Episodes

  • Epsiode #23 Meet Brendan Lane Mullins the Australian at the helm of one of Asia’s leading hotels The Seminyak Resort and Spa in Bali.
    Jul 5 2024


    This episode of the food mentor podcast takes a slight twist into the hospitality and hotel management world.

    On a recent business trip to Indonesia I met a fantastic Australian Brendan Lane Mullins the General Manager of Bali’s leading luxury hotel The Seminyak Spa and resort.

    https://www.theseminyak.com

    As most people would know Seminyak in Bali is one of the most popular tourists spots in Asia.

    I thought Brendan would be a fantastic guest on our Food Mentor Podcast and I was absolutely correct.
    Take a listen to Brendan’s background and how he has used his hotel management experience to travel the world.
    Amongst many topics we chat about the incredibly friendly Balinese people and how this culture creates superb hospitality service.

    This is a great story including the day in the life of a Hotel General Manager in a luxury hotel in one of the worlds most visited towns - Seminyak, Bali!

    Listen out for Brendan’s special promo code to guarantee you the cheapest rate on the market.

    A fabulous podcast for budding hospitality folk looking to work and travel.

    I hope you enjoy this podcast!

    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    24 mins
  • Episode #22 Meet Milo Gaffney - The Founder and Managing Director of Australia’s Outback Pie Company.
    Jun 3 2024

    There’s never a dull moment in the food manufacturing world and this story is no different.

    Milo Gaffney has just celebrated his 20th Anniversary of The Outback Pie Company, having founded the business at the end of 2003 with his family.

    Milo has created a fabulous business by innovating, differentiating and filling the gaps in the market that major competitors have left behind!

    On top of that, The Outback Pie Company is based up in Australia’s tropical north QLD’s balmy Townsville, opposite the magnificent Magnetic Island.

    http://www.outbackpieco.com.au/

    This is a fabulous chat with some fabulous pearls of wisdom from Milo.

    I hope you enjoy this episode of the Food Mentor Podcast.

    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    23 mins
  •  Episode #21 Meet the founders Joe and Cindy of Sevenoaks Catering and the all new Sevenoaks Foods retail brand. This Perth based couple are embarking on a journey to launch a retail brand after 10 years as a leading Perth corporate catering company.
    Apr 29 2024

    Welcome back to the food mentor podcast I’m David Burns your host and today we are chatting to a delightful couple Cindy and Joe who are based in Sunny Perth, Australia.

    Cindy and Joe established Seven Oaks Catering 10 years ago and it has now become one of Australia’s leading corporate catering businesses supply 1000’s of platters a month of delicious fair to Perth’s corporate community.

    Of course it is now perfect timing to create a retail brand and packaged offer to help fuel the future growth of this fabulous business.

    Lets chat with Cindy and Joe about their plans to launch their new retail brand and how they plan to diversify into a packaged retail range.

    Their website here:

    www.sevenoakscatering.com.au

    I hope you enjoy this podcast.

    This episode of the Food Mentor podcast is brought to you by Naturally Good, Australia's leading event for natural & healthy products, connecting brands with retail buyers.

    Looking for the latest natural products? Then you won't want to miss the Naturally Good expo at the ICC Sydney, 3-4 June.

    Over the two days, you can explore the most sought-after healthy products, connect with top brands and industry innovators, and gain key insights into the latest consumer trends.

    Registration is FREE! So grab your ticket now to make sure you don't miss the retail industry's must-attend event: https://naturallygood.com.au/register-2024/



    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    24 mins
  • #19 The Parkrun 20 year journey is an amazing story of bringing local communities together to promote great physical and mental health. Today I’m chatting with Joanne Watkins the event director of Australia’s largest Parkrun at Albert Park.
    Feb 22 2024

    In this crazy food and hospitality industry, (and for any industry for that matter), looking after our mental and physical health is critical.

    Introducing Parkrun https://www.parkrun.com.au/

    The Parkrun story is nothing short of amazing, and in 2024 celebrates its 20 year anniversary.

    Parkrun for me personally has been a key part of my life for over 10 years now.

    Parkrun is a free 5km timed event where you can run, walk, volunteer or spectate for free, every Saturday morning.

    Parkrun Kicked off in 2004 with 13 runners in a park in London and has now blossomed into a movement of 2000 Parkruns in 22 countries with 500 events in Australia each Saturday morning.

    Meet Joanne Watkins, the event director of Australia’s largest Parkrun event at Albert Park, in Melbourne. https://www.parkrun.com.au/albertmelbourne/

    Today Joanne and I chat through the Parkrun story and the many recent broken records including the 1 millionth person to cross the line.

    This is a fabulous chat incorporating hilarious stories and anecdotes but of most importance the story of kindness and bringing local diverse communities together as one.

    I really hope you enjoy this podcast.

    This episode of The Food Mentor Podcast is brought to you by the Naturally Good Trade Show. Australia’s only natural and organic trade show, connecting brands with retail buyers and much more.

    Get ready! Naturally Good returns to the ICC Sydney on 3rd & 4th June.

    It’s the ultimate trade show for natural and organic products where you can shine in front of top retail buyers.

    Don’t miss your moment.

    All the details are in the link here.

    https://naturallygood.com.au/get-involved/exhibit/





    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    28 mins
  • #18 - Meet David Freeman the CEO and founder of H2COCO, one of the first coconut waters on the market here in Australia launching back in 2009. We chat through the journey and lessons learnt along the way!
    Feb 16 2024

    Today I’m chatting with David Freeman, the founder and CEO of H2COCO. David is the pioneer of coconut water here in Australia having launched in 2009 so almost 15 years
    ago. This is a great story of how David has not only held onto this market leading position but also how he has cleverly diversified into other beverage
    segments. David also chats through the importance of having a sustainability
    focus as a key part of his brand. I hope you enjoy this podcast.

    This episode of The Food Mentor Podcast is brought to you by the Naturally Good Trade Show. Australia’s only natural and organic trade show, connecting brands with retail buyers and much more.

    Get ready! Naturally Good returns to the ICC Sydney on 3rd & 4th June.

    It’s the ultimate trade show for natural and organic products where you can shine in front of top retail buyers.

    Don’t miss your moment.

    All the details are in the link here.

    https://naturallygood.com.au/get-involved/exhibit/






    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    29 mins
  • #17 - In this episode our hosts David and Zac outline the new product and brand development process. How much should it cost, how long should it take and what are all the key steps to reduce risk and get everything right first time.
    Feb 2 2024

    We get asked this question a lot.

    How long does it take, how much does it cost and what is the best process to develop a new food/ beverage product from scratch? Regardless if you are a budding entrepreneur, a small - medium business or a large multinational organisation- the same detail applies.

    Zac and I have some fun with this one given we are well qualified to get into the detail of this exciting topic.

    I hope you enjoy this podcast.

    This episode of the Food Mentor podcast is brought to you by Naturally Good Australia’s only natural and organic trade show connecting brands with retail buyers. Do you have an innovative product in the natural space? You can now enter the 2024 Naturally Good Awards. Easy entry, lots of brand exposure, and a chance to win a promotional package to the value of $5k, and more! Find out more or enter here > naturallygood.com.au/whats-on/awards


    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    25 mins
  • #16 - With a New Year comes new opportunities, with change being a key element on everyone's minds. This episode covers just that, with change management expert Friska Wirya from Fresh by Friska.
    Jan 9 2024

    In this episode we are delighted to be chatting with Friska Wirya from Fresh by Friska.

    Friska has a wealth of experience in change management consulting and is a renowned thought leader in this space. She shares with us her key insights surrounding change strategies for organisations and budding entrepreneurs. Technological advancements are providing unique opportunities for businesses to change and adapt, and we chat through these exciting topics plus more! With the new year ramping up, this is the perfect time to consider change to improve our businesses and organisations. I hope you enjoy this podcast.

    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    16 mins
  • # 15 - In this Food Mentor episode we have mashed up the key highlights of our inaugural podcast year - 2023. Take a listen to these pearls of wisdom from some of our favourite guests throughout 2023.
    Dec 22 2023

    Throughout 2023 Zac and I were very grateful to have met and chatted with some fabulous insightful guests.

    This mash up includes 2022 AFR fastest growing business David Andrew from Naked Life, The founder of Karma Bites Ashwin Ahuja, Tim and Liam from Bae Juice, a personal branding lesson from Tima Elhajj and more recently The Coles grocery GM Leanne White.

    Zac and I also chat through the rise of NUFFIN dips along with the optimal approach to develop new products and brands to help you win in 2024.

    Of course we kick off this mash up with our now famous April Fools day prank and the launch of our new airline “Nosh Air”

    A 30 minute powerhouse episode to inspire you into 2024.

    Of course, please also take a listen to any of the 14 full episodes here.

    I hope you enjoy this mash up style Podcast brought to you by NUFFIN dips.

    Australia’s 1st delicious dip range in a paper tub with no preservatives.

    NUFFIN is better for the planet.

    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry.

    Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience?
    Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com





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    27 mins