QuickFire: Chef Vojtech Vegh

#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