Gift of life comes out of tragic death of popular Albury chef Andrew Milton

With Albury landmarks immortalised by local artist Kade Sarte, Andrew Milton and Joel Carey literally set the scene for what diners could expect from 2640 Restaurant and Bar in Kiewa Street.

It was a dream the pair had realised together - locally sourced produce, support for local businesses, and food that wasn't over-priced or "overly pretentious".

Joel's cheeky grin and even cheekier banter front of house and Andrew's creative flair and "absolute perfectionism" in the kitchen.

Food and service.

That's what it boiled down to, Joel says.

ANDREW had always loved cooking, his older sister Beck Milton recalls.

The close-knit family lived at Yerong Creek and Andrew was an "outdoorsy" kid who loved fishing with his mum and dad, Eileen and Leslie Milton.

"He also adored animals - I actually thought he'd turn into a crazy cat lady, except with dogs," Beck laughs.

"He had a big smile and a big personality; he was always singing and dancing.

"I haven't met anyone who didn't like him."

At Billabong High School, Andrew chose food technology as one of his subjects and the rest, as they say, is history.

"After he finished school, he walked into the Commercial Club Albury to ask for a job and walked out with an apprenticeship," Beck says.

"He didn't look back after that."

It would be hard to name an establishment in Albury-Wodonga that Andrew hasn't worked in at one time or another.

But it was at the Hovell Tree Inn that he was to hit his creative straps - particularly his knack for desserts, according to Beck.

It's also when he would meet the love of his life in Joel, owner of Lavington's Red Brik Caffe.

The connection between the pair five years ago was instant.

"When we met he thought I might be one of those poncey cafe owners but as soon as I opened my mouth he said, 'Oh, you're just a bogan'," Joel laughs.

"We had our first kiss and that was it!"

Beck also remembers the first time her brother met Joel.

"He rang me at 2am to tell me he was 'the one'," she recalls.

"I was so happy for him, and both (lots of) parents really got on well with each other.

"Mum and Dad and (Joel's parents) Colin and Debra could see they had a real connection and we all became one big family."

THEY spoke often of opening their own restaurant together.

At the time Andrew was the executive chef at Mantra Albury and, together with Joel's business partner Heather Chowanetz, the trio had opened Red Brik Caffe in Wodonga (which they later sold).

Joel and Andrew would meet businessman Bob Toal and his wife Barb and, after many discussions, a partnership - and a plan - was formed.

They spent six months renovating the former Q Manhattans venue and opened the doors of 2640 with a flourish on December 10, 2019.

"It was a hit from the get-go," Joel says.

"We had bookings from the day we opened and were actually pushing people back."

Being partners in life and business was always going to bring its day-to-day challenges - particularly during a busy dinner service.

"Sometimes I'd put through a few too many dockets at once and Andrew would give me daggers," Joel admits sheepishly.

"He'd shake his head and I'd go, 'Sorry babe' but it never changed ..."

Still the combination proved a recipe for success and diners were hungry for the fare being served up at the city's new eatery.

Then, just three months after opening, a global pandemic struck.

OVERNIGHT they had to transform a sit-down menu into takeaways.

"Never in a million years did we think we'd be putting a medium-rare eye fillet steak into a takeaway box," Joel exclaims.

The partners held a meeting for the three businesses and stood everyone down.

Joel and Andrew kept working - "it was about keeping our name out there".

When JobKeeper payments came in, Joel says they were overwhelmed by the number of staff who came in to help.

"They said, 'We want a job to come back to'," he recalls.

"We survived but we were exhausted."

Even as lockdowns eased, the frustrations and financial pressures continued with the vagaries of seating restrictions, QR code check-ins and, most notably, staff shortages.

Everyone in hospitality has felt the pinch - even with the return of business as usual, Joel concedes.

But the pressure was taking its toll, particularly on Andrew.

The restaurant's trading hours include breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week and breakfast and lunch on Sundays.

Cracks were starting to form as a result of the "relentless" workload, according to Joel.

"We'd work all day and then the worries of business would take its toll at home," he says.

There was depression, exhaustion, and at times drinking as a coping mechanism to "wind down" after a stressful day.

The signs were there, agrees Beck, who lives at Ipswich.

"Andrew would ring me late at night - anywhere between 10pm and 4am; Joel would often be in bed because he had to work early," she says.

"Six months ago I was really really worried about him."

Both Beck and Joel urged Andrew to get help and to see a doctor.

"He'd say to me he didn't want to take a pill for the rest of his life," Joel says.

IRONICALLY, the restaurant recently enjoyed a record six weeks.

"But there was no work-life balance and no break coming up," Joel reflects.

"Work had to be our number one priority but we lost ourselves, each other and our life together ...

... and in the end Andrew's life."

ANDREW was pronounced brain dead on Monday, October 31.

Family flew to be by his side while Joel kept a bedside vigil at Albury hospital.

Bek and Joel can not speak highly enough of the care the families received from the staff in ICU.

"From the minute I walked in, and when Andy's parents arrived, they treated us with the utmost respect and kindness and they treated Andrew with such dignity," Joel says.

But amidst the shock and grief, a difficult decision needed to be made.

"None of us could remember his wishes around organ donation and we'd never organised any paperwork," Joel says.

So together as a family they agreed Andrew would become an organ donor.

"We didn't know what would be viable but we hoped that perhaps some good could come out of this," Beck says.

"We kept him on a ventilator until his birthday on Wednesday (November 2) - we decided what better gift on Andrew's birthday than for him to give the gift of life to someone else."

Andrew would have been 38 that day.

Instead his heart went to save someone else's life, his kidneys will save two lives and his eyes will help two people to see.

"As awful as it was to watch him go through those theatre doors, it brings me joy to know that somewhere in Australia, there are families so thankful for the gift coming their way," Beck says.

FOR Joel, Beck, their families and friends, the anguish lies with the endless what ifs - what could they have done differently to stop Andrew taking his life.

"It breaks my heart to know he was so low in that moment," Beck says.

Joel wishes he could tell his soul-mate, "I love you and I'm sorry ... and I wish I could have saved you".

The couple's adored labrador dogs Marley and Scout sit waiting in their apartment for their other "dad" to walk through the door.

"It used to melt my heart waking up in the middle of the night and listening to Marley and Andrew snoring together with Marley wrapped around his head," Joel says.

"He was such a beautiful soul and I know he loved me so much."

JOEL feels strangely grateful that he had "three extra days" with Andrew.

"As tough as it was to see him like that, I got to sleep next to him, cuddle him and tell him I love him," he says.

"I'm sure he would have been thinking, 'Why on earth didn't you kiss me this much when I was alive'!"