Hello, my amazing friends,
What have you been cooking lately?
As you know, we’re always busy in the kitchen at the Dimboola Golf Club — and most days, there’s still only one main pair of hands down there. Mine. But I have two amazing kitchen hands.
The last couple of months have been incredible. Full dining rooms and also quiet ones. Weddings. Catering. Functions. The kind of busy you hope for when you open a little restaurant on a dirt road.
But it’s also been big.
Being the one on the pans every service means you don’t always get to step out, check in with guests, or just breathe for a moment. And as much as I love cooking (and I really do), I’ve missed that connection.
So… I booked the concert tickets.
A quick reset in Melbourne with my soul sister. Beautiful food. Galleries. Live music. Walking around anonymously without an apron or a prep list in sight.
And it was fabulous.
Sometimes stepping away isn’t about slowing down. It’s about filling the tank again.
And I’ve come back full.
Last weekend, we catered a relaxed, roaming finger food wedding off-site — one of those easy, joyful celebrations where people mingle and go back for “just one more” bite. The weather was kind to us too. Warm, but calm. No wind. No rain. Just a beautiful day, and back in the kitchen the following morning, preparing for our wonderful customers attending our Chef’s table luncheon, which is every Sunday.
The rain came the following week — and it came properly. Around 60mm in one night.
On the Friday evening, right in the middle of service, the power flickered a few times, and I said to my nephew, I reckon the next time it goes, it will go out. And it did, went out as the storm rolled through. We had four dockets left on the rail and no electricity. No oven. No exhaust. No fans. No air-conditioning. No deep fryer.
Just gas burners.
So we grabbed the lamps and torches, kept the pans moving, and finished the last of the service by torchlight.
It was hot. A little chaotic. Slightly wild.
And honestly? A bit magic.
The kind of night that reminds you why you built a team that can problem-solve on the fly, and customers who are happy to roll with it. We got through it. Everyone was fed. And the next morning the course was greener than it’s been in months.
Then the rain came. Watching the golf course turn green again after such dry stretches felt like a reset of its own. The whole space feels alive again.
That energy carries into what’s ahead.
We’ve got Field Days coming up — I’ll be demonstrating yoghurt three ways (with a native twist, of course). In early May, I’ll be cooking at the Grampians Grape Escape, showcasing kangaroo tail and celebrating bold Australian flavours. I love these events. They remind me how lucky we are to have such incredible produce and stories right here in our own backyard.
And behind the scenes, I’m leaning more into something I genuinely love — hosting special gatherings.
The clubhouse here at Dimboola Golf Club is one of those spaces people underestimate. But when it’s dressed, glowing and filled with people celebrating something meaningful, it’s pretty special.
Birthdays.
Long lunches.
Small weddings.
Corporate evenings.
Private dinners.
And if you’d rather host at home or on your own property, we travel too. From intimate plated dinners to roaming finger food celebrations — we bring the kitchen to you.
If you’ve got something coming up this year, now’s a good time to start the conversation.
We’re building something steady here. Growing carefully. Hopefully, adding another steady pair of hands in the kitchen soon.
I’m excited about what’s ahead.
And as always — thank you for being part of it.
Big food love,
Cat x
