August 20, 2024
Shop stories: Explore Damm Good Cafe in Elsternwick Village
Thomas Damm (centre) with his team.
Thomas Damm is proud of the warm, welcoming atmosphere he’s created at Damm Good Cafe, and the head chef is firmly at home among the plants and friendly interior.
His journey to Glen Huntly Rd in Elsternwick Village, however, has been one of determination, lots of learning, self-discovery and a drive to succeed.
To go from an “unhappy mechanic” to sought-after chef, Mr Damm has worked hard, studied hard and taken the odd risk.
Working as a mechanic in his 20s, he knew he wanted something else and with an interest in food, combined with the drive to start over, he studied cooking.
“I then found myself in a Michelin-starred kitchen for four and a half years,” Mr Damm said.
“It was very hard work but I learned a lot and studied hard.”
The same drive and ambition that got Mr Damm from the workshop to the Michelin-starred kitchen took him to his next life adventure.
“I wanted to do something for myself. So, I bought a one-way ticket to Australia,” he said.
Making a fresh start
Mr Damm said goodbye to his native Germany, flew across the world and began picking beans on a farm in Australia.
Then someone told him about a job available at a resort on Fraser Island. His work ethic and commitment to succeeding in this new life were tools he truly needed.
“I was in a new country and had to learn a new language,” he said.
“There were two Germans at the resort but their shift times were different to mine, so that forced me to learn English.
“I made a decision to change everything to English. Within two months I was dreaming and counting in English,” he said.
The island job was another kitchen learning experience but also offered a bit of self-discovery.
“I realised I am a city person,” Mr Damm said.
“I need different cultures and the mix of food choices that brings. Some people I met on the island talked about Melbourne and told me that is where I should be if I wanted to truly pursue a creative cooking career.”
Mr Damm left Fraser Island and spent five weeks travelling.
“I wanted to travel and see as much as I could but I ran out of money after five weeks,” he said.
He found work at the Melbourne Club and his foothold in the culinary world of Melbourne began.
The Melbourne Club wasn’t where he wanted to remain as “a hunger for other cuisines and fine dining” grew.
“I began to think carefully about where I wanted to be and knew I wanted to grow as a chef,” he said.
An opportunity at Stoke House in St Kilda created new learning experiences for the chef and he loved the area, the vibe of the restaurant and met new people.
In almost four years there, he learned as much as possible about the kitchen.
Discovering Melbourne’s burgeoning cafe culture
Later, running the kitchens in cafes like Las Chicas opened other aspects of cooking and other Australian foods and culinary styles to Mr Damm.
“I wanted to see different sides of cooking and I wanted to learn the management side. Melbourne had such a vibrant cafe scene that I freelanced in various places to dip my toes in – places such as Balderdash in Port Melbourne and Las Chicas, which was bigger and challenging,” he said.
All that experience and learning helped him eventually create his own business, as did falling in love with fine dining.
“I stumbled into private dining and absolutely loved it,” he said.
And Damm Good Catering was born. For Mr Damm, private dining is the best way to showcase his craft while the client enjoys a night with family and friends.
They also cater larger events such as weddings.
“Whatever the event – a large wedding or a small home gathering – my focus is always on a quality dining experience,” Mr Damm said.
A focus on quality and community
This same approach of offering a quality dining experience is also true of Damn Good Cafe in Elsternwick Village.
“Quality over quantity is what we offer; delicious food made with quality ingredients,” Mr Damm said.
The cafe offers a warm and cosy atmosphere with great service.
“It is a community hub offering good food. I didn’t want to run just another cafe. I wanted something where people who seek quality can come,” Mr Damm said.
Mr Damm loves the neighbourhood of Glen Huntly Rd and Elsternwick Village as a whole.
“There’s a variety of people, a lot of families and a strong sense of community that cares for each other. Everything you need is here. Not a lot of suburbs have that anymore. It has a real village feel,” he said.
Within that Damm Good Cafe fits snugly.
“It is somewhere you want to be,” Mr Damm said.
