To Andy Buchan, a charcoal chicken joint is an essential part of any country town – “that, a fish and chip shop, a pub and a Chinese restaurant” – so he decided to take one to Harcourt, the town he fell in love with after making wine there for five years.

Ten minutes from Castlemaine and 90 minutes from Melbourne, Harcourt is now home to Victoria’s quirkiest charcoal chicken spot, Le Coq Door (translating roughly to the golden chicken).

Set inside the town’s old tavern, which had been closed for 18 months, it’s got the atmosphere of a pub or RSL, with 150 vinyl seats, a front bar and a pool table. The brown and red colour scheme of the original fitout has been revived, but the drinks are fresh and exciting, thanks to Buchan’s winemaking background under the label Adaption.

The menu is brief and joyously retro: rotisserie chicken, dagwood dogs and, for dessert, soft-serve and jam doughnuts.

Le Coq Door is a sign of the times in central Victoria, where Buchan and other hospitality operators have spied opportunity. Daylesford has long been the region’s culinary drawcard, but there are now several dining destinations blossoming.

“There’s a demographic change happening,” says Buchan. “These towns have been very farmer-oriented, but now there are a lot of younger families who are commuting to Bendigo and, in many cases, Melbourne.”

Castlemaine has had an influx of ex-Melbourne chefs drawn by the historic town’s charm and access to produce.

Ali Currey-Voumard, who trained under Andrew McConnell and worked at Tasmania’s celebrated Agrarian Kitchen eatery, ran her pop-up restaurant, A Table Bistro, in Castlemaine for several months this year. Her French-leaning menus celebrated local growers, such as Mount Franklin Organics and Jonai Farms. Joel Baylon, formerly of Melbourne hot spots Aru and The Moon, moved back to his hometown to head the kitchen at Love Shack brewery’s venue.

In August, couple Astrid Connelly and David Gorniak opened Gornelly’s, an all-day cafe and wine bar styled on those found in European neighbourhoods.

After moving from Melbourne in 2020, they saw more young people like them relocating and spotted a gap in Castlemaine for a mid-range venue that was open late.

“We used to come up a lot on weekends [before we moved] and it felt quite sleepy. But it’s changed so much,” Gorniak says.

The number of registered food premises in the Shire of Mount Alexander (which includes Castlemaine and Harcourt) doubled between 2020-21 and 2023-24.

The region’s growing culinary reputation was pre-empted by a UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation in 2019, awarded to the City of Greater Bendigo and eight other local government areas including Shire of Mount Alexander.

Among Castlemaine’s thriving community of hospitality entrepreneurs are hatted restaurant Bar Midland, cheesemakers Long Paddock, Boomtown wine bar, Love Shack brewery, the pop-ups by A Table Bistro and Ratbag at Temperance House Hotel, and Sprout Bakery.

“We’d always wanted to open our own place,” Gorniak says. “And we’d seen all these new venues open up around us, and we found it quite inspirational. There’s a movement happening here.”

“It’s alive in a way that I think is pretty special in a regional town,” Connelly says. “Places can sometimes become toy towns, but this is changing, it’s innovating.”

Tiny Harcourt (population 1000) might be the next culinary pin on the map. Apart from Le Coq Door and wineries such as Bress, there’s a revamp of Blumes Bakery under way, a forthcoming miniature railway, and new cafe Cool Store, which opened in August.

Housed in a space once used to make pine boxes to store the town’s famed apples, Cool Store sells toasties, home-made cakes and Code Black coffee between Monday and Friday.

“Hospitality people look for opportunities to do something a bit different. Little towns like Harcourt have those opportunities,” says co-owner Remy Sowman.

A proposal to rezone parts of the town centre for commercial use may bring more.

“What’s happening in central Victoria is amazing right now,” Buchan says. “There’s so many wonderful little communities, producing fabulous wines and food and drinks and restaurants. It’s a real opportunity for Harcourt to be pulled into it.”

Five venues to add to a central Victorian road trip

Le Coq Door

You’re here for the chook. It’s sourced from Hazeldene’s and cooked on a rotisserie over Mallee charcoal, just like charcoal chicken shops used to do. Served with chips, gravy and all the condiments you could want, it goes down a treat with the minimal intervention wines on offer from near and far.

23 High Street, Harcourt, lecoqdoor.com

Cool Store

From the less-is-more school comes this weekday-only cafe set inside a gorgeous art deco building. The menu revolves around toasties filled with ham, cheddar and pickle, or balsamic mushroom, hummus and feta. Coffee is by Code Black and the owners used to run Woodend’s popular Fox in the Chamber cafe.

32 Coolstore Road, Harcourt, instagram.com/harcourtcoolstore

Boomtown Cellar Bar

This winemaking space, cellar door and restaurant is part of the revamped wool mills of Castlemaine, and it’s a magnet for those seeking minimal intervention wines and snacky share plates. On weekends, more substantial fare includes pasta (sometimes with clams, sometimes ragu), braised vegetables and roasted meat such as porchetta.

The Mill, 9 Walker Street, Castlemaine, boomtownwine.com.au

Gornelly’s

Slide onto the bar at this Euro spot with checkerboard floors and chat to staff or whoever’s next to you. A little like Pellegrini’s, it’s all part of the experience. By day, get filled focaccia, coffee and house-made cake. Dinner will be small plates such as terrine, baby leeks with pesto, and affogato with house-made ice-cream. Just add wine.

196 Barker Street, Castlemaine, instagram.com/gornellys

Love Shack

This bar attached to local brewers Love Shack has got all the wood-panelled charm of an old pub – plus a secret weapon in chef Joel Baylon (ex-Aru). He serves Scotch eggs with XO sauce, fried cauliflower with ranch dipping sauce, and crumpets slathered with smoked trout and creme fraiche, plus parmas, burgers and other favourites. Pull up a stool seven days a week.

26 Hargraves Street, Castlemaine, loveshackbrewingco.beer