The chef behind one of Ballarat’s newest culinary hotspots has been awarded a top regional dining accolade.
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Moon and Mountain executive chef Liam Downes won the Golden Plate Award for best chef.
Judges described Mr Downes as a ‘deserving winner’ who has ‘all the credentials to lead the way in putting Ballarat firmly on the food map of regional Victoria’.
The talented chef has seen a transformation of the dining scene in Ballarat since he began working as an apprentice chef at Craig’s Royal Hotel in 2002.
The Melbourne style atmosphere and modern take on Asian food at Moon and Mountain has set a new standard for the city’s affordable eateries, with Saturday nights booked out weeks in advance a clear indication of demand.
“We have tried to put our finger on why there is such demand. We have a fun atmosphere here and good food and I think those two elements work together,” Mr Downes said.
When we opened we definitely knew Ballarat didn’t have anything along this line, so it was something that was going to challenge me but also maybe challenge Ballarat.
- Liam Downes, Moon and Mountain chef
The restaurant opened in November last year with only two chefs in the kitchen. He now leads a team of eight chefs.
“When we opened we definitely knew Ballarat didn’t have anything along this line, so it was something that was going to challenge me but also maybe challenge Ballarat and get some of those new things happening with food,” Mr Downes said.
Growing up helping in the kitchen at his parents’ hotel in Greendale is where Mr Downes first discovered his passion for food.
He began his career in food at Craig’s Royal Hotel and moved to work at Crewsick and Melbourne before returning to the kitchen at Craig’s 15 years later.
“You wouldn’t have looked at Ballarat back then and thought ‘I am going to do my training in Ballarat’, but we ended up getting a chef at Craig’s just as I started my apprenticeship and he had been working at three hat restaurants in Melbourne. I was lucky I had this option to work under the best in Ballarat at that time. But the options around were limited,” Mr Downes said.
“Now I think the whole western region dining scene in general is going bananas. I think with that accessibility from Melbourne and people moving out from Melbourne, it is going to continue to grow.”
Mr Downes said he and the owners of Moon and Mountain had plans to grow the restaurant and open other restaurants to fill holes in the Ballarat dining scene.
Moon and Mountain also won the Golden Plate Award for best value.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
