Blogs

A country girl, Zoe Birch grew up picking homegrown vegetables, bottling preserves and baking bread with her family. It’s no surprise then that she has found her niche at Greasy Zoe’s, the tiny, handcrafted restaurant in Hurstbridge.

Believe it or not, Zoe Roy grew up on Vegemite sandwiches and carrot sticks. It wasn’t until she travelled, after finishing school, that she fell in love with food and the rich diversity of cuisines all over the world.

Maurizio Esposito has spent his whole life in restaurants. When he was young, his parents ran Vivaldi, an Italian Trattoria, in Collins Place in Melbourne’s CBD, and he worked with them before starting an apprenticeship with the revered Stephanie Alexander at her Hawthorn restaurant.

A love of fine food, gardening and the Dandenong Ranges runs deep in Emma D’Alessandro. Growing up in Upper Ferntree Gully, her passion for food was inspired by her family’s Italian heritage and she knew from an early age that she wanted to be a chef.

David’s career has taken him around the world. “Cooking is something I've always wanted to do,” he says. “This is the only job I've ever had.”