We all have a “memory bite” – a dish that unlocks a treasure trove of memories and reminds us that food is a gateway to the stories and emotions that shape who we are. In the brand-new series Memory Bites with Matt Moran, the iconic chef and restaurateur transports beloved famous faces back to pivotal moments in their life through the power of heart-warming recipes and conversation. The six-part series screening on SBS Food and SBS On Demand and shows the way to the heart is through the stomach with flavours rich in sincerity, warmth, and humour.
With an incredible line up of guests joining Matt in the kitchen (including acclaimed actress and TV personality Pia Miranda, internationally renowned comedian Ross Noble, singer and songwriter Christine Anu, celebrated actor Richard Roxburgh, global entertainer Courtney Act, and iconic actress Danielle Cormack), they all get the one-on-one treatment as they talk through their most defining food memories, with the chef using a ‘memory box’ to reveal surprising relics that speak to their special memories. Then, these memories are brought to life on a plate as he recreates treasured meals from scratch that are inspired by their past, further uncovering personal stories of identity, family and history; Each dish sparks forgotten memories and candid revelations, celebrating culture, legacy, and the timeless power of food to connect us all.
Following the show’s premiere on March 10th, our Peter Gray spoke with the celebrated chef about where the concept of the show was born from, if his perspective on food has shifted since, and the surprising figure he’d most like to have a “Memory Bite” with.
With Memory Bites, we’ve had two episodes air with Pia Miranda and Ross Noble so far. How have you found the reaction?
Yeah, I personally haven’t watched the show (laughs). Some people find it strange to think that I can’t watch (my stuff). I always say that “I know what happens in the end.” I probably will get around to it at some stage, but I know people are watching it. There’s been some really good feedback and people are really interested. And I loved making the show. It was a concept that I started during COVID. Kitchen Tours is the YouTube series. I thought TV was finished for me at one stage after (The Great) Bake Off, and Maggie (Beer) retired.
But I like storied and talking to people, and meeting new people, and, most of all, I love cooking. So I get to do all that in (Memory Bites), and it’s been a lot of fun. A lot of really interesting people and different cultures and styles of food (in the show). I really enjoyed making it. And there’s some great episodes coming up with Richard Roxburgh and Courtney Act. As a heterosexual male, Courtney was beautiful (laughs). And Christine Anu was really interesting, because she’s so attached to her mob and her culture. I loved hearing the stories about how if they were hungry, they would just jump in the ocean and grab something to eat. But then there’s that twist of being in Torres Strait Islands and the remnants left over from the war, and they’d eat a lot of bully beef, which is tin beef, and I found that fascinating.
When it comes to selecting the guests, what’s that collaborative process like regarding the dishes?
It’s all research done with the team. The great thing about this is we had the ability to contact family members and friends. Memory Bites, the title straightaway lets them in on the memory of where they were and what they were doing. And that’s the great thing about food memories, you start thinking about where you were, how old you were, what you were doing. All these memories come flooding back, but we do the research through family members and then we supply (the goods). They don’t know what I’m cooking when they come on, and the great thing is, like with Richard Roxburgh, I pulled out this baking tin that his mother owned and she used to put lemon delicious in it, and I made lemon delicious (with him). Obviously, I didn’t have their recipes, and it might not be the way they made it, but they’re happy with the way it tastes.
Regarding that connection between food and memory, is there a personal experience for you that really solidified that concept?
I think back to everything that I ate as a child. I was kind of into food, but it wasn’t until I really started cooking that (that changed). I have memories of being a family that would eat a piece of protein and three vegetables. Very little seafood. But we’d always go to my grandmother’s and she would always do a roast lamb on a Sunday, overcooked cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It was a memory I had.
And being from a farming background, lamb was always on the table. I remember my father having a crock pot and just throwing things in there and stewing it all up. I can’t remember barbecues that much, but I remember my parents cooking steak a lot. Those memories come flooding through, which is great for me. My nan made the best steaks that I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve always tried to re-do them the same way, and I never get it the same way.
Over the course of the show, did you rediscover any ingredients or culinary techniques that you hadn’t thought of in a while? Or even garnered a new appreciation for?
Not really cooking techniques. There’s probably different flavours that I hadn’t done before, but, you know, I’ve been cooking for 40 years (laughs). I’ve covered a lot. I’ve covered a lot of different cooking styles. But there were some interesting dishes. The lemon delicious I hadn’t done since I was a teenager. Just a classic lemon pudding with that fluffy sponge on top and the curd underneath…that was something I really enjoyed doing.
Was there a shift in perspective on food for you through all of this?
Not really, it was more just being brought back to those memories from my childhood. Hearing (the guests’) stories and seeing how passionate they are about their culture (too). Richard Roxburgh is a very dear friend of mine, and has been for a very long time, and I felt kind of guilty because he’s telling me all these childhood memories that I didn’t know about. I felt like a bad friend that I didn’t ask enough questions about it.
If you could have a memory bite with anyone, regardless of how unattainable they are, would there be anyone you’d want to cook with?
You know, in the state of the world at the moment, I’d be fascinated to get Donald Trump in the room. I’d be really interested in what he was treated like as a child and why he is what he is. Probably one of those guys who had white bread and devon, or something like that (laughs). I’d love to find out why he’s the person he is. I won’t go any further than that.
I mean, after that photo with the McDonald’s meals…it would be interesting to crack his head open.
I think a lot of people want to do that (laughs).
Yeah, as soon as I said it I knew it could go either way.
I think your views are similar to mine. It would just be fascinating and interesting to see what he was brought up on.
As a show that brings that personal connection to both food and memory, how was it in creating a safe space for the guests? Food can bring up unexpected emotions…
You obviously get to know them a little bit, but it was incredibly natural to connect. I connected with everyone. I thought they were all adorable, interesting people. I fell in love with Christine Anu, because of her passion for her culture and that incredible amount of talent. And Courtney Act is just a scream and very, very, very smart. I really enjoyed those conversations. We both got a lot out of it. And Rox (Roxburgh) got a little emotional. I think I got more upset than him (laughs). And it was all just coming from conversation and being real. All the people we had on were really grateful and accommodating.
It’s not always easy to manage that balance of educating and entertaining, and the show does that. It’s so great to have something as universal as food bring about this togetherness and open up to bigger conversations.
I’m a chef, always have been. I love food. I love produce. I love the people that give me produce. I love the famers. And my thing is I can always go back and cook on the stove if I have to. I love to cook for people. I’m a giver. I’m a feeder. So it’s the perfect show for me. It’s got all the things that I love doing. I had a great team and crew, a lot of them I’ve worked with over the years on different shows. And maybe I’m getting softer in my older age and more emotional (laughs), but I think the best is yet to come with the show. I think Rox’s and Christine’s (episodes) , and Danielle (Cormack), she was fascinating. Incredibly talented and smart. I’ll give you a top, she’s got great views on politics. Whether it’s good or bad, I don’t know.
Memory Bites with Matt Moran airs every Monday night at 7:30pm on SBS Food and SBS On Demand.
