An almost perfect review of Tonny Takeaway’s favourite product, “Kev’s Cakes”, is being celebrated among the growing potato cake community that hangs on the every word of a 24-year-old Echuca man that started Facebook sensation the Potato Cake Appreciation Society.
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Ash Mangan, a part owner of the business, said her staff had been on red alert for several weeks following the partial release of the identity of the food critic in an online article produced by an ABC Everyday journalist.
Thom, as he was called in the article, was behind the creation of the Potato Cake Appreciation Society five years ago and now has 17,000 followers.
He travels far and wide to review potato cakes (or scallops, depending on which side of the fence you are from) and walked into the Tongala store after several requests from his Facebook devotees.
All Ash knew about the reviewer is that he had sandy-coloured long hair, studs in his ears and some facial hair.
But that was enough when he walked into the store and she was immediately on high alert.
All her fears were, however, realised as it was the day that her chief potato-cake maker, Natalie Bird, was on a day off.
Ash and team were well aware they would be reviewed at some stage, being just down the road from the home of the man who has quickly become known as the “potato cake king”.
They had followed closely his assessment of other shops’ products, but have stayed true to the original receipt of the former owner after who the cakes are named — Kev.
The review, as you will read, went very well and ticked the important boxes of value for money, salt and batter content, along with the home-made element that is so highly valued by Thom.
He has been critical of “slick new operators” starting to push the limits on the price of potato cakes, saying there were two camps developing in his adopted community — the classic Aussie fish and chip shop which has had the same blackboard for 50 years and just updated the prices, then the new-age outlets that want to be a bit more upmarket and are charging up to $3 for each potato cake.
One such trendy spot, in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, sells Thom’s current favourite, which he rated a 9.5 out of 10 — despite the city surcharge.
Ash Mangan grew up in Kyabram, but her father is from Tongala.
She and her sister-in-law, Renee Kellett, bought the store in June last year and have been completing renovations on a continuing basis since the purchase.
“It’s coming up to our 12-month anniversary,” she said of the seven-day-a-week operation, which has a half century history in the town.
She described the arrival of Thom as “not totally unexpected”.
“We’ve been waiting for someone for months. He has had a lot of people recommend Kev’s Cakes and we knew he was from Echuca,” Ash said.
D-Day came for Tongala Take Away at 1pm on the Wednesday after Anzac Day.
“Of all times for him to come in. Nat was away and she makes a majority of them. She randomly had the week off.
“Ninety per cent of the potato cakes are made by Nat, she is our full-timer and has experience,” Ash said, although she did add a majority of the staff at the store were now experts in the preparation of Kev’s Cakes.
The potato cakes were already in the bain marie, but fortunately had not been in there long when he purchased them.
“He bought three potato cakes and two dim sims. He often writes about how he likes them dusted in chicken salt and appreciates being given one for free.
“I was a bit stressed about that, because I didn’t give him a free one,” she said.
Fortunately, for Ash, the shop was pretty quiet at the time and we offered what she considered typically courteous service.
The potato cake expert then wandered cross to the shire lawns, sat down on a chair and began his review of the product.
“We were really surprised by the comments, considering the cakes had come from the bain marie,” Ash said.
“Kev’s receipe certainly stood up,” she said, of former owners Kev and Pam Snelling from Stanhope, who had operated the business for 15 years.
They had the shop on the market for a couple of years and it was on the verge of being closed when the sale went through.
“Kev taught us his recipe and how to make everything in the shop,” Ash said.
“We wanted to keep the potato cakes the same. He battered all his own fish and crab sticks, as well as potato cakes. We still call them Kev’s cakes.”
Ash is a school teacher, with a focus on foods, health and physical education, by trade and a mother of three.
Her decision to buy the store with her sister-in-law came after the arrival of her third son, Toby.
“I thought it was something I could do on the side, while the kids were young,” she said.
“Renee is a nurse and used to work for the owners before — Pam and Kev — when she was on university breaks.”
Renee’s sister Bianca also worked at the shop.
Ash’s partner Josh also spent a lot of time here, too, and he was friends with some of the workers and his parents knew the previous owners.
As for the assessment of the cakes, Ash said she thought it was fair.
“There was still room for improvement,” she said.
Here is a sample of the comments that were attached to the Facebook page:
“Oh my! they do look good desperately searching where the hell Tongala is and if a road trip is in order.”
“I can tell by the texture in the batter that this is a great potato cake . I have made potato cakes, great when you find a home-made potato cake.”
“It will take me 3 hrs and 22 minutes to get there but from your description of those fine potato cakes the trip will be well worth it.”
THE REVIEW
You asked, we delivered. This one’s been recommended for a year or so, and for one reason or another we haven’t been out in that locality. But it happened. The short trek was made, and I swear to the PC Gods (not politically correct, but Potato Cake), it was worth the drive.
Tonny Takeaway (Tongala, Victoria), was re-established, refurbished and reopened in the latter half of last year. When I arrived at around 1pm on a quiet Wednesday arvo, the bain marie was packed full of deep-fried delights, and I was excited to sample a discus chip I’d heard so much about. I paid $1.50 for a few cakes, that had been waiting for my arrival, each marketed as a “Kev’s Cake”. I don’t know who Kev is, but thank you Kev.
I soon had crossed the road to the nearest park, and opened up a classic brown-paper bag to enjoy each crispy morsel. You could tell from sight alone that these were home-made potato cakes. Each was covered with bubbling and crispy batter, extra crunch along the edges where it had pooled. The batter itself had an incredible taste, and had no trace of that processed flavour.
These featured a slightly oily texture, despite their previous residence under a heat lamp. These cakes were of a generous size in width, and varied in thickness. The centre of these cakes consisted of multiple layers of thinly sliced potato, conglomerating together into a singular piece of fluffy, soft potato. The overall taste was amazing and fresh, and each cake was brilliant value for money.
Trimmings were available to self-apply, and as the chicken salt shaker was pretty clogged, I applied both chicken and regular sea salt to each cake. These cakes were a little cool, and the slightest bit soggy from their wait, but I’m sure a fresh one would be the cream of the crop. And don’t worry, we’ll be back to find out. 9/10