Peasant food now haute cuisine

WHEN Dan Tesoriero returned to his hometown of Ballarat, he decided it would make a good location to renew a previous restaurant venture.

Together with head chef Doug Kerr, the pair are recreating a restaurant style they previously offered at Melbourne venue, Billy Boy Blue.

Their new eatery, called Peasant, will serve European rustic-inspired food, and Mr Tesoriero, who serves as general manager, said the definition is far from derogatory.

“It’s just about love and sharing of food and the connection to land by using everything that’s there,” he said.

“Growing up, we both came from minimal means so it’s all about that table-time family experience.

“We want to achieve that while leaning into that original peasant notion of eating sustainably and utilising everything off the land like how people ate centuries ago.”

Kerr and Mr Tesoriero first worked together in 2012 before establishing Before Billy Boy Blue, which closed in 2018.

Peasant will serve dinner every Friday and Saturday with a five-course menu to change every week.

Kerr said this approach serves an added purpose that reinforces the peasant ethos of minimal food wastage.

“It’s always good fun to be challenged to create stuff out of what’s available but it’s also the whole thing of doing things that are sustainable,” he said.

“You’re using what’s there and available, you’re minimising wastage, the amount of expenses and travel time in getting the supplies here.

“The idea for us is to take peasant food back to what it should be, with a modern twist to it. It’ll still have some artistic flair to it but it’s about using what’s available and in season.”

The evolving menu will be projected onto a wall, and the eatery’s staff will consist of seven people.

Peasant will launch on Friday, 22 July and can be found at 15 Lydiard Street North.