From farm gates to food tours and freshly caught seafood, the Sunshine Coast’s food scene is rich in its diversity.
Here you can meet the makers and hear their stories, pick your own produce, sample award-winning cheese and take cooking classes from the best.
Explore the Sunshine Coast through food this winter with these six delicious dining experiences.
Go Farm to Fork in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland
As you drive up the winding range of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland you’ll spot farmgate stalls by the roadside offering everything from pineapples to avocados and fresh honey. But what is the story behind the produce? In a true paddock to plate experience, Creative Tours and Events will take you behind the scenes to meet the makers and hear their stories on their Farm to Fork Hinterland Tour, followed by a lunch of local produce. Stops include The Falls Farm, Montville Coffee and Brouhaha Brewery.
Meet the makers with People, Plates and Places
The team at People, Plates and Places offer a truly unique food experience with their ‘plate to paddock’ ethos. Held in different locations across the Sunshine Coast, People, Plates and Places hold pop-up events on working farms and orchards that bring diners to where the food is grown. Foodies will hear from the producers themselves as they sample everything from grass-fed beef to organic tomatoes at their restaurant without walls. The next event will be held in Montville in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on 25 July and feature a multi-course menu with paired wines.
All aboard the tasting train with the Mary Valley Rattler
The Mary Valley in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is a region renowned for its produce. Think award-winning cheese and dairy, macadamias and local meats. And one of the best ways to experience the region’s produce is on board the Mary Valley Rattler. The Rattler launched its ‘Tasting Train’ in late 2019, taking guests on a scenic journey of gastronomy through the Mary Valley on board their vintage railmotor RM76. The menu highlights the region’s produce, and includes a tasting plate on board followed by lunch at the historic Gympie Station. The Tasting Train is currently operating return from Gympie to Amamoor stations.
Get hands on with local produce at a cooking school
With an abundance of fresh local produce available, its little wonder the Sunshine Coast is home to a number of leading cooking schools. Set amongst lush tropical gardens in the hinterland town of Yandina is Spirit House Restaurant and Cooking School, whose focus on Asian cuisine makes them one of Australia’s best food experiences. At their cooking school they offer classes such as ‘Feast From the East’ and ‘Quick and Easy Thai – With a Twist’ to name a few, local ingredients such as finger limes on the menu.
Enjoy canapes with camels on an organic dairy farm
Set against the iconic Glasshouse Mountains on the southern end of the Sunshine Coast is Australia’s premium supplier of certified organic camel milk – QCamel. The family-run dairy invites foodies behind the scenes on their farmgate ‘Camel Cuddles’ tour that includes sampling camel-milk products. Together with local producers the QCamel team offer creamy camel milk fetta, camel milk chocolates and smoothies, as well as camel milk itself which has a number of health benefits. The tour also invites you to meet the camels, who are more than willing to pose for a selfie and lean in for a camel cuddle. Camel tours can be done direct through QCamel or including transfers with Design It Tours.
Sail into the sunset on a Mooloolaba seafood cruise
Mooloolaba is the biggest swordfish port in Australia, and one off the busiest ports on the eastern seaboard with trawlers bringing in boatloads of fish, tuna, Mooloolaba prawns, lobsters and spanner crabs each day. Mooloolaba Spit is dotted with fish and chipperies making it the perfect destination for a picnic, while the nearby Mooloolaba Wharf is home to a number of bustling eateries. For a truly unique experience, take to the water at sunset with Coastal Cruises Mooloolaba for a seafood dining experience like no other. Enjoy a fresh local seafood platter – glass of wine in hand – as you cruise along the Mooloolah River.
