With a baby on her hip and a toddler in tow, De Silva made big batches of curry or handmade gnocchi; enough to feed her young family and a growing band of Beechworth foodies.

Together with husband Martin Kostir, she started Beechworth Potluck almost a decade ago - an online dinner delivery service - as a little side hustle and to meet like-minded locals.

"We ate very diversely as a family with kids and whatever we were having for dinner we offered for Potluck - homemade pasta and gnocchi, curry, dumplings or the Sri Lankan-style food I grew up with," she said.

"We just wanted to be able to pay for our own dinner and it was something I could do with an infant and a two-year-old. It got bigger than I could manage from home in the end but we got to know the community very well."

Having grown up in war-ravaged Sri Lanka before meeting Czech-born Kostir in an Indian ashram, De Silva said the couple wanted to settle somewhere peaceful to raise their young family.

Eight years ago they moved from Melbourne to Beechworth for its idyllic lifestyle and community spirit.

When the couple opened Amandhi's in Camp Street almost a year ago, little did they know just how well those early connections would serve them.

De Silva said the summer bushfire crisis and the coronavirus pandemic had rocked the tourism and hospitality sectors to the core but she remained philosophical.

"I grew up in a country at war so I feel like we are so lucky to be living here," De Silva said.

"It's the great thing about having a crazy childhood; you know whatever the circumstances or restrictions, you'll know 'I can do that'!"

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Having closed the cafe for a week at the peak of the bushfire crisis, De Silva said they pivoted to takeaway amid the COVID-19 crisis.

With no access to JobKeeper, they resumed their Potluck menu, which had already served them well.

"It was great for our business because it has helped us hold on," she said.

"The community has been incredibly supportive; we have some people who order from us every day.

"On average we do 10 to 30 meals a night but I've never cancelled an order, even if it was for only one person."

De Silva said they tried to retain their sustainability ethos too.

She said they had suspended their glass food container exchange, but continued to recycle wherever possible and served takeaway coffee in preserving jars.

"Growing up in a country where people didn't have enough to eat, the decadence and waste in the hospitality industry didn't sit well with my values," De Silva said.

De Silva said her parents did a 60-day lockdown recently as Sri Lanka tackled the coronavirus crisis.

She said people simply stocked up on rice and lentils, ready to stay put.

"There is no 5-kilometre exercise limit, you do not leave your front door; the military is in charge and it's a very different reality," she said.

"How blessed and privileged we are in the North East even in times like these.

"I really do feel a huge sense of gratitude; I'm not a businesswoman but I really just love to cook for people."

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