The Food & Drink Business Podcast

Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to the three directors of The Upcycling Initiative (TUI) Foods: Peter Taitoko, Tony Cartwright, and Mike Nagorcka.

We meet each of the men and discuss the experience they bring to the company – Peter’s long background in processing and fitout with his company RMR Process; Tony’s equally esteemed background in FMCG; and Mike’s experience as a fifth-generation farmer.

The discussion moves to how the business came about – and how a shared passion for fixing Australia’s broken food supply chain started from a kernel of an idea and is already looking to global markets.

The trio discuss how they tipped the supply chain model on its head and then put it back together in a model that was better for farmers as well as the environment and consumers.

The result is a model where a processing plant is built on a property in a joint venture model with the primary producer. All the equipment is designed and built locally and where possible by-product is also used, creating a micro circular economy.

Product that would have gone to waste is instead upcycled into value-added products, adding an income stream for the farmer and providing Australian ingredients to the food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries here and overseas.

We end the discussion talking about growth plans and the number of farms already adopting the model.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Editor: Chris Visscher

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to Chantale Millard, the CEO and managing director of Maggie Beer Holdings, about its growth from the company selling products from Australia's culinary icon Maggie Beer to where it stands today, a scalable premium ecommerce and omni channel business, set to meet its group revenue guidance of $100 million for FY22

Chantale recounts her history with the company, from originally working with Maggie and Colin Beer on Maggie Beer Products to being part of the leadership team, as the company became part of a company listed on the ASX, which was then rebranded as Maggie Beer Holdings.

We discuss its growth and acquisitions of Paris Creek Farm in South Australia and Saint David Dairy in Victoria, how the culture and ideals of the companies fitted together well and have moved into a growth phase.

Chantale talks us through the growth of the company’s ecommerce business when Covid arrived and the remarkable response from the public to Maggie’s cooking videos. To date, the videos have had about 6.5 million views.

As the ecommerce business started growing, the company realised the potential in the online marketplace. We discuss the acquisition of Hampers Gifts and Australia and how it has diversified the company’s revenue stream and provided a major growth channel.

We talk about the challenges of the supply chain disruptions that have characterised 2021/22 and how Maggie Beer Holdings is managing the situation.

Chantale tells us about the upcoming release of Paris Creek Farm branded milk into supermarkets in New South Wales and Victoria and its point of difference being that its milk is now from carbon neutral farmers.

We talk about what Chantale loves about her job and she provides the correct answer to the question of what her favourite Maggie Beer product is.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Editor: Kent Richardson

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

The industry leader when it comes to aseptic carton packaging systems and solutions SIG has paired with Australia’s premium stock and bouillon brand Massel to launch its latest range in Australia. In this episode, Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to Baris Altay, SIG’s ANZ marketing and business development manager, and Mark Caine, the marketing director for Massel, about the new carton and what makes it unique.

When most of us pour that stock into our risotto or soup we pay very little attention to the carton it comes in. This episode is about to change that.

From helping us understand what aseptic cartons are, through to the challenges of using recycled materials and being recyclable while maintaining food safety, Baris and Mark share the historical information about both companies, how they align and the work that has gone into producing the new packaging product.

Baris explains that as a packaging company, SIG has always been driven by developing sustainable and affordable packaging solutions. With a history more than 100 years old, he explains the latest packaging – the SIGnature Full Barrier – sets a new benchmark for the company and the industry.

We discuss just what makes an aseptic carton sustainable, with the three key raw materials used in the Full Barrier range coming from certified responsible sources.

Mark explains the importance of packaging for Massel and the role it plays in its goal to have no more packaging products going to landfill.

Baris talks about the range of products the new packaging will be used with and notes the increase in consumers who want plant-based products to help reduce their impact on the environment.

The conversation concludes with Baris providing some insight into what’s on the horizon when it comes to even more sustainable packaging solutions.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

Brianna Casey is the CEO of Foodbank Australia, Australia’s largest food relief organisation that provides essential food & groceries to front line charities around the country. In this episode, Brianna talks to Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry about food insecurity and its prevalence within all walks of life in Australia.

Even before the Black Summer bushfires and COVID, Foodbank was helping 815,000 Australians every month to obtain essential, safe, healthy and culturally appropriate foods and groceries. Currently, that figure has expanded to well over one million people per month. Brianna notes that it’s not just the homeless or those living in poverty who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. She points out that many Australians are only a missed payday away from food becoming a discretionary item in the home.

We talk about the logistics involved in obtaining and distributing food to those in need, the unpredictability of supply through food rescue and the ground-breaking work Foodbank has performed to arrange collaborative manufacturing as well as funding the purchase of food and grocery products thanks to donation of funds to the charity.

Brianna recalls the impacts to Foodbank’s ability to operate due to Covid and recent flooding which disabled supply lines to the west and north of the country.

She also talks about the importance of working with government and having a seat at the table to drive social policies to support the most vulnerable in Australia and reduce food inequality.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Editor: Chris Visscher

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

Ray Hanly left his Irish homeland to join Beak & Johnston, one of Australia’s largest chilled ready meal manufacturers. His goal was to not only grow the company, but to change the minds of Australian consumers about prepared meals. In this episode, Ray talks to Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry about what that involves.

Ray talks about the challenge of breaking down consumer mistrust in the sector and the critical need to listen to consumers if you want to succeed. He talks about how meals must be healthy, convenient, and trustworthy for consumers to develop loyalty and how paramount it is to maintain high quality and consistency.

He explains the roles automation and technology play in ensuring the consistent production of high-quality meals but how the crew of 800 people who work at Beak & Johnston are the foundation and reason for its success.

We talk about the company’s latest expansion, with works underway on a $90 million kitchen facility next door to its existing factory in Sydney’s West that will ultimately increase the company’s output by up to 40 per cent over coming years.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Editor: Chris Visscher

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

Duxton Vineyards produces around six per cent of Australia’s annual wine grape supply, but the business is committed to a lot more than high quality grapes.

In this episode, Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to Duxton’s managing director Wayne Ellis and environmental manager Dylan Klingbiel about what sets the company apart.

Wayne provides an overview of the company, with more than 2400 hectares of wine grapes in the Mildura and Sunraysia districts of the Murray-Darling Basin. It is a harsh environment that Duxton is committed to caring for, with Wayne emphasising the need to look after mother earth.

Dylan leads us through a sample of the environmental programs, progress, and challenges the company has instigated and grappled with. He shares a remarkable story he had with local Indigenous Australians discovering an Aboriginal firepit almost by accident.

It is a discussion that highlights the passion felt for the work they do and the environment they rely on.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Editor: Chris Visscher

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

Global food futurist Tony Hunter is back, talking to Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry about the latest developments in food tech, from cultured meat to mycoprotein and beyond.

In our second episode with Tony, he is straight out of the gate reminding us that the future of food is technology and not just those traditionally associated with food and beverage. We talk about how technology from medical fields and AI are now active in the sector, with change occurring faster than ever.

We take a little look back to the post-WWII US, when crops were developed using gamma rays in a bid to show Americans nuclear energy could be used peacefully and how many of these grains and crops can today be labelled organic.

Tony calls for a fundamental rethink about what we find acceptable when it comes to technology in food production. He also says there is a need for businesses to shift from a B2B mindset when adopting new ingredients and methods to educate and inform the consumer at the same time.

We discuss the two big issues for the plant-based meat industry – taste and price parity – and how they are now only a couple of years off.

Tony updates us on the amazing output increases being seen in the mycoprotein food industry and we finish up on innovations that are gaining momentum including plant molecular farming.

As Tony says, “Change will never be slower than it is today.”

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

For Tim Noakesmith, it has been quite the non-linear career trajectory to his current role as co-founder of cultured meat company, Vow. But when you know he’s life goal was to have a major impact on the world, it makes sense he is now at the helm of one of the international leaders in this ground-breaking field.

We start with Vow’s origin story and the basics of how cultured meat is made. Tim explains the quest to cross the ‘uncanny valley’, that space when something doesn’t feel – or taste – how you think it should and your immediate response is disgust or rejection.

From there, he talks about the potential for cultured meat beyond simply replicating the animal the cells have come from. As he says, “cells are an exciting ingredient and they’re going to make exciting foods”.

Vow raised $7m in seed funding last year and is on the cusp of making some major announcements. Tim says the company’s culture is one that doesn’t like to rest on its laurels, with a diverse team of “really smart problem” solvers making sure Vow is at the front of this burgeoning food technology.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2022

Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners vice president and general manager of Australian, Pacific and Indonesia Peter West about the transition from Coca-Cola Amatil to CCEP, how the company navigated the pandemic, and his leadership experience and goals.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2021

Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to Grant Davidson, managing director of Davidson Branding, about the changes in consumer behaviour and the increase in startups in the FMCG sector.

The episode opens with Grant commenting on the roller coaster of fundamental shifts in shopper behaviour over the last 18 to 24 months, with COVID speeding up some changes but also the Millennials becoming the most influential consumers and Gen-Z coming of age. He notes that these two groups love discovering new brands and are more likely to shop locally, be health conscious and support ethical, sustainable products, so brand owners need to start adapting to these changes.

The discussion then moves to the levelling effect of digital technology, allowing startups to grow faster than the big brands have and to choose whether to stay online or progress through to independents and supermarkets as their production capabilities grow. This leads to a discussion on the packaging freedoms that are offered from online sales as opposed to being on a supermarket shelf and the ability to provide more information about a product's sustainability and provenance.

We wrap the episode with the explosion in plant based meats and the rise of cultured meat products, both of which are being fuelled by Millennials and Gen-Z who are more willing to adopt them than previous generations. Grant then notes the increasing pace of change in FMCG, his recommendations for brand survival during this time of change and his views on the near future.

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The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to [email protected]

Host: Kim Berry

MC: Grant McHerron

Editor: Jayden Wennholz

Producer: Steve Visscher

Food & Drink Business - © 2021