WHEN cafes started honing in on takeaway coffee and toasties during lockdowns, Anand Nadarajan knew he had to try find a point of difference to stand out in his town.
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The popularity of Mr Nadarajan's curries in Beaufort took him completely by surprise.
His takeaway Asian dinners were a way to expand as best he could to keep business alive for Beaufort Park Cafe during the pandemic.
In a town split by the Western Highway, what had been a busy thoroughfare has become all-but-deserted.
Mr Nadarajan still does his coffees, cakes and toasties, but said hot demand for his dinners had given him something to consider post-pandemic.
And he has noticed a few other places have adopted his lead in what could only be a good move for the town.
Beaufort Progress Association's Sarah Beaumont said all the community businesses had been really clever and it had been interesting to see how the town had responded to coronavirus restrictions.
For years, the community has been planning, evolving and putting into play steps to become a destination to live and visit once the looming Beaufort Bypass took traffic to skirt about the regional centre.
Ms Beaumont said a quick pivot to adjust to restrictions had likely accelerated some changes and offered a test of sorts for the community.
When you've got a big change afoot, even if you don't know when it's coming, you become very adaptive
- Sarah Beaumont, Beaufort Progress Association
"When you've got a big change afoot, even if you don't know when it's coming, you become very adaptive," Ms Beaumont said.
"We want Beaufort to become a destination, not just a drive-through town, and that plays a part in all this as well. We have the flexibility and creativity in a way and can adapt."
Ms Beaumont has been watching with interest the foodie response in Ballarat, like Kate Davis' Eat Drink West produce campaign and Mitchell Harris wine bar becoming a takeaway general store.
She said the Beaufort community was doing this in its own way - like Beaufort Park Cafe. Or, the animal supply store had adjusted to serve drive-through.
- READ MORE: Pets playing crucial role in isolation
Beaufort Town Market was forced to enter hibernation early, it pauses during winter. Instead of resting altogether, Beaufort Progress Association is gradually moving artisan and produce online offerings in what Ms Beaumont said could be an important step for the future.
"It is an opportunity for people to buy from the country and art from the market all the time," Ms Beaumont said. "We have about a dozen traders registered and it gradually getting populated as people figure how to best sell their items online. We think we'll keep online going even when the market goes back."
Ms Beaumont said Beaufort has attracted a lot of creatives to the area, including plenty of people wanting a tree-change to a regional community and the energy of Beaufort. She said it would be interesting how the community would evolve once the pandemic had passed.
Meanwhile, Ms Beaumont has been busy gardening, planting abut 600 bulbs and trees, at Eurambeen homestead for when weddings and events returned.
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