NEARLY a decade after opening the sort of cafe she wanted to visit, Wendy Pope continues to favour classic food, old-fashioned flavours and “things that remind you of childhood”.
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With husband and business partner Dale, Pope runs Albury’s Early Bird Cafe and the couple has also been developing their own brand, adele + dale handmade produce.
Pope grew up on a farm near Chiltern and started working at Albury’s Cafe Gryphon in the early 1990s.
After a 10-year stint at Babka Bakery Cafe in Brunswck Street, Fitzroy, she decided to return to Albury “and create the kind of cafe that I loved to go to in Melbourne”.
“Something cruisey and unpretentious, where the food was simple and tasty and everyone felt like a regular,” she said.
Pope said befriending customers throughout the years gave her most satisfaction.
“Watching their kids grow up and sharing in their lives, it’s like a massive extended family,” she said.
What’s your favourite dish? A big bowl of pasta or risotto and I'm a happy girl.
What are the staples in your pantry? Pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, dried chilli, peppercorns, salt flakes, olive oil, plus parmesan and fresh herbs.
What’s the biggest product discovery you have made in cooking? Grow things yourself. It’s so easy and there is nothing better than pottering down to the garden in the evening and picking some herbs.
What’s your secret vice? Tyrrell's potato chips are not safe in my house.
What is your recipe standby? Risotto, we always have arborio rice, stock and parmesan and there is always something in the fridge, freezer or pantry we can pimp it with.
What is your most unforgettable meal and where? Last January in Woodbridge, Tasmania, at Peppermint Bay, slow roasted shoulder of lamb, salsa verde and a barley, roasted carrot and fresh herb salad.
What’s your favourite cooking utensil? I'm really not a gadget girl, although I do own a food processor and a blender. I often feel if you can’t get the job done with a wooden spoon and a sharp knife, it's probably not worth doing.
What’s in your kitchen toolkit? Three knives: cook’s, paring and bread, a grater, a peeler, a pair of tongs and a wooden spoon. You can make many dishes with just a few tools, and your hands.
What did you have for dinner last night? Pasta with ricotta, tomato, zucchini and basil.
What are you drinking? Two or three morning espresso. After work, a glass or two of Ned Pinot Gris.
Details: Early Bird Cafe, 3/586 Dean St, Albury, 0404272691, open weekdays 7am-2:30pm, weekends 7am-1:30pm.