Few developments have revitalised Castlemaine quite like The Mill. First built in 1875, this 26 000 square-metre former woollen mill was redeveloped in 2013 to house artisan small businesses. Today, it’s home to 43 eclectic vendors, united by one principle – all goods sold must be made on site.
There’s truly something for everyone, as you wander between boutique producers such as Boomtown Wine, Shedshaker Brewing, Sprout Bakery, Cabosse & Feve Chocolates and Ice Cream Social.
One of the newest additions to The Mill is Long Paddock Cheese, which uses local, organic cow’s milk from Kyabram to craft artisan cheeses. Try the Ironbark, a firm alpine-style cheese aged for 12 months, or the bark-wrapped Driftwood, a camembert-style cheese with a spruce wood “belt” (you can bake this one in the oven, too).
Broadsheet’s favourite spot might just be Das Kaffeehaus – a Viennese-inspired coffee shop with red vinyl booths and antiques shipped direct from Austria (the huge Viennese chandelier in the middle of the room is a sight to behold).
Make sure you try an authentic würstel (smoked sausage), or the proper Hungarian goulash served with a Viennese frankfurter, fried egg and pickled gherkin. The dishes are, let’s say, “anti-Instagram” in appearance, but so tasty and so Eastern European.
