Episodes

Hospitality is a craft of its own, the art of making people happy with what you cook. Sometimes it starts with a single smell: fragrant curries, apricot chutney and desiccated coconut drifting from a family kitchen in South Belfast, a household table where adventure and generosity came standard. Chef Alastair McLeod carried that table with him from Belfast to Scotland, London and the Languedoc-Roussillon. There he cooked over open fire at La Frégate in Collioure. He then joined Paul Rankin's la...

Every dish carries a history, and every tradition we call authentic is the product of people, place and time meeting at the table. In this episode of Sensing Up, food is explored through the lens of history and culture, from the first colonial kitchens of Sydney and Hobart to the convent pantries of eighteenth-century Provence. Barbara Santich is Professor Emeritus at the University of Adelaide, where she established the graduate program in gastronomy, and one of Australia's most respected food...

Water is rarely spoken of in terms of vintage or terroir, unless a source is distinctive enough to demand the vocabulary usually reserved for wine. This episode of Sensing Up turns that vocabulary toward a spring on the Yorke Peninsula, where a family has spent nearly two decades learning to taste, describe and finally bottle what lies beneath their land. Damien Smith is the founder and custodian of Carribie Mineral Water, drawn from a single aquifer on his family's remote property on South Aus...

Tea has quietly become one of the clearest signals of where wellness culture is heading, and Dilmah has spent forty years proving that an ethical, family-run business creating a superior product is a recipe for success. Dilhan Fernando returns to Sensing Up as Chairman and CEO of Dilmah, the Ceylon tea house his father, Merrill J. Fernando, built from a single conviction that tea should carry the name of its origin rather than disappear into a blend. Dilhan still walks the gardens and picks the...

Grenache spent the better part of a century in South Australia as the grape left on the vine until the Shiraz was in. That neglect, strangely enough, is part of what makes some of the oldest vineyards in McLaren Vale so prized today. Valérie sits with Paddy Gilhooly, co-owner of Thistledown Wines, the McLaren Vale project founded in 2010 by Master of Wine Giles Cooke and built on a patchwork of old Grenache vineyards that growers once struggled to sell. Edinburgh-born and now an Australian citi...

Thomas Hardy arrived in South Australia in 1850, and what followed was the making of one of the country's most storied wine dynasties. One hundred and seventy-three years later, his sixth-generation descendant Bec Hardy is making wine in McLaren Vale with the same instinct for possibility. In this episode, Valérie is joined by Bec Hardy and her husband Richard for a conversation that moves freely between history and harvest, heritage and reinvention. Bec traces the arc from Thomas Hardy's impro...

Australian wines have never been better, never more diverse, and the perception of them outside Australia has never been worse. It is a paradox that troubles David Gleave, and one he believes can only be undone through storytelling. Valérie sits with one of the most respected figures in the wine world: a Master of Wine since 1986, co-founder of Liberty Wines, and now the man behind Willunga 100, a small-production Grenache label rooted in the sandy soils of Bluett Springs, McLaren Vale. What un...

Valérie Henbest sits down with Nick Ryan — senior wine writer for The Australian, contributor to The World of Fine Wine, Halliday Magazine and The Robb Report, and one of the most compelling voices in Australian wine today. Nick inherited the column previously held by James Halliday for four decades. It is, as Valérie notes, a big pair of shoes to fill — though Nick's feet are more than equal to them. Their conversation moves through the full arc of a life shaped by wine: from a childhood sip o...

In this sumptuous episode of Sensing Up, Valerie Henbest sits down with Guy de Saint Laurent — a Frenchman whose career has taken him from yeast factories and foie gras kitchens to the world's most exclusive caviar farms. Guy shares the remarkable journey of French farm caviar, the science and soul behind producing it, and why Australia's culinary scene is fast becoming one of the most exciting in the world. Bring your five senses — and perhaps a glass of champagne. We begin with foie gras — wh...

Valerie Henbest talks with chocolate royalty, Kirsten Tibballs, about her path from teenage apprentice to gold-medal-winning pastry champion and MasterChef Australia favourite. They unpack the pressure of live competitions, the making of The Chocolate Queen TV series and how terroir, fermentation and farming shape the future of chocolate. Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School In 2002, Tibballs founded Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School. Tibballs cited the local Australian market as "laggi...

A conversation that sits at the crossroads of diplomacy, agriculture and pure pleasure launches Season 4 of "Sensing Up". Valerie speaks with guest, Vincent Hebrail, the French Embassy's Counsellor for Agricultural Affairs in Canberra, about what it means to be French in Australia today—professionally and at the table. Vincent describes his work strengthening ties between the two countries across agriculture, food, forestry and fisheries, and reflects on how welcome he and his family have felt ...

In this Season 4 trailer of Sensing Up, host Valerie Henbest invites you to listen with your 5 senses on high alert. To live life more fully. In short, she is on a mission to awaken and enhance pleasure in your life by simply paying more attention to it, using each and every one of your senses as often as possible. She also believes that "the more you know, the better it tastes." This new season features conversations with chefs, winemakers, food innovators, and artisans who turn the craft of m...

Join Valerie Henbest as she chats with Mary Hamilton, the 6th-generation CEO of Hugh Hamilton Wines - one of Australia's oldest wine families. Mary shares the fascinating 185-year journey from her great, great, great grandfather, Richard Hamilton, who established the first vineyard in South Australia in 1837, to the modern, innovative brand it is today. Discover how Mary, with a fierce sense of legacy and an unshakeable drive to innovate, is leading Hugh Hamilton Wines into a bold new era where...

Join Valerie Henbest in this episode of Sensing Up as she chats with Sam Allison, Director of Global Sales & Marketing at Sartori Company. Valerie recounts her first encounter with Sartori cheeses at a Fancy Food Show in Washington DC back in 2011, where an initial hesitation turned into a decade-long love affair with their exceptional range. Sam elaborates on the unique and inspiring journey of the Sartori adventure - from its roots in 1939 with Italian immigrant Paolo Sartori in Wisconsin, to...

Valerie Henbest welcomes Dilhan Fernando, CEO of Sri Lanka's iconic Dilmah Tea, to reflect on 40 years of family-led innovation and integrity in the global tea industry. From his father's pioneering legacy to adapting for future generations, Dilhan shares the sensory journey of tea, the challenges of climate change and how ethical business can drive meaningful impact.

From actress to entrepreneur, Tori Dixon-Whittle has built a life defined by creativity, resilience and reinvention. In this episode of Sensing Up, she joins host Valerie Henbest to share her extraordinary journey—from the stage to hospitality, design and now writing. With honesty and energy, Tori reflects on motherhood, building businesses and the art of turning life's chaos into purpose.

Duncan Welgemoed is not your average chef. A rule-breaker with a passion for bold flavours, he's worked in Michelin-starred kitchens, reinvented Adelaide's dining scene and cooked for rockstars. In this episode, Valerie sits down with Duncan to uncover his journey from South Africa to the UK and ultimately, to Africola. From his early days in high-pressure kitchens to shaping South Australia's food culture, this conversation is full of energy, insight and a little bit of chaos - just like his f...

Award-winning chef and restaurateur Karena Armstrong has spent over a decade celebrating South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula through her food. As co-owner of The Salopian Inn and co-director of Tasting Australia, she champions the three Ps—place, produce and people—while crafting fiercely local, seasonal cuisine. In this episode, Valerie explores Karena's food journey - from working with industry icons to shaping one of the state's most respected dining experiences.

Renowned as the Father of Fusion Cuisine, Cheong Liew has shaped contemporary Australian food with his bold flavours and cultural storytelling. In this episode, Valerie Henbest delves into Liew's journey—from his Malaysian roots to pioneering fusion cuisine in Australia. Discover how a self-taught chef blended Greek, Malaysian, and European influences to redefine the culinary landscape.

Join host Valerie Henbest, renowned cheese expert and owner of the Smelly Cheese Shop - in the famous Adelaide Central Market - for a curated selection of Season 2's most compelling moments. A recipient of the French National Order of Agricultural Merit Award, Valerie brings her extensive expertise in cheese importation and aging to these insightful discussions with industry pioneers and artisanal producers.

Join Valerie Henbest as she explores the Adelaide Hills with renowned chef Kane Pollard. From foraging unique botanicals to mastering century-old cooking methods, Kane shares his journey in sustainability and seasonal cooking at Ondeen and Tasting Australia.

Step into a world of wine, cheese and culture with Pierre-André Imbert - French Ambassador to Australia. The episode today, toasts the 100th anniversary of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine and the unique ties between French and Australian terroirs and traditions.

Travel back to the origins of Paris's legendary Berthillon ice cream with Muriel Delpuech. Discover the secrets behind the family business that's been enchanting taste buds since 1954. From creamy classics to vibrant fruit sorbets, learn how Berthillon continues to craft some of the world's best ice creams.

Join Valerie Henbest in New York City for an inspiring conversation with Elizabeth Chubbuck, Chief Strategy Officer at Murray's Cheese. From her rural Illinois roots to shaping strategies for one of NYC's most iconic cheese institutions, Elizabeth shares her unique journey and passion for food, language, and culture.