigs.  Her work has reverberated throughout the world of meat processing- there isn’t a reputable abattoir in the world she hasn’t touched or her work hasn’t influenced.  The meat-eating world take our hats off to Temple Grandin.  

Lennox Hastie always knew he wanted to cook.  It wasn’t necessarily family influence that developed a deep, internal drive nor was it the last resort for an unruly teenager- for he wasn’t one.  It’s something he can’t put his finger on- he just knew.  Listen to Lennox talk about his own personal journey- both the macro journey of how he got to where he is today and the micro; his personal journey within Firedoor, the restaurant he co-owns with The Fink Group, whose namesake rules the kitchen- everything, absolutely everything is cooked over fire.  

We’ve all heard about meat’s role and place in the changing world- whether that be its impact on climate or its high demand by the growing global middle class, impacting its availability & price.  Everyone has an opinion to express on the subject and the topic of ‘meat’ takes up a large chunk of many a dinner table discussion.  Our Guest, Michael Lee, isn’t a farmer, nor a butcher, or a chef- he’s a scientist and his opinion is that to provide protein for the world, we need to look at other options. Where he is looking & working is science fiction come reality: 3D printing of meat.   

Kangaroo is the most sustainable meat around.  They are hunted from the wild, they don’t omit methane gas, they don’t destroy our fragile land under foot and it’s all natural.  It’s one of the healthiest meats too so why then don’t Australia’s eat it? Clayton Graham is Paroo Premium Kangaroo- the best of the best within the kangaroo meat industry.  Hear his speak of how it all works, why we should eat more of it and his opinion of the future of meat.  

One of this country’s most knowledgeable and attentive butchers, Darren O’Rourke wasn’t intended for butchery, unlike many others in the industry who, for them, the knives are passed down from grandfather, to father, to son or daughter.  He’s lived a very different life and walked many pathways- all of which converged at the most famous butcher shop in the world- Victor Churchill.  

Darren is a quintessential butcher; trustworthy, honourable and knowledgeable, and more than willing to share that wisdom with whomever asks.  He is warm and welcoming and lives to create memories for every one of his customers.  With the existence of local butchers’ shops declining and butchers and their craft vanishing under looming behemothic supermarkets, Darren talks of what it means to him- his skill, the traditions and the honour of serving the local community & the Puharich family business.  

Leaders are made, not born.  Having moved from the other side of the earth to settle in Sydney, Dany Karam is thankful to those who have influenced him along the way, and so are we.  His management style and leadership has steered Black Bar & Grill at The Star to great heights and everyone who has come across him has benefited from simply knowing this kind, gentle soul.  Listen to him speak about the Tafe teachers, his parents, the executives at The Star, as well as the most important- his peers- who guided an indecisive teenager to greatness. 

Gareth Howard’s obsession with knowing and supporting the farmers who supply his restaurant has developed over his lifetime. Starting with solid foundations steaming from a childhood in rural South-Wales surrounded by animals and the farmers who carefully reared them, through to working under the tutelage of the uber-sustainable Jamie Oliver in the UK. Gareth is now the Exec. Chef of Acre Eatery in Camperdown, Sydney. He shares the site with not for profit urban farm creators Pocket City Farms, who grow a large range of seasonal produce used by the restaurant. Listen as Gareth talks through his approach, his philosophy and his views on seasonality, the influence of the consumer and the importance of prioritising quality over quantity when it comes to meat.