The paddock-to-plate movement is gaining momentum in Ballarat with an increasing number of chefs and consumers choosing to purchase food and beverages grown and produced in this region.
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Eat, Drink, West launched a new partnership with Ballarat's Freight Bar and Restaurant on Wednesday night.
The restaurant will feature a special menu created with produce from a select local region each month.
This month, head chef Chris Watt has created a menu from Ballarat produce featuring lamb bacon from Breakwater, honey from Backyard Beekeeping Ballarat, brisket from Midvale Quality Meats and vegetables from Evansford's Blk 454 Chem Free Seasonal Veg.
The drink menu will feature a Ballarat espresso made with Ballarat gin, Ballarat coffee and Ballarat honey.
We can give them the whole story because we are dealing directly with the suppliers.
- Chris Watt, Freight Bar and Restaurant head chef
Freight will offer the special menu to 30 customers each night from Tuesday to Saturday. Customers also have the chance to buy a produce box to cook with the local produce at home.
Mr Watt said he was excited to show off local produce to Freight customers.
"People want to know the whole story from paddock to plate of what they are eating," he said.
"We can give them the whole story because we are dealing directly with the suppliers and the people who grow it so they can tell us exactly what they do and where they come from and we can pass that on."
Eat, Drink, West is an online platform designed to connect producers to chefs and customers. It was launched in Ballarat by Plate Up Ballarat director Kate Davis in September.
Ms Davis said Eat, Drink, West's partnership with Freight had created a host of new connections.
"It was really exciting when we called some of the producers and they had not supplied to Freight before," she said.
"This is exactly what we hoped to achieve with Eat, Drink, West which is making new connections."
Ms Davis said she was impressed by the leadership shown by Freight's owner Chris Sargeant and hoped it would inspire other restaurants and cafes to feature more local produce.
Next year Freight will continue featuring produce from other regions including Hepburn and the Pyrenees each month.
Visit their Facebook page for more information or eatdrinkwest.com.au/ to search for local produce.
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