Regional Spotlight:
Sunshine Coast
Renowned for its glorious coastline, blissful weather and excellent surf, the Sunshine Coast is also fast emerging as a dynamic food and drink destination in its own right.
In recent years, the Sunshine Coast has firmly cemented its spot on the food and drink scene. This is thanks, in part, to a couple of high-profile food and drink events in its backyard, which have exploded the flavours of the region onto the Australian - if not worldwide - stage.
Now cemented as a bountiful food haven, it’s easy to see why visitors flock to the area - even after the glasses have been collected and the dance floor packed away from the closing party at the famous Noosa Eat & Drink Festival.
From beach to hinterland, the Sunshine Coast is a veritable treasure-trove of passionate food and drink producers, who love to share what they do with the 4.5 million visitors that flock to the region each year.
Woombye Cheese
Founded in 2013 by Graeme and Karen Paynter, and now owned by artisan cheese aficionado Beth O’Leary, Woombye Cheese is a love letter to traditional cheesemaking. Today, their cheeses, including their triple cream brie, camembert, cheddar and feta, are stocked across Australia and regularly take home medals from national awards.
Every wheel of their award-winning cheese is crafted on their Sunshine Coast hinterland property, made entirely by hand using time-honoured methods and local milk.
QCamel
Lauren Brisbane and her family bought their farm in 2005 and their first two camels in 2007. Driven by a belief in the nutritional benefits of camel milk, QCamel produced the first pasteurised camel milk in Australia in 2014.
QCamel now offers a range of products - fresh milk, cheese, freeze-dried powders, skincare - that are as unusual as they are thoughtfully made. Tours and open days offer a glimpse into the daily rhythms of the herd.
The Falls Farm & Mapleton Public House
Nestled in the lush Sunshine Coast hinterland, The Falls Farm and Mapleton Public House are owned by husband-and-wife duo Ben Johnston and Jessica Huddart. At The Falls Farm, they focus on regenerative farming and biodiversity, producing exceptional seasonal ingredients supplied to some of the Coast's and Brisbane’s leading chefs and restaurants.
Just up the road, Mapleton Public House turns this produce into vibrant, seasonal dishes, with a set menu offering guided and curated by what’s growing on the farm. Together, they showcase the very best of the Sunshine Coast’s thriving agri-hospo farm-to-fork culture.
Wallace & Wood
Wallace & Wood was born in 2015, when its founders Nathan and Kathryn returned to the Sunshine Coast after travelling across Europe and North America. After discovering unforgettable ice creams on their travels, they saw a gap for true artisan ice cream and set out to create their own. In their little kitchen in Bokarina, Maleny milk and cream, egg yolks, and raw sugar are transformed into French-style custard ice cream that celebrates simple, honest ingredients.
Each batch is made entirely from scratch, with sugar kept as low as possible, and churned to perfection, ensuring a dense, creamy scoop that’s full of flavour, not air. Mix-ins are baked, roasted, and simmered in-house, using meticulously sourced ingredients that make every spoonful feel special.
Flame Hill Vineyard
Flame Hill Vineyard is both a working farm and a fine-dining venue, set high above Montville, where rows of vines roll down towards the valley, interrupted only by cattle, chooks and kitchen gardens.
Owned by Tony Thompson, Flame Hill is fiercely self-sufficient. Nearly everything served in the restaurant is grown or raised on the property - including their Angus beef and free-range poultry. Tony’s mission is to showcase the relationship between soil, farming and flavour - one plate, one glass at a time. Visit for a wine tasting, stay for lunch.
Sunshine & Sons
Crafted on the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine & Sons' premium spirits draw inspiration from subtropical days, ocean, beaches, and lush rainforests.
From their rainforest-nestled distillery near the iconic Big Pineapple, they produce gin, vodka, cane spirit, liqueurs, and Nil Desperandum rum. Visitors to the Distillery Door can enjoy a Distillery Experience, a Cocktail Masterclass, or the Founder's Tour. Guests are encouraged to pack a picnic and relax on the terrace while taking in the surroundings.
Your Mates Brewing Co.
Inside their brew house in Warana, tanks line the walls and the taps pour with beers named after fictional mates -like Larry, Sally and Donnie.
Founded by friends Matt Hepburn and Christen McGarry in 2013, Your Mates started with homebrew experiments and big dreams. Their breakout beer, Larry, won them a national audience via Shark Tank and a cult following on the Coast. Despite their rapid growth, the pair have kept the brand true to its roots: funny, familiar, and fiercely local. The brewpub is now a community institution - equal parts beer hall, family dinner spot, and Friday knock-off ritual.
Make a stay of it
Wittacork Dairy Cottages
Bordering national park and overlooking Lake Baroon, Wittacork is a 700-acre dairy farm with a scattering of cottages for guests. Mornings are misty and filled with the lowing of cows.
Evolving from a traditional dairy into a destination for agritourism, guests can explore the farm and nearby rainforest, help feed calves, collect eggs, or simply soak in the view from their verandah with a drink in hand.
Seven Peaks Farm Stay
Set across 34 acres of untouched Australian bushland, Seven Peaks Farm Stay features six luxury cabins and a family farm cottage, each offering sweeping views of the Glass House Mountains.
Embrace the ease of country living with a leisurely wander around the farm, stopping to pat and feed the animals, and find the perfect spot for a romantic picnic. As you explore, you’ll stumble across hidden treasures, from the vegetable and herb garden to the orchard, where you’re welcome to pick and enjoy seasonal produce.
Wittacork Dairy Cottages
Wittacork Dairy Cottages
Seven Peaks Farm Stay
Seven Peaks Farm Stay
Other things to do
Aside from the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival, which runs annually as winter approaches, another food festival is fast gaining popularity - it was even recently named one of Australian Traveller’s ‘100 Greatest Getaways’.
Since 2019, the Curated Plate has been offering unique culinary experiences, such as long table lunches, wine tastings and farm tours. This year, visitors could choose between events like the Sunset Whales, Ales and Prawn Tails cruise, a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party set in Yanalla Farms’ orchard, a Saltwater Eco Tour with Aunty Bridgette and chef Peter Kuravita, and much more besides.
The event runs across 10 days in the winter - check out https://thecuratedplate.com.au/ for next year’s event.
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