One restaurant, though, was ready to kick into gear.
Nagambie's Eighteen Sixty was quick to jump on social media to announce the resurgence of ‘Eighteen Sixty at home’, a three-course feast to prepare from the comfort of the kitchen - complete with local wines and handmade pasta.
It immediately sold out, but their customer base remained limited - Victorians were restricted to a 5 km limit for travel outside of the home, so only Nagambie locals could enjoy the Italian fare.
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Then, four days later, the team had a brainwave.
Partnering with Seymour boutique wine producer Wine by Sam, Eighteen Sixty expanded its reach to Seymour, by offering $69 packs to pick up at the popular spot throughout the weekend.
“It spawned from the premise of our business - which was always intended to support local winemakers,” Eighteen Sixty co-owner Andy Peters said.
“We had to think outside of our 5 km catchment, and fortunately we had a really good relationship with Wine by Sam.”
The packs sold out, and other Goulburn Valley businesses reached out to jump on board.
“We got a huge response from the local community,” Mr Peters said.
“I think people were quite thankful a lot of businesses closed and we decided to stay open . . . it was really well-received.”
Mr Peters’ business partner Dave Powell runs Melbourne-based service Morso Food, which has been running a successful takeaway initiative since the start of lockdown.
Mr Peters said the platform was easily adapted to regional Victoria.
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“It's something a bit interesting because there is a small amount of assembly required which gave people something to do on a Friday night,” he said.
“We got some really nice feedback of people sending in photos of their date nights - it was a nice way for people to connect during the lockdown.”
Now, ‘Eighteen Sixty at Home’ is heading to Shepparton, with packs available to pick up on Friday or Saturday this week.
Partnering with Shepparton's Phillips Cellars and Regional Wine Centre, customers can head to the shop to pick up their goods - with two pastas, a dessert and sides coming in at $69 for two.
“We get a lot of customers from Shepparton so it was a nice way to be able to stay in touch with them,” Mr Peters said.
“There's a little bit of assembly required but it's the same pastas we have on our menu with a couple of options.”
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Mr Peters is currently scoping out more towns for Eighteen Sixty to expand to, and hoped businesses keen to connect would come forward.
“It's something really different for the region and something we're really passionate about,” he said.
“We wanted to try to support as many winemakers as we could and we're looking at other wine stores or partners we could join with in other areas.”
It's also a useful revenue stream with COVID-19 restrictions still hitting the dine-in venue.
“We are excited to be able to open and it's great for our staff, it's so important to be able to keep them busy because we decided we didn't want to step any down, but it's tricky for us,” Mr Peters said.
“Our maximum capacity is 16 people and we've noticed it's been slow with bookings and people not wanting to come out yet, and we've had to cancel regular monthly events.
“It's been really tough but thankfully the community support in Nagambie has been phenomenal and it's been a really good opportunity to give back.”
At the conclusion of lockdown, Eighteen Sixty gave away free coffees to any Nagambie residents as a thank you for their ongoing trade.
“We really are so thankful of the community here,” Mr Peters said.
To book a three-course pack, head to Eighteen Sixty's Instagram, Facebook or website or call 03 5719 2015.
