Kiwi-born Greg Feck has been cooking professionally for over 30 years. After several years in London, working as a sous chef under Jamie Oliver and Ben O’Donoghue, Greg developed a great love of Italian cuisine and visited the country often.
In Melbourne, he worked at Richmond Hill Café and Larder with Stephanie Alexander, with his next move to own and operate the acclaimed, Crabapple Kitchen in Hawthorn with his partner Kim Coronica. After six years, the couple joined forces with third business partner David Wickwar, to open ‘Vaporetto Venetian Bar and Eatery’ in Hawthorn in 2016.
This foundation of quality Italian food has informed his role at Marnong Estate in Sunbury, A 1200-acre working farm and vineyard with a recently built wine shed and state-of-the-art winemaking facilities.
Feck oversees all the dining outlets on the Estate – the flagship restaurant La Vetta, the café Cucina 3064 and the casual eatery, Café Vista. There’s also a cellar door as well as an old homestead and studios for accommodation.
It’s a big job, but one he relishes, and we love being a part of this adventure Greg is creating.
The chef discovered Mount Zero back in 2003 – “Right back when Stephanie Alexander hired me at Richmond Hill Café and Larder,” he says. “I used to buy it for home at the Abbotsford Convent Farmers Markets. I got talking to Richard [Seymour, our GM] and that was my first intro to the oils. Stephanie was already using some farro and pulses.”
From then on, he has always used Mount Zero in his restaurants. “It’s not just the quality of the products, which is always good, it’s the service Richard and his team provide. The follow-up, nothing is ever a problem,” says Greg, “relationships with suppliers are super important to me.”
Of our oils, Greg loves the varying flavours and “super clean and tasty” finish to them, adding, “I think Mount Zero competes with a lot of olive oils as one of the best brands in the world.”
He loves to work with our Yuzu Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil at home and at La Vetta, using it on a fish crudo, Kingfish, Snapper, Tuna or Swordfish. He’s a fan of our olives, too.
“It’s not just the oil, Mount Zero's olives are on our Chef’s Journey menu, and we’ve just introduced the pouches into the accommodation for guests,” he says.
As Marnong Estate events grow, Greg is seeing demand from the large Indian community around Sunbury for wedding banquets. “We have the skillset and capability to accommodate this vibrant community, and we’ll need lentils and chickpeas for some dishes – of course, they’ll come from Mount Zero!” he says.
The recipe Greg has shared with us is founded in his love of Italian food: the classic Spaghetti Alla Checca. “This Roman-style pasta salad is a delightful dish we are currently serving at Caffe Vista. The beauty of this pasta salad is how simple it is to prepare. Once you have your ingredients, it is all about cooking the spaghetti, and then it is ready to enjoy.”
The Fast Five with Greg
1. If you weren’t working as a chef, what would you be doing?
My mind is creative, so I think an interior designer.
2. Last place you dined out?
Clover Wine Bar in Richmond. It was ‘outta the park!’ with super tasty food and immaculate service.
3. What's your favourite Melbourne restaurant?
We’re so bloody lucky in Melbourne, that’s a super-hard question.
I’ll have to say Embla and I do love Charcoal Grill on the Hill, an old-school steakhouse.
4. Favourite season/s of the year for produce?
Autumn and Spring - it’s tough to choose between those two.
5. Do you have any special projects scheduled for this year or beyond?
I have a lot on, which is exciting. Ben Shewry from Attica and I are chatting about a collab at La Vetta, so keep an eye out for that.
by Hilary McNevin