The Feed Weekly

A brand new podcast from The Feed, The Sauce features Vicki Ravlich-Horan from Nourish Magazine and Tash McGill, the Spirits Writer from More Good Drinks chatting all things saucy - sometimes sweet and sometimes spicy. Subscribe at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tash-mcgill0/episodes/The-Sauce-on-Cookbooks-e2c8bgg.

Invivo Wines have taken a unique approach to the world of winemaking and spirits, collaborating with Graham Norton to produce approachable wines, gin and now - vodka. Tim from Invivo Wines and Dave Ryan from Black Pineapple join Tash McGill to talk about collaboration, all things Irish and to introduce the incredible Tay-to-tini, available in a limited edition kit this summer. You can also watch this podcast in video format https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5XEn-2PW3c

This week Vincent speaks with Nick Carey, from Green Meadows. The Carey family have been farming in Taranaki for 120 years. But in 2012 they stepped into the unknown, launching a butchery and an online store to take their grass-fed Angus beef directly to the public. Ten years on, that online store is thriving but Green Meadows is also now in major supermarkets, exported to Singapore and the Pacific Islands and experimenting with new flavours and product, in partnership with chef Michael van de Elzen.

Lyre's Spirits Co. have been thoughtfully changing the way people think about non-alcoholic cocktails and mindful drinking on both sides of the bar. We spoke with Lyre's Flavour Architect, David Murphy about how he creates flavour, mouthfeel and an approach to cocktails that feels fresh and comforting. 

Wellington on a Plate launches in the last weekend of this month and runs through August. Kicking off in the first weekend is pop up experience, The Sea Breeze Inn, celebrating Aotearoa New Zealand's fresh, seasonal and sustainable kaimoana. The Inn will run over three-nights, 29- 31 July. With a nod to nostalgic childhood family restaurants, expect classics to be reinterpreted, including fish and chips, fritters, chowder and a raw bar. Vincent was joined by Sea Breeze brains, chef Morgan McGlone, and collaborator Martin Bosley from Yellow Brick Road.

Visa Wellington on a Plate is back – here’s how, why and when! After two years of Covid disruption Visa Wellington on a Plate is back! New Zealand’s most innovative food festivals is a month-long celebration of food, beer, burgers and capital culture. This year the theme is State of Flux and Vincent was joined by director Sarah Miekle and head of programming and events Beth Brash.

You already know about plant protein as a meat alternative - you know, peas, soy, beans and so on. And you probably have already tasted an Impossible Burger, which is largely plant-based but uses fermentation to produce the blood-like heme flavour. But a third category of alt-protein is so new that no one yet has commercialised it. Lab-based or cultured meat, is animal protein grown in a lab on a substrate using original animal cells. It’s quite the schizz in tech circles and NZ is in the race too. Of all three, it’s the most exciting and elusive alternative to agriculture. To talk all things cultured meat, Vincent was joined by Dr Georgina Dowd, of Plant&Food Research who is exploring ways to grow fish protein.

Sugary drinks are just the tip of a crappy iceberg: Professor Grant Schofield, AUT The government is set to ban sugary drinks from schools. You’d think that might make a professor of public health happy. But Grant Schofield of AUT is unimpressed. “I don't think it will do anything measurable and the trouble with these interventions is you look like you’re doing something but you’re not acting on the real problem.” That is, the remaining 70-80% of school lunch boxes which are full of unhealthy, processed food. Schofield’s research into New Zealand’s lunchboxes and shopping trolleys reveals the shocking state of our diets. Vincent asked him what can be done to reverse the picture.

The New Zealand hops industry goes from strength to strength, with $50m in export sales, 200 craft breweries and more hectares being planted every year. Hops are hot. Some people are even predicting that hops could go the way of grapes as the craft beer industry explodes like wine did in the 1980s. But how sustainable is this growth, what cultivars show the most promise and why are hops only found in Motueka? Vincent was joined by the leading scientists behind NZ’s hop breeding programme, Ron Beatson who has recently retired and his successor, Kerry Templeton, senior scientists with Plant & Food.

Cheap and cheerless – is this hospo’s chance at rebuilding better? David Williamson, AUT The hospitality business has been decimated by Covid-19 - probably more than any other. So you’d forgive the sector for cutting its cloth to suit. But when does cutting cloth become cutting corners? AUT’s David Williamson a senior lecturer at AUT University conducted one of the first serious surveys of hospitality workers - and the results are disturbing. 18% of workers we paid below the minimum wage; 22% receive no holiday pay; 16% of workers did not sign an employment agreement; a staggering 81% received no training. Why is the sector such a poor employer and does it matter? And how can it rebuild into a more sustainable industry?

Anna King Shahab and Antony Suvalko are at the heart of a dedicated community of foodlovers online called Lazy Susan Auckland and they are just about to release the second volume of Auckland Eats, a publication birthed from their love of the Auckland food scene. Auckland Eats Vol.2 The Prequel is an exciting journey through Auckland's food and dining history from the 70s til now, capturing the places, faces, dishes and stories that created the diverse and vibrant food scene we now know.  We spoke with Anna King Shahab about creating Lazy Susan Auckland, which has grown to over 26,000 members and the inspiration behind Auckland Eats.  You can order your copy of Auckland Eats Vol.2 The Prequel at lazysusan.nz

In this week's Long Lunch Tash speaks with Lulu Taylor of Secret Kiwi Kitchen about how she and Clare Gallagher tackled starting a new food business during Covid. We get to know her favourite family food memories of selling brownies and Vietnamese food in the farmers' markets of Martha's Vineyard and how Kiwis are being won over to their baking mixes using premium New Zealand ingredients. We talk about export and manufacturing challenges.  Join us at The Feed for more!

We first interviewed Cherie Metcalfe from Pepper & Me, KitCo and Cain & Abel earlier last year. It was such a popular episode, we're releasing the whole conversation for you this week. Cherie first trained as a chef in the Bay of Plenty before looking at options to support her growing family. From there, Pepper & Me was born and has become a real success story of New Zealand entrepreneurship. We talked about each of the brands and how accessibility is changing the New Zealand food story.