On this episode of The Backstage Kitchen, we explore the roots of the Slow Food movement and its lasting impact on how we cook, gather, and connect through food. Then, host Richard Julien sits down with acclaimed chef, actor, and Devour! The Food Film Fest co-founder Chef Michael Howell for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, hospitality, and building one of Canada’s most unique culinary festivals.
Michael shares his journey from the stage to the kitchen, the philosophy behind Slow Food, and how food and film became intertwined through Devour in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Along the way, he offers candid reflections on the restaurant world, the power of community, and some personal insights and memories surrounding Anthony Bourdain and his influence on chefs, travel, and food culture around the world.
This episode is a conversation about passion, creativity, reinvention, and why great food is always about more than what’s on the plate.