Local Legend VIC: Third Wheel Highett

Brand new to the block, Third Wheel Highett has been open just over 4 months. Owned by a partnership of three, married couple and chefs Jen Anstey and Mere Herewini, together with business partner Suzy Kyriakopoulos. We’ve all been in the industry for over 20 years. We came across a shop for sale and thought it was time we created a space of our own. The café’s name ‘Third Wheel’ came about as a joke regarding Suzy’s friendship with the girls.

“We like to have fun and work hard. Watching people enjoy what we offer brings us all a lot of pride. We love offering an escape from reality and indulging everyone’s tastebuds. We can’t wait to grow with the community and see our passion for everything hospitality grow.

We asked our winners a few questions about their journey

Why Toby's Estate?

Having worked with Toby’s for the last 12 years I have seen firsthand the quality and service they provide so when it came to deciding which coffee company to use the choice was easy. The behind the scenes support we receive is second to none, over the years I saw that nothing was too much trouble and that was important to know that we would be guided and taken care of through our first venture together.

What is unique about your venue?

Having chef owners (Jen and Mere) gives us the creative freedom to create a unique menu with items that are not commonly seen on brunch menus in the area. Everything we serve is made in our kitchen. Whether it be our house made gnocchi and flat bread dishes which make appearances on our specials board to all our sweets in our cake display. We love constantly creating new weekly dishes. Inspiration coming from our travels and even viral online trends. We like to touch on all different types of cuisines putting our own spin on popular meals. We’re a real fusion. Showcasing flavours from all around the world. Decades of working in kitchens means we have the confidence and ability to create dishes we are proud of. As well as over 15 years’ experience working as a barista, meaning the coffee we serve is something we are proud of.