ON THE PASS

with ZOE BIRCH, GREASY ZOE’S

What did you miss most about the restaurant while you were closed? Definitely the customer interaction. Because we’re so tiny, we meet everybody that walks through the door. There’s definitely a ‘stage’ element to the service, it’s like performing a show. I missed that adrenaline before service.

You were already a very small restaurant. What does it look like now? We were 10 seats before and we’re now just six. I think with restaurants that are small, they tend to have a bit more soul because you’re really at the coalface.

What did you do with your spare time during Melbourne’s lockdown? I experimented with a lot of different cheeses. I’ve always done soft cheese, so it was a great chance to work on blue and hard cheeses. It requires so much time and concentration, so it was nice to have some extra time to really focus on that. We’ve also got a bunch of vinegars on the go, plus kefir and lots of miso.

What’s something you’ve learned from this year? We’ve been pretty blown away by how many local people in this community have just really wanted to help, and people’s generosity. That’s been a big life lesson.

You’re technically in Melbourne metro, but also a bit out of town. What makes Hurstbridge worth visiting? It’s literally about getting out of a concrete city and coming into the bush. It’s just a completely different experience to Melbourne.

Shop 3/850 Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd, Hurstbridge, Vic. greasyzoes.com.au