The driving force behind glossy coffee-table cookbooks is branching out to podcasts to further Illawarra’s foodie movement and exploring the ins and outs of hospitality in the region.
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As a follow to releasing The Illawarra Cookbook, Quicksand Food publisher Stefan Posthuma-Grbic has teamed with chefs Andy Burns from Babyface and Simon Evans from Caveau restaurants to bring industry news and culinary discussions to the public.
“We don’t make any money from it, we just want to do it … trying to keep up to date with any issues pertaining to the local industry,” Mr Posthuma-Grbic said.
“The Illawarra scene is both diverse, and connected. The landscape changes so much from Stanwell park to Kiama – and every pocket has its own feel and unique foodie scene. The Illawarra is also such a multicultural place which translates directly into our food culture.”
The podcast will bring together chefs, business owners, farmers, producers, food social workers, brewers, winemakers, and food personalities. While topics Mr Posthuma-Grbic is eager to explore are ethical sourcing of produce, mental health issues for hospitality workers, apprenticeships and how online reviews affect businesses.
This week’s episode discussed the decision of Emma Huber and Yon Miller to close their Wollongong cafe Sandy Goodwich after six years, partly because of the over saturation of eateries providing organic and “farm to table” produce.
“We’re inundated with food shows and cookbooks these days. Top chefs are on a perpetual quest for new and exciting ingredients. This all slowly trickles down and eventually educates the general public and helps build the palate,” Mr Posthuma-Grbic said.
“Look at some big trends in food at the moment – fermenting, pickling, nose to tail cooking. A lot of this stuff wouldn’t have been considered by much of the mainstream a while back. Now it’s on the menus at cafes and restaurants everywhere.”