Mirella Willingham: Head Chef
Mirella trained under Executive Chef Maurice Esposito for many years. She worked with him at The Stokehouse in St Kilda, Il Baccaro and Sarti in Melbourne CBD. She spent 2 years at Bistro Giulliume before returning to run Maurice's kitchen at Esposito at Toofeys. Mirella's heritage is Portugese and Italian. When she travelled through Portugal and Italy she found clear and true flavours everywhere. Small artisan producers that delivered exceptional produce. This became her inspiration for the food she cooks today.
Today, Mirella uses small producers where possible. Heirloom tomatoes, suckling pigs, delicate nasturtium and pansy flowers from her garden. Small pencil leeks from a producer in Central Victoria are lovingly braised with thyme and bay and draped around a 'cannelloni' of slow braised calamari, filled with prawns. A modern touch to her cooking, ensures flavours are true and clear - without any sacrifice of taste.
With a Mother and father bringing her up in a handmade chocolate and biscuit emporium, Mirella was destined to have a life revolving around food.
Maurice Esposito: Executive Chef & Owner
Maurice Esposito’s career as a chef spans 20 years. He has trained with several great chefs including Stephanie Alexander, Robert Castellani and in London worked in Michelin Star restaurants including Richard Neat’s Pied a Terre and Enoteca Pinchiorri.
Esposito worked for Maurice Terzini as the founding chef at Otto in Sydney and was Executive Chef at St Kilda’s Stokehouse, before moving on to Il Baccaro and Sarti, then set up Esposito in Carlton.
He cooks with a slight irreverence to tradition but a faithful commitment to clear and clean flavours.