By Aneeka Simonis
WHO ever said good food only exists in the city?
Forget having to drive into Melbourne for a serve of fab food served up with all the on-trend quirks.
It’s now all here on our doorstep!
From cafes serving up fresh food from an old estate sales centre, to finger-lickin’ good burgers hidden away in a car sales hub, Cardinia Shire has everything that’ll make you go mmmm.
So what’s driving the region’s booming food culture and why are we seeing an influx of top-rated chefs and food concepts?
More importantly, how is the boom changing the face of the region?
Beaconsfield favourite One Fine Day is a cafe focused as much on taste as it is on presentation.
Owner Sarah Taylor, 46, from Narre Warren, said now more than ever people were “eating with their eyes”.
Meals catered to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free palates are served up with edible flowers and micro-herbs, adding a bit of ‘inner city cafe style to their menu.
But it’s not just the acai smoothie bowl and zucchini fritters that have seen this business take off since opening six months ago.
One of their biggest drawcards is their barista – a coffee expert who has drawn quite a following in the area.
Sarah’s daughter Maddy Taylor, 23, is an A-grade brewer with eight years’ experience behind the coffee machine.
She has worked all over and is now something of a famed barista.
“People have followed me … old regular customers,” she said.
Sisters Emma Hill and Lisa Ransome sure are shaking up conventional dining with their left-of-centre cafe in Officer.
The Timber Mill Cafe famously operates out of an old sales centre overlooking the developing Timbertop Estate.
The pair say they have brought a “Melbourne touch” to the ‘burb, which they have seen flourish before their eyes over the past year.
“We went to a few cafes and thought … we could really offer something to this area of town. It is such a huge growth area,” Lisa said.
Only the freshest, in-house baked goods are served up out of the retro-fitted kitchen which looks out onto the open, flower-filled timber setting kissed by the afternoon sun.
Burgers have never really been much for the eyes – but that couldn’t be further from the case at Pakenham’s Car MegaMart Cafe.
You’d be forgiven if you haven’t yet ventured there unless you had recently purchased a new set of wheels; but make no mistake, there is much more to this car yard giant than first meets the eye.
The young team responsible for serving up all of your ‘dude food’ favourites, such as: the crispy chicken burger, the double beef burger and everyone’s go-to, the cheese burger with crispy bacon, are the talented brothers from O.MY – a highly celebrated local restaurant boasting a prestigious Chef’s Hat.
Tyson Bertoncello, the eldest of the three Bertoncello brothers, is so far pretty pleased with the fan base the cafe is gaining locally.
“We’ve only recently taken on the management of the MegaMart Cafe, and the plan has always been to serve up everyone’s favourites packed full of flavour by using our home grown ingredients. Visitors to the cafe are appreciating that the mayo, relish and patties, in our burgers for example, are all prepared by our chefs here on-site,” he said.
And the ultra-talented trio may have a few more tricks up their sleeve.
“We pride ourselves on fresh, flavoursome food; so the next steps will see us updating the menu to include a buffet salad bar soon as well,” Tyson said.
Cardinia Shire Council’s co-ordinator for Strategic and Economic Development Andrew Pomeroy said the food and restaurant businesses in Melbourne’s south-east are thriving for a number of reasons.
“They have fantastic people running them who are well-respected in food circles and have the energy and drive to succeed,” he said.
“These days, people are really interested in cooking and how their food is prepared, as the popularity of TV cooking programs show. This means they are more willing to pay for a quality dining experience.
Another factor behind our region’s great food culture is that many young entrepreneurs are starting their businesses here as rents are a lot lower than in the inner city. With so many residents moving into the south east, it provides a great platform from which to start a successful business.
“Our location also means that quality produce is highly accessible. This is one of the best agricultural regions in Victoria, and we have an abundance of great growers and suppliers of a vast array of foods including vegetables, herbs, dairy products and various meat products. This means local restaurants have a great story to tell about where their produce comes from; many of our restaurateurs grow their own produce.
“There is some great collaboration happening between our food producers and restaurant community. Everyone is trying to do things a little bit differently, which is providing a variety of experiences for diners.”
