eat

As the tenth anniversary of Mitch Duncan and Steven Chau becoming custodians of Daylesford’s Farmers Arms Hotel approaches, it’s a good time to take stock of changes to the town’s oldest pub.

 “I’m a glutton for making good food simple.” Everything at the shops is made in-house, from the fudge and fruit compotes flavouring the ice-cream to the cookie crumbs folded into the cookies and cream version along with a pinch of salt to make it zing.

The Trading Post is the kind of place that’s all things to all people. It’s a café and wine store, a grocer and a place to pick up take-home meals for the nights when you really can’t be bothered cooking.

From morning coffee and croissants to dinner and a nightcap, this charming hangout has all bases covered. 

Growing his own herbs and edible flowers in kitchen gardens at Daylesford’s Woodshed, Gary makes his own pickles, preserves and dried herbs 

The name Passing Clouds is an in-joke; a dig at the people who thought Graham Leith and Sue Mackinnon were out of their minds to attempt growing pinot noir grapes at such a high altitude.

The road to FIKA (the name is Swedish for “coffee break”) started with Freeman ditching sales to train as a barista at South Melbourne coffee kings St Ali. The decision to return to his hometown of Ballarat saw FIKA opening on Doveton Street in 2015. Then, as now, he chose to serve St Ali coffee beans in the café’s espresso and milk-based coffees, while Collingwood’s Proud Mary stands in for filter coffee.

“The other day we had a guest who just ordered two oysters,” says Waite, who runs front-of-house at the Castlemaine wine bar and restaurant. “I really love seeing someone come in and choose their speed, whether it’s a drink or a few small plates or a full dinner. We really want to be able to represent that kind of flexibility and be the kind of place people feel comfortable doing their thing.”