About this episode

Mauro Callegari discusses his journey and the essence of running a regional restaurant in Gembrook.

There’s a particular kind of welcome you only find in places built slowly and with intent, and that’s exactly what I walked into at The Independent in Gembrook. Mauro Callegari has shaped this former mechanics’ garage into something unmistakably his; part restaurant, part gathering place, part expression of a life spent cooking and travelling across continents before landing in the Dandenong Ranges. Before we sat down to talk, he walked me through the space, pointing out artworks, ingredients, and the quiet corners where mid week prep happens. What followed was an open, generous conversation about the realities of running a regional restaurant now, the shifting landscape of hospitality, and the way Mauro’s Argentinian Italian heritage and years of travel find their way, subtly and confidently, onto every plate.

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