ScreenTalk: Peta Mathias

Food, travel and television are synonymous with Peta Mathias.  As well as her TV credits, Mathias has written eight books about food and travel, and leads food tours to her favourite gastronomic hot spots around the world.

In this ScreenTalk interview she discusses her first TV audition, the long-running Taste New Zealand and her new production company, Red Head Media.

For 12 years she hosted TVNZ’s Taste New Zealand and its spin-off shows Toast New Zealand, Taste Takes Off and A Taste of Home. Mathias says her toughest TV moment came in Bolivia as part of the Intrepid Journeys series. It was a trip she describes as “pure hell”.

In this video interview, Mathias also discusses:

• The impact Taste New Zealand had on local cuisine

• How her outrageous outfits were a deliberate strategy

• What she thinks of TV food shows

• Why she ended up cooking on Hudson and Halls’ old stove

• Why her Intrepid Journey to Bolivia was hell on earth

• And the practical reason behind setting up her own production company to create cooking DVDs.

NZ On Screen:  Interview, Camera & Editing – Andrew Whiteside