"There's challenges along the way that you learn and things that you learn, but there's nothing too great that you need to study and revise, study and revise, there's a huge part of commonsense to it," he said.

"If an oven's cranking flat out, then something's not going to take very long to either cook or burn.

"As soon as you try and just piece it all together, that's cookery, temperature and time."

Scolyer changed his work hours about six months ago when he joined Cafe Musette after 10 years at Quality Resort Siesta.

"Being a chef for that long doing nights, I thought a morning job would be a nice change," he said.

But no sign of a rest, as day to day duties have combined with kitchen extensions, car park sales and the cafe's urban garden and farm.

"I had to hit the ground running and it's just been a non-stop six months, really," Scolyer said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Born and raised in Albury, the chef spent time in the infantry, then was looking for work when apprenticeships were offered.

"I did cookery while I was at school, so the employment agency said 'Could you do this?', so that's where I started and just went with it," he said.

Scolyer's career includes a stint at Oxley's King River Cafe and time in Perth.

At Cafe Musette, the menu focus is to use the fresh produce the team grows and widen the choices for food allergy sufferers.

"I look back at my nutrition in Defence and there wasn't anything staple about it," Scolyer said.

"We were raised on sausages and rissoles and I think the most gourmet we got was a chicken that was done in the microwave in one of those bags."

RELATED:

Cafe Musette will plan future menus around what could be grown in its two greenhouses on site and Wolki Farm seven kilometres away.

"It's really that farm, paddock, plate mentality," the chef said.

Led by owner Jacob Wolki, Cafe Musette turns its green waste and coffee grounds into compost and receives all its eggs, more than 1000 of them a week, from the farm.

"We know exactly how old they are, we know where they've been," Scolyer said.

The cafe's urban garden project began in May 2018 and uses solar power and tank water to grow herbs, heirloom vegetables, berries and citrus.

Scolyer said the eggs had been a successful trial and he looked forward to sourcing more produce from the farm.

"I don't really mind what's grown as long as I know that's where it's grown, that's when it's going to be ready," he said.

"I can plan whatever goes with it around that."

What's your favourite dish? Smoked Beef Brisket

What's your favourite season? Spring

What are the staples in your pantry now? Egg noodles, soy sauce, fish sauce

What is your earliest cooking memory? Cooking weekend eggs for myself as an eight-year-old

Which ingredients do you grow yourself? Seasonal produce, so right now corn, tomato and chilli

Which six people would you invite to dinner? Bob Hawke, Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, Donald Trump, Kevin Rudd and Jacob Wolki

What is your favourite food ritual? Sunday family dinner

What are you bingeing on TV? If anything The Punisher on Netflix

What was dinner last night? Roast chicken

What are you drinking at the moment? VB and home brew beer

Details: Cafe Musette

2/480 Young St, Albury

(02) 60215288