Shannon Martinez has cooked since she can remember and, due to the influence of her Spanish paternal family and her innovative outside-the-square talents, she's contributed to kitchens across Melbourne for around 20 years. Shannon eats meat, but has perfected her vegetarian and (latterly) vegan repertoire, saying this is what makes her food so good; she tries to replicate the tastes and textures of meat, rather than putting out bland, predictable, vegan food. Smith & Daughters on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy began in 2014. Food lovers went nuts. Almost immediately, the restaurant had grown to 40 staff and were doing 400 covers a night. In July 2015, they opened Smith & Deli, an all-vegan convenience store and deli, in nearby Moor Street. The idea here is a carefully curated selection of all vegan groceries, and freshly made pastries, salads and take-home meals. There's also a long list of made-to-order sandwiches, 'cheese' and 'meat' by the kilo – and, often, queues out the door.

Mo Wyse is a Seattle and New York expat. She studied journalism and has a background in production, but dedicated her passion for creative, plant-based food to creating Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli, where she is the logistical, front-of-house and marketing brains behind this gun team.