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Sky’s the limit for pilot-turned-baker Nicole Street

Words by Della Vreeland 
Images supplied

NICOLE STREET wishes she remembers the name of the aeroplane captain who shaped her life.

When she was younger, she recalls returning from an overseas trip with her family and being invited into the cockpit to meet the pilots.

“I was so taken by the whole scene that then and there I decided this is exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Nicole says.

“To this day, I wish I knew who that Captain was so I could go and tell him how much he shaped my life and the amazing journey it has taken me on.”

And what a journey it has been. Nicole did indeed decide to pursue a career in aviation. For years she worked as a commercial pilot with Kendall airlines which later became REX after the Ansett collapse.

“I just love being up in the air. It is just the best office I could ever imagine,” Nicole says.

“It is such a joy to take people to their destination safely and in the role I had we actually got to meet and greet the passengers as they disembarked and have a chat to them about where they were off to.

“That friendly interaction and personal touch made the job extra special.”

Following the Ansett collapse, and with a desire to start a family, Nicole decided a re-route was in order. 

With her husband also a pilot, she opted to find a career path that would allow her to be more present at home while still feeding her passion for interaction.

“In order to fund my flying training and career, I had held many jobs, including working in some larger restaurants in the Dandenong ranges both in front-of-house and in the kitchen as a dessert and pastry cook,” she says.

“From a very young age I was always in the kitchen cooking. Mainly sweets. I had a great love for baking and sharing what I had made with friends and family.  

“Growing up I would have friends come back to our house after school and we would whip up some cake or biscuits or a quick slice to indulge in.  We still love gathering with loved ones to share great quality food and drinks and I would say this is the heart and soul of our family.”

And so began Fudge by Rich. Created out of Healesville, Nicole says the business idea came about after some thorough research regarding the plentiful food and wine options available in her region.

“Living in the Yarra Valley and being surrounded by such great food and wine, I was quite taken with this quaint little town where we lived and was inspired by an overseas venture to Italy where we came across some lovely artisan food markets,” she says.

“I really wanted to bring to the Valley a little bit of what I had seen overseas. So following some research into what was available, I found that there appeared to be a gap in the local scene for a good fudge, and it just so happened that I had an original hand written recipe that I used to make growing up which was always a great hit when I made it!”

That was more than 10 years ago. Nowadays, Nicole continues to conjure up her decadent treats – which come in a whole multitude of flavours and brittles – receiving rave reviews from customers all over.

“I am often overwhelmed by how this small business has grown. It is so humbling to have people take time out of their day to express how much they love your product,” she says.

While there is no doubt Nicole misses her time in the sky, she says she will remain forever grateful for her years in aviation, which set her up to launch her own business and take on the most valuable role of all – Mum.

“I think I have truly embedded myself in the business and art of fudge making,” she says.

I love that I have been able to find a new career in doing something that I enjoy that has challenged me, and still be able to be, number one, a parent to my three young girls.

“The flexibility of having your own business is one of the best perks. It is a lot of hard work, with continual challenges, but the flexibility wins out for me.  

“I do still look to the skies and think, I used to be up there. The passion to fly is something that never leaves me.  (But) I feel lucky I have had amazing experiences that very few ever get to experience.”

Check out Nicole’s range of fudge over on OHO Markets.

The Teller Collective

Next door to the Food Store (held by the same owners) is the more formal dining experience of the Teller Collective. It lives in a slick fit-out of polished timber and polished concrete. It’s still laid-back and comfortable, but the menu is refined and the food style carefully considered. Pretty dishes like the house-cured salmon with horseradish and Ras el hanout are delicate and stunning. Gin-cured snapper with blood plums melts in the mouth and shows off local stone fruit.

Speaking of local, “These figs came off my tree at home” – it doesn’t get much more local than that; the figs and whitlof are the heroes of a delicate salad also featuring Jamon.

The smashed pavlova and the rice pudding look spectacular: such that they surprise and delight, belying their simple names. The wine list is short but really well curated – a mix of very local and imported gems. 

Hogget Kitchen

When a chef and two winemakers conspire, it’s usually a good thing. It usually means food+wine=good. Hogget Kitchen is no different. In the winery, Bill Downie and Patrick O’Sullivan. You might recognise those Reg Mombassa labels Bill is famous for. In the kitchen, Trevor Perkins with brother Steve.

Trev is quietly spoken, passionate about food and provenance, but in a way that just gets the job done. No fanfare. Just, “Oh, I picked the tomatoes from Mum’s garden”, and “Yeah, we grew up cooking, hunting for meat, that sort of thing”,  and “Yeah, I built the hot smoker from scratch, to get one I liked.”

The food is a simple, beautiful, produce-driven style, not overly presented, and it’s all from around here. We had Trev’s mum’s heirloom tomato salad, (best tomatoes ever), flathead and Dobsons potatoes (perfect), Bresaola and radishes (sublime, cured in-house), and a simple little dish Trev called “Steak and chips.” OK, it was a steak and potato chips, but what you need to know is that the beef is dry-aged in the cabinet at the front of the open kitchen. It’s cooked carefully in the pan to get that golden crust on the outside and be gloriously soft and pink on the inside. It’s finished with Trev’s mum’s own Worcestershire sauce, and served with the crispiest golden potato chips ever.  O. M. G.

Basils Farm

The Bellarine Peninsula is home to some amazing little finds, most of them set away from the main roads and found by local knowledge or that article you read once somewhere. Basils Farm is a vineyard and restaurant at the end of a spectacular driveway, through the vines, and almost on the beach overlooking the water to Queenscliff. Getting out of the car and discovering where you are is just the start of a beautifully surprising adventure.

With an almost Royal Mail–like attention to the provenance of their produce, they are crafting tasty dishes with veg from their extensive garden (a small section of which you are free to roam). The wines made on the estate are equally as fine and detailed. Two styles of chardonnay are particularly interesting, as is the maritime influence seen in the pinot noir.

Bomboras

Bomboras has an enviable spot overlooking the beach at Torquay, and has the daytime vibe of a lazy beach party. It’s pretty chill here, nothing too fancy, nothing too cerebral. Local beers on tap, a menu of snacks and simple dishes. Good for a quiet recovery late breakfast or lunch the day after the night before. Do the Bloody Mary special – it’s got a kick from fire tonic that we loved. Speaking of the night before, that’s when Bomboras goes off. When the lights go down, it’s a buzzy summertime bar with great cocktails, great tunes, and a cool vibe.

Bomboras has other locations on the foreshore and at Point Roadknight (hip coffee kiosks), on the surf coast highway (rooftop bar), and look out for their pop-up beach bar in summer months.

Bunbartha Beef and Fine Produce

From farm gate store to impressive food emporium: Kelly started selling her family’s beef products direct to the public at the back of a fruit and veg market. Before she knew it, with huge public support for her approach to organic goodness, she added a health foods and natural goods store. This is like a familiar Fitzroy fave in the middle of country Victoria. It’s a hub for locals who want local, ethical food, but it also carries all your regular natural products. It’s possibly the biggest organics, natural products, and food market we’ve ever seen.

Benton Rise Farm

One of the reasons you take a trip into regional areas is that warm fuzzy feeling you get from seeing where your food comes from. It’s a particularly warm and fuzzy feeling to buy it from the farm and cook it for yourself. Benton Rise Farm has a service from their website where you can order their box of veg or make up your own for your weekend away, pick it up from the farm on your way down, and have all you need to cook delicious food in wherever your self-contained accommodation is.

If I can push the “fuzzy” link a little further, the mushrooms grown at Benton Rise are a highlight. We were lucky enough to try them in a dish on the menu at Merricks General Wine Store. Flavour country right there.

The Saturday morning farmers markets at the property are awesome, and staged from a “Red Rattler” train carriage.

Noble Monks

Shepparton is not blessed with street after street of stunning gold-rush architecture like, say, Ballarat. So the enterprising and stylish types here have to take a different approach. At Noble Monks it’s the semi-industrial bare brick and steel vibe. It works. You’re instantly reminded of your regular Yarraville haunts. The coffee here is from Bean Around – roasted locally by John at the Last Straw. The menu is driven by fresh local fruit and veg.

We had corn fritters made fresh – this is generous country hospitality. Big fritters with a soft poached egg.

Local seasonal fruit is the kind of fresh and easy breakfast you want in the country. When you go to the ocean you want fresh fish. When you go inland to the state’s food-bowl you want fresh grown produce.

A selection of humorously named,  deliciously fresh juices keeps the morning healthy and clean. There are good beers on tap and a respectable wine list if you have other ideas.

Little Prince Eating House and Bar

Walking into Little Prince in Traralgon was, to put it mildly, a surprise. You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled upon Chin Chin’s little brother. It has that busy, diner-esque vibe with bustling staff, tiles on the walls, and a bit of quirkiness. The quirk carries to the menu, with a solid hint of dude-food. Pinch yourself for the reminder that this is Traralgon, on the way to Lakes Entrance, not Melbourne or Sydney. Dishes like the crab sliders – with legs out the sides, about to walk off – bring a sense of humour to the place, as well as deliciousness. The salmon sashimi was fresh and clean, like it should be. Salted caramel and popcorn ice-cream was designed to kill, as it should.

The cocktail list includes proper alcohol-free alternatives, a welcome sight for some. The cocktail and wine list is extensive and well sourced.

Wye River General Store

Wye River is a tiny hamlet between Apollo Bay and Lorne. Its main feature is a gob-smackingly gorgeous bit of coast where the river meets the surf. Running a close second is the General Store.

A late-ish breakfast at the General Store is a relaxed affair, even with the hubbub of a busy cafe that has the honour of being the only early option on this part of the coast. Sunlight floods the cafe, and on a clear day the view of surfers riding the break and families taking some time together across your avo toast and killer coffee is enough to make your heart a little gladder. If the French toast lulls you into unconsciousness, just order another coffee.

The tiny community of Wye River was hit pretty hard after the devastating Christmas Day fires of 2016. But it’s bouncing back better than ever. The Store and the pub just across the road are something of a focal point for a resilient community getting its stuff back together. There’s a really positive and friendly vibe from the store manager Briony Payten as she tells us how busy it has been, and just how supportive locals, weekenders, and tourists have been too. By the way, if you recognise that surname, yes the wine list does carry the great wines of her brother Ben Payten of Payten and Jones, amongst a strong list of locals.

For warmer days, there’s heaps of outdoor seating, and if children pepper your party, there’s the most epic playground right next door.

Though your focus might initially be on a sourdough toastie and great coffee, once you remember that you have no bread in your B&B and that you forgot your toothbrush, you’ll be glad of the other facet to the business. It’s a true general store, with all the essentials for the weekend visitor. You could easily self-cater from the selection of produce at hand, and all the ingredients for surviving a coastal retreat are available.