STORY BY LARISSA DUBECKI, PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

Even in a town like Kyneton, where the ratio of excellent cafes and restaurants to residents is unerringly high, it’s not easy to overlook Duck Duck Goose & Larder.

On the golden mile of Piper Street, one of the hottest eat streets in Victoria, it sits directly opposite Grist Artisan Bakers, while Parkland bar, Major Tom’s burger joint and Little Swallow Café are just up the road.

But the imposing old market hall, dating back to the 1870s, is a particular stunner, and Duck Duck Goose makes the most of its local landmark status to deliver the most convivial of fuel stops.

“It was a school at one point and has had quite a few different lives,” says Lynise Woodgate, who runs Duck Duck Goose with her partner Troy Pannell. “It’s very country – a big old shed although the façade is pretty lovely. It’s pretty industrial, but we’ve spruced it up a bit since we took over.”

Lynise and Troy have plenty of skin in the café game. They also own the acclaimed Common Galaxia in Melbourne’s Seddon and Little Common, opposite the Footscray train station.

The newest addition to their little café empire, Duck Duck Goose’s appeal lay in a layout that lent itself to a mix of food and retail.

The front part of the building is dedicated to the 60-seat café, with additional seating out the front under market umbrellas – the perfect vantage point for watching the Piper Street show. Behind that you’ll find The Larder, where you can pick up local artisanal products too numerous to mention (a shortlist of stars incudes Robert Gordon crockery, Aromatherapy Company body lotions, Istra meats and Josh & Sue’s jams and chutneys). There are books, homewares and indoor plants – in short, all the ingredients for a trip into temptation.

“There’s a fair mixture… we want people to have a shop and lunch and just relax,” says Lynise.

You’ll need coffee, too, which is taken care of thanks to Blackburn-based A Plus roasters – there’s cold brew and batch brew alongside traditional espresso, as well as non-caffeinated fun in the form of turmeric lattes and sticky chai infused with honey.

The menu goes straight to the jugular of brunching excellence. There are corn fritters with poached eggs, avocado and bacon (unsurprisingly, it’s the most-ordered dish), Baghdad eggs with flatbread and classic toasties oozing cheese. The Duck Duck Goose kitchen also makes most of its own sweets and cakes: things like orange and poppyseed, or chocolate olive oil cake. They both speak to the vegan-friendliness of the operation, says Lynise: “We’re keen to cater for vegans and the gluten free.”

Wood-fired pizza is a Covid-induced addition to the DDG playbook. Offered on Friday nights and the weekend, “it helped get us through,” says Lynise, and is here to stay. No pizza is complete without a drink, and there’s a sharp list of local craft beer, wines and gin to keep you warm in the central Victorian chill.

Duck Duck Goose & Larder

17-21 Piper Street, Kyneton

03 5422 1653

www.duckduckgooseandlarder.com.au