The Pass | Australia’s newest food podcast

Heston is one of the few chefs in the world who only needs to be introduced by his first name. There wouldn't be a food-lover on the planet who isn't familiar with his extraordinarily famous restaurants The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston in London and Melbourne, or his Willy Wonka, science experiment-like creations on TV shows like Masterchef. The Pass got the chance to spend some time with the real Heston- literally 'Heston at home' in his penthouse in Crown Towers in Melbourne. He invited us to hang out with him and, over a game of ping pong, we discovered his favourite food memory, how he feels about all the awards he has won, and found out how Heston eats at home.

We're serving up national food critic Anthony Huckstep's full, unedited Under The Grill interview - because his insights into restaurants & that elusive art of reviewing were too good to leave on the cutting room floor. It's not often you get to ask a reviewer what they really think- and get an honest answer- which is what makes Huck's insider tips so refreshing.

From hunting and foraging to baking and preserving, there's not much that Biota chef James Viles doesn't make from scratch. We get his trusty hacks for cooking with fire and how to make what might be the world's best bacon sandwich- using your own home made bread, butter and bacon. You're welcome.

James Viles is the hunting, foraging, fishing chef from one of Australia's most renowned regional restaurants, Biota in NSW's Southern Highlands. He takes us to the the cult ramen joint on every chefs list, and shares the challenges of staying “pure”to his craft, his eye-opening insight into hunting with a bow and arrow, what he really thinks about restaurants, and the toll that owning a restaurant can take and how he's dealt with it. This is James raw, unedited and like you've never heard him before. Plus we “grill” one of the country's leading food reviewers and writers, and co-author of Australia's definitive fish cook book Anthony Huckstep on his insider guide of where to eat when he's off the clock.This episode of The Pass is proudly partnered with Electrolux.

If you haven't been lucky enough to devour his life-changing sourdough, then you may have heard of Paulie as one-third of one the hottest artisan bakeries in the country, The Bread Social on The Farm in Byron Bay. We catch up with Paulie to get his baking hacks and how to perfect pizza dough.

Rising star Jo Barrett is a name you're going to be hearing a lot more. As co-head chef alongside her partner Matt Stone at Oakridge in the Yarra Valley, she's turning out some of the most talked about food in the country, particularly her talent for pastry and baking bread. She shares her inspiring sustainability ethos and the price of striving for perfection, the home of Australia's best croissant, and reveals the incredible inner city food hub you never knew existed. Then we put interior designer extraordinaire, the woman behind some of the most impactful restaurant fit outs in the country, Pascale Gomes-McNabb, under The Pass Grill.

Unless you're from Byron Bay, you may not have heard of Rob but his humble stall- The Nomadic Kitchen- at the Byron farmer's markets is an institution, and the go-to breakfast for every visiting chef and food-loving locals in the know, including Fleet's Josh and Astrid. We caught up with the River Cafe trained chef to find out what inspires his rustic Sicilian menu, why he makes everything from scratch, his hot tips for where to eat in Byron…and the secret recipe to the family passata.

Fleet is one of the most exciting restaurants to open in regional Australia- or infact anywhere- in years and is responsible for putting the sleepy coastal town of Brunswicks Heads on the map. Chef Josh Lewis and Sommelier/Front of house superstar Astrid McCormack have gained high praise from critics, diners, and industry heavy weights for essentially mastering every detail of their tiny 14-seater. They share what it's like to be partners in business and life and take us to the incredible Byron Bay producer that inspires them. We also put the Monday Morning Cooking Club's Lisa Goldberg under The Pass Grill to get her insider guide on where to go for Jewish food from the softest challah to tastiest felafel- this is one list you don't want want to miss.

If Andrew McConnell is he culinary king of Melbourne, then chef Brent Savage might just be his Sydney counterpart. With acclaimed restaurants including Bentley, Yellow and Monopole, Savage too has a knack for picking what diners want to eat before they do and creating eateries that stand the test of time. The famously humble chef opens up about working with McConnell, where he eats and how he's converting meat-lovers to vegetables.

If Melbourne is one the most exciting dining destinations in the world, chef and restauranteur Andrew McConnell is the king of the capital. With an empire including institutions like Supernormal, Cutler & Co and of course Cumulus Inc, it seems every restaurant he touches turns to gold, so just how does he do it? We catch up with Andrew and talk shop, shoes, music and find out where he eats more than anywhere else in Melbourne. Plus we put one of the country's top tastemakers, Broadsheet founder Nick Shelton, under The Pass Grill and get his Little Black Book of go-to food haunts.

We chat to Victor Liong's mentor, legendary chef Mark Best about how he inspired such an extraordinary alumni of young chefs at his former fine diner “Marque”, what he loves and hates about the industry, and his “eternal dissatisfaction.” Naturally the chef, known for his wit and often brutal honesty, doesn't hold back. And apologies Mark for even having you in the same sentence as side order…you're no one's brussels sprouts or hot chips!

Victor Liong is one of the Australia's most exciting young culinary stars and the hilarious, multi-faceted and passionate chef and owner of Melbourne institution Lee Ho Fook. This talented and dynamic (foul mouthed!) king of one-liners will engage you just as much discussing his rigorous time in the kitchen with legend Mark Best, as he will chewing the fat on design, Instagram, coffee, Kanye and his unmissbale list of go-to cheap eats. Plus we put on of the country's youngest and brightest stars, Charlie Carrington under The Pass Grill to find out all about his new ventures and where he eats when he's off duty.

We chat to one of the brightest stars to come out of Neil Perry's kitchens, former Rockpool & Eleven Bridge Executive Chef Phil Wood. He opens up about what he learned from his mentor, leaving one of Sydney's most prestigious kitchens to define his own cuisine in regional Victoria and, of course, his little black book of where to eat.

One of Australia's most iconic chefs and restaurateurs NEIL PERRY goes off-duty from his 60-restaurant empire to take us to his favourite hidden local in Sydney's Korea Town. Largely responsible for defining the Asian cuisine that Australia is now so famous for- from his groundbreaking days at Bluewater Grill to Rockpool- this is one covetable little black book of where to eat that you don't want to miss. He also opens up about everything including the secrets of his success, his signature ponytail and the truth behind designing menus to be eaten at 30,000 feet! Plus we put one of Sydney's most respected wine guys, Chris Morrison, under The Pass Grill. Having demystified wine at the likes of Quay, Est and Guillaume at Bennelong for over 20 years, this somm's tips will instantly make you order better and look better at dinner parties.

It's no secret that Tulum is a boho paradise, but what surprised us is the quality and diversity of amazing food in this Mexican beachside town. The Pass co-founder Jeanine Bribosia takes fellow co-founders Sam Kennedy and Magdalena Roze on a food tour of some of the best places to eat. In this guide, you'll discover the best and most authentic street food and tacos, where to get the most delicious beach side ceviche, and the healthy, hippie, whole food side of Tulum. Plus we share our tips on where to dine on balmy nights from world renowned Hartwood to the hottest bar for a perfect margarita.

What motivates the most influential chef in the world to build a restaurant in Tulum? We catch up with the creator of Noma and Noma Mexico, chef Rene Redzepi, on location at his pop up restaurant in the Mexican jungle. In this rare and candid one-one-one interview, he reveals why he continues to push boundaries, how he harnesses creativity and his passion for community. He also shares his love for Mexican culture and its ingredients, and what may be in store for team Noma next... 

How does one of the best restaurants in the world relocate 145 staff and their families from Copenhagen, and build a 7 week pop restaurant in the Mexican jungle? Recorded on location in Tulum, we find out what it's taken personally and professionally to bring this incredible dining room to life from three key members of the Noma team. Aussie restaurant manager and part owner James Spreadbury reveals the challenges of setting up a world class restaurant in scorpion and snake habitat with no electricity. Mexican chef and 'produce fixer' extraordinaire Santiago Lastra Rodriguez shares the incredible lengths he's gone to in order to source around 600 rare and unique ingredients from remote and indigenous communities- from finding the “best clam in the world” to ensuring everything makes it to the restaurant each day. Finally, team leader Katherine Bont shows us that Noma is much more than a job to this community- it's their life.

SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES HERESUBSCRIBE ON ANDROID HERELISTEN ON STITCHER HEREThe Pass executive producers Jeanine Bribosia, Sam Kennedy and Magdalena Roze (Mags) take you on their food tour of one of Australia's most iconic food destinations and healthy living mecca, Byron Bay, which also happens to be Mags' home town. Jeanine and Sam quiz Mags on all her insider tips on where to eat like a true Byron local from the best coffee and cocktails to the top farmer's market- including hot spots off the beaten track in the Byron hinterland and surrounds. If you're heading to Byron Bay, this is the insider's guide!

Chef Colin Fassnidge has a reputation for shaking things up- at both his restaurant 4Fourteen and as the fiery judge on My Kitchen Rules. But in this episode, we see a much softer side to the so-called Irish bad boy, celebrated for his modern take on nose to tail cooking. Raw, unfiltered and off-duty, Colin takes us to the local cafe that taught him one of his biggest life's lessons and reveals everything from his tough school years and the true cost of cheffing, to what he really thinks of reviews and the paparazzi, and how his daughters changed the way he cooks. For our season finale, we put benchmark bad boy chef Matty Matheson under the grill. He's the burly, cursing tattooed chef from Toronto's hipster mecca Parts and Labour, and has a cult following from his popular instagram and TV shows such as Dead Set On Life. As you might expect, he doesn't hold back!

A very special episode where we get a behind the scenes pass to quiz the all-star chef line up at the Cook for Syria fundraiser in Sydney on their favourite Syrian ingredient, which chef's food they could eat for the rest of their life, and who is really the boss of the kitchen when ten of Australia's best head chefs are behind the burners at once. Established in the UK in 2016 by Instagram sensation @clerkenwellboyec1 and Serena Guen of Suitcase magazine, Cook for Syria has become a global movement and now a best selling cook book. After getting the biggest names in British cooking on board in London, including Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Fergus Henderson, Cook for Syria made it's way to Australia with an equally stellar line up including Peter Gilmore (Quay and Bennelong), David Thompson, Kylie Kwong, Ross Lusted (The Bridge Room), Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiobo), the Three Blue Ducks and young guns Clayton Wells (Automata), Luke Powell (LP's Quality Meats), Mitch Orr (Acme) and Mat Lindsay (Ester), as well as Syrian chefs the Saloums from Almond Bar. We go behind the scenes with these amazing chefs and grill them as they plate up ten extraordinary dishes together.

Kylie Kwong is the undisputed queen of modern Australian Chinese cooking and has changed our perception of native ingredients. She is a household name with her much-loved restaurant Billy Kwong in Sydney's Potts Point, and a regular on our TV screens- from Masterchef to her own shows exploring China and Australian producers. But on our journey to her favourite weekend hang, we discovered another side to this inspiring chef: her focused and spiritual approach towards life and cooking, how she copes with the daily stresses of being a chef, why she is a one-restaurant woman and what her light bulb moment was a few years ago. Then we put Hollywood's “it chef” Louis Tikaram under the grill. The Mullumbimby boy earned his stripes at top Aussie restaurants Tetsuya's and Longrain before being hand-picked to open EP and LP in Los Angeles, and turning it into one of the city's hottest restaurants and rooftops. He spills the Hollywood food goss from where to get the best taco to being enlightened by vegan coffee.

For something a little different, our host Mags interviews her fiance, Three Blue Ducks co-owner and celebrity chef Darren Robertson- and surprisingly learns a few things about him that she never knew! The shaggy haired surfer known for his honest, wholesome cooking, reveals what it was really like being head chef at the iconic Tetsuya's at it's peak and why he now rebels against his fine dining training. He also shares everything from the behind the scenes gossip during his stint as guest judge on My Kitchen Rules and his secret life in martial arts to the dish he can't cook, candid dating advice and why all chefs want to be rockstars. Then we put the world's most celebrated Thai chef, Aussie David Thompson under the grill. His contribution to Thai cuisine is the stuff of legend, with his restaurant Nahm in Bangkok ranked in the World's 50 Best and the first Thai restaurant to receive a Michelin star. In his signature naughty, witty, and unfiltered style, he reveals his top food destinations and why he despises trends.

This week, we catch up with inspiring restaurateur and passionate organic farmer Palisa Anderson and begin to understand why her family's chain of Thai restaurants are a not only a chef's favourite, but considered some of the best in the world. Chat Thai, Assamm & Boon Café is no ordinary Thai. Their contribution to serving up authentic Thai food with local ingredients, many of which they grow themselves, even garnered the attention of Noma who chose Chat Thai to cook their last staff meal following their 12 week pop up in Sydney. Palisa lets us raid her fridge and then takes us on a tour of her farm before introducing us to her favourite food destination in Byron Bay - it's a local gem and really special. We also put globally respected food authority and TV star, Matt Preston, Under the The Pass Grill to find out where the Masterchef host and World's 50 Best Restaurants judge eats when he's paying and what he really thinks about social media.

Side orders, like any good dish, accompany the main course, so put an order in and download this weeks side orders to get the full unedited Little Black Book Interview with renowned Conde Naste Traveler and NY Times food and travel writer, David Prior. 15 minutes of all the hottest travel and food tips from Australia to around the world.

Sarah Wilson- cook, journalist, former Masterchef host and best selling author of I Quit Sugar- has created a wellness empire worth and followed by millions. In one of her most unfiltered interviews yet, the self-confessed minimalist and sustainability crusader reveals her quirky dining habits and favourite restaurants, and why she lives in an airbnb and doesn't quit wine! But life isn't always sweet. Sarah opens up about the raw beginnings behind her food revolution and the battles she deals with daily. We also get access to one of the world's most coveted little black books on where to eat and venture, when we put renowned Conde Naste Traveler and NY Times food and travel writer, David Prior, under The Pass grill.

Ask most Aussie chefs who they think is the hottest chef right now and most of them will say it's Josh Niland. With plans to make Saint Peter in Sydney the best seafood restaurant in Australia, this young dad of two is inspiring even the culinary heavyweights with his innovative use of fish offal through smoking, drying, ageing and fermenting. In this unmissable episode, he opens up about everything from his little black book of the best places to eat to how to buy and cook fish, to the personal reason why he's achieved so much, so young. We also put drinks afficionado Mike Bennie under The Pass grill and he spills the beans on the best bar in world, what to pair with Twisties and the perfect hangover cure.

Side orders, like any good dish, accompany the main course, so put an order in and download this weeks side orders to find out about Josh's Niland's curious process of smoking and dry ageing fish, the life changing moment with Peter Doyle that got Josh to where he is today, his encounter with Michael Jordan in LA and his experience of working for, and learning from, one his greatest Mentors, Luke Mangan.

Side orders, like any good dish, accompany's the main course, so put an order in and download to find out about Matt's first ever job at his local RSL, his first fine dining job interview and what he had to do to secure it. Also in Matt's Side Orders, Matt takes us on a tour of his local hood and gives us the lowdown on the chef institution that is Golden Century.

Fried chicken is so hot right now. We chat to the man behind arguably Australia's best fried chook, Belle's Hot Chicken. Chef Morgan McGlone is that guy who knows everyone and always has an amazing story to tell. He takes us to one of his favourite places to eat, and reveals how he went from fine dining to being a model manager in New York (working with Gisele, Naomi and Miranda). We then head to Singapore and one of the world's hottest chefs, David Pynt from Burnt Ends. Having done time at restaurants like Noma and Etxebarri, Pynt is renowned for his skill in cooking with fire, and reveals his favourite street stall and the food he can't stomach.

So how did the boy from Blacktown go from working the grill at the local RSL to running a restaurant empire and being a household name? And where does he eat? We meet Australian celebrity chef Matt Moran in his home suburb Bronte and visit his favourite local. We learn about his favourite places to eat, the reinvention of his “baby” Aria restuarant, his run in with Tony Soprano, and what he really thinks about reviews. The Pass then takes the Banksy of the food world, London's insta-blogging sensation @Clerkenwellboyec1 under the grill, revealing everything from his weirdest food experience to why he's stayed anonymous.

Australia's newest food podcast, The Pass is an insider's guide to the best food, restaurants and eating experiences, locally and around the world, chosen by the experts themselves.