Town Talk | Mooroopna’s Bill & Beat’s is serving up flavour

We lived there for 18 years and the boys all graduated from Mooroopna High. More importantly, my line of descent is firmly based in both Mooroopna and Shepparton. My maternal ancestors lived in Mooroopna from around 1870 until 2012. My great-grandfather was a hotelier — in other words, he ran a pub. He was also on the shire council. By 1888, there were eight hotels in Mooroopna and I have no idea where his was located. Maybe it was exactly where I sat down for a chat — because I was in Mooroopna to talk with Chris Buzza.

Bill & Beat’s

As many Shepp and Mooroopna residents are aware, Bill & Beat’s has been established in the town for eight years. And I wanted to know something about Chris’ experiences as a chef; so, I asked a few questions.

Chris started his apprenticeship at the Shepparton RSL and completed it at the Aussie. During this time, he had a home in Numurkah and was travelling backwards and forwards. So, he purchased a house in Shepp, finished his apprenticeship and got a job at the Telegraph Hotel, in Numurkah; once again, he was travelling to work and back.

He also travelled to Europe, during this period, and took a cooking course in Florence, Italy. This was a short but influential time in Chris’ career. He became a favourite of the elderly couple offering the course and they showed him a number of their unique techniques, which he still uses today.

Back home again, he was soon off to London to work at the ‘Maid of Muswell’. The hotel is in North London — just north-east of Hampstead Heath. He enjoyed his time there but was working in order to travel — not travelling in order to work. He worked with people from all over Europe, speaking many languages; however, I gathered that it was not a particularly challenging job. They were given a menu and had no influence over what was served.

Back home once again, he returned to the Telegraph Hotel, where he could try new ideas and, he thinks ‘Buzza’s Chicken’ is still on the menu. Then he accepted a position as head chef at ‘Sebastian’s’ which was the restaurant at the Wyndhamere Motel. Here our paths must have crossed because my man and I had several dinners there — some of them associated with the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group — and we enjoyed the food. Chris says it was a creative time for him and he was ready to give his own restaurant a go.

As with every business person I speak to, Chris talked about the good times and the difficult times. The early years at Bill & Beat’s were terrific and he values the support of the district. However, he then bumped into “the COVID times”, which were frustrating and costly. To a degree, he says, the restaurant is still recovering. However, there have been changes in the café, with more and more people eating out for breakfast or brunch. Lunch orders have also changed, with customers preferring something light. As a result of this, the breakfast menu is available through the lunch period. As customer habits change, adjustments must be made.

Functions

The restaurant seats 100 guests comfortably and there is an outdoor area. There is also a smaller function room upstairs, seating about 60 people. It is all smart and contemporary and a great place for weddings and 21st birthday celebrations. If you have any sort of celebration on the horizon, Bill & Beat’s is well worth considering. The upstairs room is quiet and appropriate for seminars or meetings.

New menu being created

I asked Chris about his most popular meal, right now. And without hesitation, he said “my gnocchi”. Now, I’m not going to tell you much about the gnocchi — except it is not like any you have tried in the past; it is not made from potatoes. Doubtless, this is one of the secrets shared in Florence — and you really must try it.

Chris is in the process of creating a new menu. However, I’d be very surprised if the gnocchi wasn’t included.

I thank Chris for his time and his patience. You will find his restaurant and café at 106 McLennan St, Mooroopna — on the corner of Morrell and McLennan Sts.

The Sergeant Major in Room 16

I simply can’t let this week go by without mentioning the passing of Shepp’s best friend, Murray Slee.

Murray loved this city and was constantly seeing things as they could be; perhaps rather annoyingly for those without his vision. When I remember him, I will always picture the Raymond West Swimming Pool. We all knew it wasn’t always as clean as authorities demanded, but we enjoyed it anyway. When I went for a swim, I always met up with friends from school or dance classes, people from my church, and quite often the Shepparton Football Club’s senior team — complete with Tom and Maureen Hafey. It was a community thing, with all ages enjoying the many options it offered. I was far too timid to start a conversation, but I liked that people spoke to strangers. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

At Murray’s funeral service last week, I learnt that he had many nicknames during his life; the ‘Hub of High Street’ when his furniture store was situated there and, more recently, ‘The Sergeant Major’ when he was in residence at Maculata Place.

I wrote extensively about him on his 99th birthday; because I wanted him to be aware of our appreciation while he was still with us. However, he stayed for another two years and almost five months.

Murray worked for so many good causes and improved this city in so many ways — too many to list here. He was a very good footballer and served the Shepparton club as captain and as coach. In fact, he turned down offers from three VFL clubs to remain here. After footy, he was a councillor for 34 years, three as mayor.

I sincerely doubt that Murray will be ‘resting in peace’ — he’s just not that type. He’ll be up and about, organising a footy team or perhaps planning a swimming pool with a diving board. (He loved diving.)

Thanks mate! We’ll miss you!

A plea for local retailers

Quite regularly, events outside of their control affect our local traders. All too clearly, I remember what happened in my Maude St store when the Market Place opened. Everyone assumed that prams would be cheaper out there, but they were actually around $30 dearer, which was quite a lot back then. We didn’t sell a pram for four weeks. But it was only four weeks, and we could survive that.

The things that have affected local traders, of recent times, have lasted much longer. Things such as the COVID years — and now the interest rates. Disposable income, in many homes, has decreased or disappeared — and this is certainly affecting our retailers. So, a plea to the people who are able, please preference our home-grown businesses.

These are the stores that differentiate us from other regional centres; they are the soul of the city centre.

Bring on November 2026

We have more than two years to put up with the current Victorian Government. Ministers appear to be making decisions, on the hop, without logic or sufficient knowledge — and then can’t explain them, because they are inexplicable.

The Minister for Health still refuses to answer questions about a 500 per cent increase in burial costs — and now, Fire Rescue Victoria, refuses to answer questions about the pumper; taken from us to Sunshine where the firefighters aren’t qualified to use it. I remember, when the Shepp Hotel burned, a pumper coming from Bendigo, which took some time.

These people are hopeless. Two more years of mismanagement and Victoria will never recover. God help us all!

What on earth is an ‘empty bottle of champagne’?

My husband has definitely recovered his fighting spirit. I can tell this because he has renewed his on-going criticism of literary editors. Apparently, the book he is listening to contains the following sentence: “There was an empty bottle of champagne by the bed.”

“Listen to this,” he says. “If it’s a bottle of champagne it can’t be empty; if it’s empty it can’t be a bottle of champagne. What’s wrong with, ‘An empty champagne bottle was by the bed.’? Who pays these people?”

There was something else yesterday, but I’ve forgotten it.

Yep! He has definitely recovered.

That’s it for this week. Take care of yourselves, enjoy the sunshine (if we have it) and may it be easy, my friends.

Marnie

Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au

Letter: Town Talk. Shepparton News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.

Phone: Text or call 0409 317187