Lyttle terrace, big flavour

LYTTLETON Terrace will transform into the city’s newest food hub every weekend this winter as part of a trader-led initiative three years in the making.

Lyttle Eat Street was officially launched last week and kicked off with Slow Smoking Saturdays, warming up weekend shoppers with tasty treats from 14 traders.

Owner of Bendigo Wholefoods Darren Murphy said the initiative responds to issues posed by COVID-19 on the hospitality industry.

“One of the challenges when we get a lockdown is being able to stay open and finding ways that our business can mechanise to keep going and one of those ways is being able to eat on the street,” he said.

“Even though it’s going to be a bit cold we’ll have some barbeques going, we’ll have some food that’s going to keep you a bit warm whether it’s smoky, slow cooked, a bit of chilli. We’ll have bits and pieces that warm you up a little bit.

“It’s more about eating on the street and keeping on moving around so we’re all designing our food a bit more in that way for people.”

A variety of food is available from the precinct’s diverse traders who Mr Murphy said have formed friendships over the development of the initiative.

“All the traders are becoming good friends, checking in with each other… competitors have become like mates.

“It’s been really interesting to do, and it doesn’t happen enough so that’s one of the beautiful things about it,” he said.

Mayor Cr Jennifer Alden said Lyttle Eat Street builds on Bendigo’s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and brings together residents after last month’s circuit breaker lockdown.

“People are itching to get out with the latest COVID lockdown restrictions and… what better way to do it than with food,” she said.

“This all feeds into our activities around gastronomy and people being able to eat locally, support local food businesses and understand a little bit more about where your food comes from too.”

Slow Smoking Saturdays will run every weekend throughout winter from 8.30am to 2.30pm in Lyttleton Terrace.