When Kim Currie and David Lowe opened The Zin House on the Lowe Family Wine’s 1000-acre estate in Mudgee, it was because the property already had a building which “lent itself beautifully to a restaurant”.
Although the structure already existed, it needed substantial work and the pair painted internally and externally, landscaped gardens, and recycled their own furnishings. “It was a case of fitting the business around the building in a way,” says Currie. “And we did it all on a shoestring.”
The couple certainly did it on a shoestring; once the venue opened in Easter 2014, it was six months before they got a dishwasher, and another 6 before they could afford a cool room.
The goal for The Zin House was a simple one: “Cook simply from scratch with what we grow.”
Guided by the principles of seasonal, local, and slow, Currie’s original idea was to only have a weekend service, with a simple three course $75 food menu, with $25 wine pairings, but necessity made things quickly evolve.
“It became a real tail wagging the dog situation,” says Currie. “You can’t get staff to help you for two days a week. And then there are your fixed costs. So, you explain to yourself that you need to open more services just to cover the fixed costs.”
Before they knew it, they had staff working five or six services.
One year after opening, the restaurant received its first hat. Now, The Zin House is celebrating its 10th anniversary – and another feature in the 2024 Good Food Guide’s illustrious awards.
For Currie, a large challenge over the past decade has been staying true to the original ethos of the restaurant, a feat that was often diluted by chefs who weren’t aligned with Currie’s philosophy of “quality, generosity, and authenticity”.
“I’ve tried to be very accommodating of various chefs over the years, and I think that sometimes led to the restaurant being a bit schizophrenic. ‘Kim Currie says they cook simply, why suddenly are there tweezers and foam?’.”
“As a self-taught chef, every time a young, up-and-coming trained chef who has all these lovely new ideas would come in, I would often struggle with my own doubts about my own ability and give a lot of sway,” says Currie.
“If I felt that it was not the direction that the restaurant was benefiting from, or that fitted with that ethos, it was often then too late to come back in and say, ‘I don’t agree with that direction’.”
The lesson for Currie has been to find confidence in her own knowledge and skillset.
“It’s taken 10 years for me to be in a place where I’m comfortable with my own abilities and what our goals are as a restaurant and what I want our customers to experience.” says Currie. “I’ve gotten to the point now where I’ve stopped apologising for my beliefs.”
Despite the ups and downs, says Currie, “I’ve been blessed to have some wonderful people, and to learn a lot on my journey with other people, and chefs in particular.”
At the moment, The Zin House menu features a popular emu egg pasta, with spinach, local feta, and pumpkin. It is finished with a creamy white wine butter sauce with fresh thyme, sage, and pinenuts, and topped with pangrattato.
Currie has recently reclaimed a larger role in the kitchen – partially because of staff shortages, and partially driven by her desire to be more directly involved – a move which has been surprisingly rewarding for the restaurateur.
As a result, the kitchen has cut down prep times, which Currie says is creating a more enjoyable workplace for her staff as their load is reduced. As a bonus, the chef says being more immersed in the kitchen has reignited her love of the restaurant and the details in the restaurant that are important, like managing the customer experience.
Currie’s advice to restaurateurs looking to stay in the game for a decade or more? “You truly have to love it. Because the moment that you’re disconnected or unhappy, that is going to come through in what you deliver. It’s always about reminding yourself at the end of the day: Why are we here?”
Looking ahead, Currie will continue to do what she does best: craft simple food, from scratch, with what she grows.
