The vast options served up on the menu at the hundreds of eateries in Ballarat nowadays has changed the way residents think about and consume food.

Everyday local entrepreneurs are opening their doors and reaping the rewards of Ballarat's food revolution.

As recently as the early 2000s and certainly during the 90s, the risk would have far outweighed the reward of starting a restaurant in Ballarat. That is far from the case in 2015.

In a week that Bakery Hill restaurant Catfish Thai broke a 20-year drought for Ballarat and received one of the highest industry honours, a chef hat in the Age Good Food Guide there has been widespread conversations about just how far Ballarat has come.

Next week marks the launch of the city's second Good Food Ballarat month in November, another sign of the seismic shift in the gourmet excellence locals are happy to pursue. 

Owner of The Forge Pizzeria Tim Matthews said the change in food culture in Ballarat was part of much wider picture of people becoming more discerning.

"All around the world we are seeing the rise of food trucks or restaurants turning over new menus and ideas," he said.

"Before we opened in 2010, some of the local places that we really respect weren't around either. The Mallow hadn't had its renovation, Mitchell-Harris wasn't open, Jacksons and Co or the Western weren't redone and then other new places like The Hot Temple have since come along too.

"Elsewhere there were a lot of businesses that had been doing the same thing for a long time. 

"Regardless of what they serve, the industry in Melbourne for example, is always fresh and new - Ballarat lacked that for many years.

"I'm not saying places weren't delivering, but for a population the size of Ballarat, people wanted new concepts.

"Now venues are having to invest time in updating their menus, concepts, looks and I think we'll see the same thing in the event space."

When it comes to food in Ballarat there is a new rule of thumb - you must remain fresh to remain relevant.

For family business partners John and Shannyn Harris and Alicia and Craig Mitchell opening wine bar Mitchell-Harris Wines in 2013 was a risk worth taking.

Mrs Mitchell said overtime a fellowship with other food businesses has developed in Ballarat, which is contributing to the sector's strength.

"There is a camaraderie between some of the hospitality establishments in Ballarat and I think that certainly needs to be fostered and furthered," she said.

"The way to improve the profile is take 'the more the merrier' path and everyone needs to support other people when they have events and things like that. We are very much in it together. That's the only way to move forward.

"If you think about the Yarra Valley for example, you think about it as a food entity that has lots to offer and if you go there you're bound to find something that will suit you.

"We need to create that feel for Ballarat."

Writer and chef Suzi Fitzpatrick has been at the forefront of pushing the industry forward in Ballarat.

While Ms Fitzpatrick acknowledges that the town has come a long way in terms of celebrating all things food, sometimes old habits are hard to shake.

"A lot people in Ballarat when they eat, they're going out for a feed to just fuel themselves for the day and are not even thinking in the culinary realms," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

"If there was a menu in front of them that had some really nice offerings and some basics, they just pick off those basic things and don't think about what they're ordering. We need to be focusing on educating people about food.

"They are still going for their old favourites. We need to get the people of Ballarat on board.

"Let's celebrate what we've got here. Our better restaurants are really putting it all out there now and giving people the opportunity to indulge in fantastic food."

Guo 'Ryan' Dong, head chef and co-owner of dumpling bar Fu Man Lou, knows first hand the difficulty in getting customers to try something different.

Mr Dong said when the Camp Street restaurant opened last year it took some customers time to get on board.

"Ballarat doesn't do Chinese food like Melbourne, so it is good for the local people to get experience different tastes," he said.

"It's a little bit hard to get Ballarat people to accept new things, but we make really nice, fresh dumplings and once customers taste them they do come back. Those who have tried dumplings love them, so when we opened we were flat out straight away, but there are always challenges."

You only have to look at Good Food Ballarat festival line-up in November to see that the region's taste for high quality meals is on the rise. With more than 40 restaurants hosting different events across the month, there is something to suit everyone's tastebuds.

The teams at The Forge, Mitchell-Harris Wines and Fu Man Lou all agreed that support shown in the festival - in just its second year - was a very good sign for Ballarat.

For Ms Fitzpatrick, who has devoted much of her life to good food, Ballarat's new found appreciation for hospitality couldn't have come quick enough.

"We've got a great climate in Ballarat for growing. We've got beautiful soils, a huge amount of space and really good infrastructure - everything we need is here," she said.

"Ballarat has the potential to become the food destination of Victoria."

The Good Food Ballarat event guide will appear in Wednesday's edition of The Courier.