Susan Mendelson

Susan Mendelson

Author: Robert Belcham of the Chefs Table Society of BC March 6, 2026 Duration: 1:02:12

In collaboration Les Dames d’Escoffier we are celebrating the Woman Leaders in Hospitality. Each week we will bring the amazing stories of 4 incredible women to you in this long form podcast. The first in the series will be Susan Mendelson of the Lazy Gourmet and Compass foods. Les Dames d’Escoffier International is an international organization of women leaders with more than 2,800 members in forty chapters in the US, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Italy who provide leadership, educational opportunities, and philanthropy within their communities. Les Dames are named after Georges Auguste Escoffier a restaurateur, culinary writer, and philanthropist, who popularised and updated traditional French cooking methods.

The BC Chapter (LDBC) is comprised of BC’s hospitality, food and beverage professionals who are committed to inspiring, advancing and supporting women, particularly in these sections. Their work largely focuses on granting scholarships to women and their applications are open this year until March 14th. Apply now at www.lesdames.ca

 

Susan Mendelson is the founder of Vancouver’s iconic Lazy Gourmet, which she started in 1979. A celebrated caterer and bestselling cookbook author, she has written ten cookbooks, beginning with Mama Never Cooked Like This, which helped home cooks simplify classic gourmet recipes. For more than four decades, Susan has been known for her passion for beautiful food, her commitment to exceptional ingredients, and her generous spirit as a mentor, philanthropist, and champion of Vancouver’s food community. Today, The Lazy Gourmet remains one of the city’s most respected catering companies, built on Susan’s enduring love of food and hospitality.

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Hosted by chef Robert Belcham, Mise en Place-the Podcast pulls up a chair for candid, substantive conversations with the people shaping British Columbia's vibrant food scene. This series, presented with the Chefs' Table Society of BC, moves beyond recipes and menus to explore the real architecture of a life in hospitality. Each episode is a deep dive with restaurateurs, producers, and culinary leaders, unpacking the complex business decisions, career pivots, and personal philosophies that define their work. Listeners get an authentic backstage pass to the pressures, triumphs, and often-unseen logistics of running kitchens and dining rooms. The discussions naturally reveal the interconnected culture of local food, from farm relationships to dining room dynamics. Belcham’s perspective ensures these aren’t just interviews, but nuanced dialogues full of practical insight for anyone invested in this world. The podcast serves as an oral history of a community in motion, documenting the craft, economics, and human stories behind the plates. It’s for those who appreciate that a great restaurant experience is built on a foundation of meticulous preparation-the true meaning of its namesake. Tune in for thoughtful, grounded talk that respects the intelligence of both its guests and its audience.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 135

Mise en Place - the Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Michael Ziff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:34
On today's podcast we have long time hospitality veteran Michael Ziff. With his vast array of experience of opening some of the best restaurants in Vancouver to running one of the best restaurants in the Okanagan. The ic…
Elmo Pinpin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:10
Once in a while you can be really pleasantly surprised by a local business. That happened to me last December. I moved into a new apartment with my wife Tina and san Eli and we were discovering our new place and all that…
John Bates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:13
I am very excited to welcome Chef John Bates from Interstellar BBQ in Austin Texas. We had the opportunity to meet and cook together at last months Tofino Wine and Dine event up in Tofino BC. Cooking over fire and chatti…
Poyan Danesh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:07:12
On this weeks Podcast I am supper happy to have on the most humble and incredibly giving Chefs I have ever had the opportunity to call a friend. Chef Poyan Danesh, who has been working his whole professional career here…
Joe Casson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:01
Hello Everyone, welcome back to this weeks episode of the Podcast. We have a very special guest that I got an opportunity to chat with. Born in Brighton, England, he started his career as an architect and through his des…
Stacy Johnston and Minette Lotz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:48
I am very happy to have had the opportunity to chat with two of the next great leaders of the hospitality industry. Co Chefs of the Restaurant at Poplar Grove in Penticton, Stacy Johnston and Minette Lotz, they share the…
Joël Watanabe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:32
On this weeks podcast, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with my old friend Michelin Star Chef Joël Watanabe, of Kissa Tanto, Bao Bei and his new bar Meo. Chef Joël has been cooking professionally for over 30 ye…
Johnny Bridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:47
On this weeks episode we have one of the hardest working BC Chefs I have had the pleasure to work alongside. Chef Johnny Bridge, has been professionally cooking in BC since high school and has always championed his love…
Clayton Fontaine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:19
On this week's episode we have Executive Chef Clayton Fontaine of the world renown Wickaninnish Inn, one of the most lauded and celebrated hotels in Canada. We delve in Chef's early career, the love of food, ingredients…
Dennis Peckham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:22
On this weeks podcast I have a Chef Dennis Peckham. Executive Corporate Chef of the Glowbal Group he in Vancouver. From humble beginnings and go for it attitude, his first job in the industry was at Lumiere. For those wh…