When Lennox Hastie popped into the studio for the first time explaining that he was in Australia looking for a place to host his first restaurant, Malcolm remembers not thinking too much about the whole thing and when Lennox came back 12 months later, Malcolm had completely forgotten who he was. Fast forward to 2020, and the relationship between a chef and potter has developed so much so, that Malcolm's craftware was featured and used in the new Lennox Hastie Chefs Table documentary series, BBQ. A moment Malcolm remembers, was spent celebrating in the backyard with friends and family.
But Malcolm's journey started full time back in 1990, after leaving the corperate world behind to pursue Pottery. It has had it's ups and downs, including dealing with the dry up of local ceramics due to cheaper asian exports in 2006-08, which lead to Malcolm reaching out to different clientele in Sydney. This led to the eventual strong relationships between Brent Savage and Peter Gilmore, making Malcolm involved in the craftsmanship behind restaurants including Bentley restaurant, Firedoor, Quay, Bennelong and much more.
We sit and chat about his early life and influences growing up in America, how restaurants collaborate with him, and the future of pottery in Australia during this unwavering time. It's a great light chat about Malcolm's consistent ambition to make his passion work, so be sure to tune in.
Music By Charlie Fester.
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