Michael ‘Mick’ Pearce started one of Victoria’s first “food truck” businesses in 1975.

Seeking new opportunities he sold the family general store in Beaufort and headed to Ballarat with wife Robyn, where they opened Gobbles Coffee Shop in Armstrong street.

Mick quickly identified a need for event catering and mobile food outlets and built the Hot American Donut van that still serves patrons of Ballarat’s Trash and Treasure to this day. Michael went on to build a range of vans serving everything from burgers, ice creams and coffee to baked potatoes and gourmet sausages. He also owned and operated Lake Lodge reception centre and various cafes and provided full service hospitality to horse racing, trotting and greyhound tracks and other venues across regional Victoria.

The business has evolved and expanded over the years and now includes a fleet of donut vans under the Dinkum Donuts brand as well as a range of hot food and ice-cream outlets.

While Mick passed away in early 2015, the business is still owned and operated by the Pearce and Brennan families and is focused on mobile event catering.