People keep asking how Lee and I ended up working together. The short version: I built something I'm proud of, I want it to stay at that level, and Lee is the person I trust to make sure it does.
Kade's side
I've run three cafes in Traralgon. Three Little Birds taught me the business. Bodhi taught me quality. Finally Mine was supposed to be the one where everything came together - the coffee, the space, the bar, the food.
The coffee, space, bar, and food - I built all of it and it's all strong. But one person can only do so much in a day. I wanted someone in the kitchen who I didn't have to worry about. Someone who respects the standard, knows how to execute it, and doesn't need me looking over their shoulder.
I didn't want to hire a cook. I wanted a partner I could trust. Someone whose skills match the level this place operates at.
Lee's side
Lee came to Gippsland after years in Melbourne and Noosa kitchens. He'd done fine dining, he'd done coastal, and he wanted something different. He wanted to build a food program from scratch, with access to the kind of produce that Gippsland is known for, without the pressure of a big-city restaurant.
What he didn't want was to open his own place from zero. The risk, the capital, the build-out - he'd seen too many good chefs burn out trying to be chefs and business owners at the same time.
Finally Mine has the venue, the brand, the customers, the evening trade, and a menu that speaks for itself. Lee's role is continuity. Same kitchen. Same standard. Same care. That's the partnership.
How it works
Lee runs the kitchen day-to-day. I'm still across the coffee program, the bar, and the direction of everything. Nothing changes for our customers except that the consistency gets even stronger.
In practice, that means I'm pulling shots at 5:30am while Lee's prepping mise en place. By 7am, the kitchen is firing and the coffee is flowing. By 3pm, we're done for the day. Thursday to Saturday, we flip to bar mode - Lee does the food, I do the drinks.
We argue about the playlist. Lee thinks jazz is appropriate for a Saturday morning. I think it's not. This is an ongoing negotiation.
What you'll notice
The coffee tastes the same. The food tastes the same - because that's the whole point. Lee is here to maintain the standard, not reinvent it. What's different is that with a dedicated kitchen partner, we can also explore new things. Evening dining events. Chef's Table nights. Catering.
The menu will evolve with the seasons. Lee's building relationships with local producers - farms in Thorpdale, dairies in Warragul, smokeries in Moe. The idea is that every plate tells a Gippsland story, even if it's a $18 brunch.
A barista and a chef walk into a corner cafe. It sounds like the start of a joke, but it's actually the start of the best food Finally Mine has ever served.
