The meez Podcast
Josh Sharkey (Entrepreneur, professional chef, and founder/CEO of meez, the culinaryOS for food professionals) interviews world class entrepreneurs in the food space that are shifting the paradigm of how we innovate and operate in our industry.
The meez Podcast
QuickFire: Chef Vojtech Vegh
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#127
Josh sits down with Chef Vojtech Vegh for a quickfire episode packed with eye-opening zero waste cooking ideas, from turning avocado seeds into tea to transforming banana peels into something that tastes like pulled pork. Vojtech shares how his work has evolved since launching his zero waste mission, what he’s teaching chefs around the world, and why reducing food waste is often less about learning new techniques and more about seeing ingredients differently. Along the way, the two also swap parenting stories, non-traditional birthday “cakes,” and the strange but delicious food habits kids develop.
The conversation then dives into the ingredients that are most often wasted in professional kitchens, including watermelon rinds, pineapple skins, bread, rice, potato peels, and more. Vojtech explains how chefs can rethink scraps as real ingredients, where the line is between useful and unsafe, and why some of the most nutritious parts of fruits and vegetables are the ones we usually throw away. It’s a practical, surprising, and very fun look at how creativity in the kitchen can dramatically cut waste without sacrificing flavor.
Links and resources 📌
Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com
Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez
Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en
Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/
Follow Vojtech on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtechvegh/
Follow Vojtech on Instagram: @vojtechvegh
Visit Surplus Food Studio: https://www.surplusfoodstudio.com/
Timestamps
00:48 Vojtech’s Quickfire Return And Life On The Road
02:00 Fruit Cakes, Sourdough Cakes, And Birthday Food For Kids
06:59 How Vojtech Helps Chefs Reduce Waste Around The World
11:44 Slovakia’s Version Of Grilled Cheese And Childhood Comfort Foods
17:56 The Kitchen Phrase That Should Be Banned Forever
18:53 Vojtech’s Wildest Kitchen Disaster Story
24:32 The World’s Most Wasted Ingredients: Watermelon Rinds, Pineapple Skins, Bread, And Rice
35:51 Banana Peels, Potato Skins, And Other Scraps You Should Be Cooking
45:52 Where Zero Waste Stops: What’s Worth Using And What Isn’t