Deep in the Weeds - A Food Podcast with Anthony Huckstep · A Deep in the Weeds Production

Jeff Schroeter (Darling Glebe) - Back home

·25 min·1 clip

At the Savoy, the average chef lasted three days and the kitchen had 60 to 80 chefs.

Jeff Schroeter is back at Darling Glebe in Glebe, Sydney. The venue sits in a historic building he first came to about five years earlier, when he and a business partner opened there and fell for the space. He later sold his share to that partner, and when the room came up again he jumped at the chance to return. Anthony Huckstep frames the conversation around what it means to take on a historic site, respect the past, and evolve the offering so it still draws customers. That balance becomes the thread running through the talk. Jeff says he likes keeping familiar dishes in play, but he wants them to suit today’s palate rather than feel heavy or dated. Duck à l'orange is the clearest example. Instead of leaning on heavier gas-trike style sauces and vinegar reductions, he deglazes with gin and uses it in the orange reduction, which he says lifts the aromatics and gives a cleaner, lighter flavour. He also tells the story of a strawberry foie gras dish that began by accident in New York. On a Sunday the kitchen ran out of everything they usually used, so the team looked at the strawberries they had and poached them into a new dish, which then stuck with him. The talk then moves back through his career. Jeff describes working at the Savoy, where he was probably only the third Australian ever to work in that kitchen. He recalls a brutal environment with 60 to 80 chefs at a time, cooking for royalty and private rooms, and fierce competition over produce. Fights, stabbings, and a revolving door of staff were part of the picture. He says he learned to stand his ground, helped by the toughness he had already built playing Australian rules football and by being mature enough to cope with the pressure. He reflects on how different kitchens are now, while making clear those years still shaped him. The conversation closes on the simple pleasure he gets from people sitting down together, sharing stories, and celebrating for whatever reason, as long as they can eat well.

As heard by us

A return to Darling Glebe that balances classic dishes, a historic room, and the work of keeping both fresh.

Jeff Schroeter's return to Darling Glebe gives the episode its pull. The familiar room and the historic setting give Anthony Huckstep a clear frame, and he moves the talk from the site's past to the menu choices that keep it feeling current.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A chef returns to a familiar room and shows how classic dishes can be made lighter.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Deep in the Weeds - A Food Podcast with Anthony Huckstep