Matthew Evans

Interview by Madeleine Dore

Matthew Evans: former chef and food critic turned gourmet farmer

Shownotes

01:27

Time – Our time is our own, and we can do what we want with it. Don’t let external influences dictate what you do and when. Do what feels right in the moment and what feels right to you, even if that means eating clotted cream for breakfast to start your day off on a positive note!

04:39

This weeks’ guest – Matthew Evans is a former chef and food critic, and is now an author and the star of the show Gourmet Farmer. He spends his days working on the farm, tending to the animals, running the farm restaurant, and teaching others on his farm.

06:13

Navigating change – Life now looks very different to what life was a few months ago, and it’s okay to be uncertain about where to go and why. Try to find new meaning and new purpose in your life and in your work, but don’t feel bad if you’re frozen to the spot and you can’t do that. Do whatever works for you.

11:07

You’re still you – When the lockdown was first issued and everyone settled down into their new “normal”, many people felt the pressure to make use of this time, whether it was learning to bake, writing a book, or learning a language. But, at the end of the day, we’re still the same people with the same motivations. It’s okay that you didn’t do these things before, and it’s okay if you don’t do them during lockdown.

14:46

Typical routine – Matthew’s day is full of the typical farm jobs that you would expect, including milking cows and caring for pigs. He then heads to the commercial kitchen where he helps to prepare his products to help those in his community during the pandemic. He does all this while he cares for his ten-year-old son.

17:22

Be realistic – To-do lists tend to grow bigger and bigger to the point where things are being added faster than you can check them off. Rather than being overwhelmed by this, realise that you’re only one person and one person can physically only do so much in a day. Admit that you can’t do it all, accept that you might be behind, and just keep going. 

20:09

Brain snap – If you have an idea that’s a bit off course from what you typically do on a day-to-day basis, play with the idea and don’t be afraid to try it out. It might just come to you one day when you’re not expecting it, and you never know what opportunities might come about if you try it out.

23:12

Accountability – Matthew constantly has a film crew around his farm to capture his daily responsibilities, decisions, and mistakes. He discusses how this keeps him accountable, and how it has taught him the importance of learning on the job just by trying new things, and therefore progressing yourself.

28:26

Writing process – Matthew’s writing process has evolved over the years. Instead of using basic descriptive language, he really tries to focus on giving his readers an idea of what a place feels like, what it looks like, what it sounds like, and what it smells like. He tries to immerse people into his little corner of the world and capture its true identity. 

30:38

Creativity – Know when you’re most creative and take advantage of that. Set yourself up in your ideal environment as often as you can to try to stimulate your creativity. Make sure that you’re able to document any ideas that might come to mind so you don’t forget them, then you can explore them further later on.

32:53

Ethical eating – Matthew discusses a few tips on how to eat more ethically, and also makes suggestions to question our own eating choices and habits. This includes whether it’s ethical to eat meat or not, knowing the source of the food that we consume, and being aware of our waste.

38:16

Recent meals – Matthew shares his most recent mouthwatering dishes that he’s been creating with the last of his summer/autumn crop. These dishes have consisted mainly of eggplant, tomatoes, corn, and delicious homemade clotted cream, and will soon have a diet focused heavily on kale, cabbage, and turnips throughout the winter.

40:26

We’re not perfect – Everybody is a hypocrite at times, and everybody contradicts their own beliefs at times. This is no different for food consumption, as long as you stick to your beliefs 90% of the time. Everybody treats themselves with an unhealthy processed snack at times, but as long as that’s not the bulk of the food you create and consume, then it’s okay.

45:02

Long-distance – We’ve all found ourselves in long-distance relationships during this pandemic, whether it’s with a partner, a parent, a child, or friends. Time may seem like it’s passing ever so slowly and that it will never come to an end but, once it’s over, it will only feel like a blip in time. Time is passing faster than you realise, and things will be back to normal soon.

47:40

Motivation with adversity – With the world being in the midst of a pandemic, many creatives will likely be struggling to produce their best work. Instead of forcing it, change your focus. Find something else that would benefit from having your attention and hold off on producing other work until you’re in the right mindset. 

51:28

Guilt – When you feel guilty, everybody loses. At some point, everybody contradicts themselves and everybody is hypocritical in one way or another, so, instead of feeling guilty, channel those feelings into learning about the ebb and flow of ourselves and of our days. Employ your time into something more meaningful and nurturing.