History lives at the Guildford Family Hotel near Castlemaine. Built in 1855, the original stables, well and music hall next door remain untouched since the gold fever ripped through the valley.

Inside the fires crackle, the floors are uneven, the service is honest, and tributes to legendary AFL footballer Ron Barassi, who was born in Guildford, line the wall.

In the historic kitchen, the team cooks much-loved dishes such as duck sausage with silky mash and rich onion, classic sticky lamb shanks with a red wine jus, and a retro sticky date pudding.