After leaving behind a job as a chef and his family in India almost 20 years ago, Peter Gaur found himself lost in a strange, new country struggling to afford his next meal.

“I was struggling just to live day by day,” he said. 

But Mr Gaur considers himself one of the lucky ones.

He was able to find work as chef in the months following and with the help of new friends he made in Australia he turned his life around. 

He now owns seven restaurants across Victoria. 

But the overwhelming fear and anxiety felt by homeless people has never left him. 

Now the big-hearted chef is paying it forward.

Mr Gaur is opening up the doors to his newest restaurant Royal Indians Restaurant at Sturt Street to the city’s homeless and unemployed.

“People can come in and get a free dinner pack, no questions asked,” Mr Gaur said.

“We will never judge a person who walks through the doors.”

“We will never ask them where they have come from or why they are here.”

“We just want to make sure people have a proper and nutritious meal.”  

Foodbank’s annual hunger report showed one in six Australians had not had enough food to eat in the past 12 months. 

There are no statistics for each regional area, however more than 133,000 people need food from Victorian charities each month, with more than 38,000 of those children.

Ballarat Anglicare Emergency Relief Coordinator Pauline Prebble lauded the idea.

“It’s a fabulous idea,” she said.

“Initiatives like this take away the stigma associated with homelessness.” 

“By opening up the doors of a restaurant, which isn’t not a soup kitchen or another meals program, it allows somebody who is homeless or unemployed to go and get a take-away meal just like everybody else.”

Ms Prebble said rising rates of homelessness and unemployment meant more and more people were living below the poverty line.  

Mayor Des Hudson also praised the initiative. 

 “The gesture shows the good will of Ballarat and I encourage people to respect what is being done,” he said. “Hopefully the community embrace the Indian cuisine and support the business to help those in need.”  

The Royal Indians Restaurant is at 302, Sturt Street, Ballarat. It is open every day of the week except Tuesdays.

Free meals will be provided from 9pm.