The past meets the present in Matt Moran’s deliciously compelling new food series, Memory Bites.
The show sees renowned chef and host Matt inviting some famous Aussies over to share life stories while enjoying dishes from their childhood.
Ahead of his trip down memory lane, New Idea sat down with Matt, 55, to find out what it’s like heading back in time…
This is such a great concept for a TV series. Where did the idea come from?
During COVID I did a YouTube series called Kitchen Tales. Friends, people that I knew, or even people I didn’t know, would come to my house and they would tell me a little bit about their food memory – and I would cook it up for them! For example, Jimmy Barnes, who came on with his wife Jane, always had mince on toast … so I did that for him. Then I was approached about a show called Memory Bites, which is pretty much what I had been doing. So we kind of merged the two ideas together.
What do you love most about working on Memory Bites?
Hearing people’s stories, about their upbringings and food culture. And also getting to know each guest a bit better. A great example is one of my closest friends, who will be for many years, Richard Roxburgh. When I had him on, I learned so much about him that I didn’t even know! I’m a chef, but I obviously like talking to people and getting to know them, and that’s part of hospitality I suppose. I found their stories fascinating.
What are you most looking forward to audiences seeing on the show?
The show is multifaceted. You get a couple of things out of it. You get a bit of a story, you learn a bit more about the celebrity – and you also get a free cooking class!
How did you decide on each guest for the show?
I was a big part of those decisions. We wanted a little bit of diversity, we didn’t want everyone just to grow up on a piece of meat and three vegetables. There was a wide range of people. It’s quite funny because I’ve got a few well-known friends who are already asking me whether they can be on Season 2!
How much research goes behind deciding what meal to make for each guest?
A lot! Once we decided on who each guest was, we’d go to their family members and talk to them. We’d obviously interview the person themselves, but also try to find memories that would surprise them. That’s why we had the ‘Memory Box’. We would pull out things [as we filmed] and they’d go, “Oh my God, I remember that!” We found special items and memories of what they grew up with.
Did you feel pressure trying to recreate the dishes for them?
There’s always pressure cooking for anyone, particularly if you’re cooking something that is their memory. I suppose I’m confident enough to be able to cook most things – or probably everything. Then I just put my spin on it. As long as I knew that the food tasted good, I was alright. But you want them to have that memory of what they ate in some capacity.
What would your own ‘memory bites’ meal be?
Being a farmer’s son, it would have to have that sort of connection to the land. I’m now a farmer myself and own property. My meal would have to be Sunday lunch at my nan’s house, with a slow-cooked joint of lamb, whether it was, you know, a leg or a shoulder, and rice and vegetables. I have a vivid memory of doing that, whenever I went up there.
Memory Bites is available to watch on SBS Food and SBS On Demand.
