Here’s a podcast that I recorded on the night of the Electrolux Appetite For Excellence Awards last year.

For this episode, I got to talk to chef, competition judge and total legend David Thompson about everything from his collection of century-old Thai cookbooks and the painful hunt for tropical produce – to his recent triumph when Nahm, his Bangkok establishment, was named Best Restaurant in Asia (his response to receiving this World’s Best 50 Restaurants honour is hilarious and surprising).

I also got to chat to Katrina Birchmeier, who helped launch Garagistes in Hobart (which led to her winning the Young Restaurateur category in 2012’s Appetite for Excellence program), and she returned as a judge in the Young Waiter category in 2014.

And finally, I talked to Emma Barnes, a finalist in the Young Chef category, about the time she burnt her face in the kitchen (but didn’t even notice!), her experience of the competition and why microwave soup is not as terrible as you think.

For more info about the Electrolux Appetite For Excellence awards – including last year’s winners and entry details for the 2015 competition, visit appetiteforexcellence.com. (If you know any young chefs, restaurateurs or waiters who should qualify, let them know – they just need to sneak their application in before the April 12 deadline).

You can listen to this episode on iTunes or download it via RSS or directly. And epic gratitude to everyone who has kindly spread the word about this podcast or left a rating or comment in the iTunes store – it makes the sleep deprivation and late-night editing marathons worth it!

Thanks also to Appetite For Excellence for making these interviews possible, too.