CHAMPIONS OF LOCAL PRODUCE

Eco-friendly, sustainable and holistic – many cafes and restaurants on the Gold Coast source their goods from local producers and count provenance as essential to their day-to-day operations and marketing.

COMMUNE

The McCluskeys, Commune’s owners, have never been afraid to push boundaries. Even before eco-friendly was trendy, Commune was trying to make the Gold Coast a little bit greener. With great coffee and generous serves of local organic food, Commune has spawned several other restaurateurs following the same principles.

BLUE DOOR ON 5TH

Changing the menu according to which local crops are in season, Blue Door’s owner, chef Dylan Cashman, displays the origin of the produce he uses on the restaurant’s blackboard.  “Vegetables are like people,” he believes. “They get tired when they fly around the world. We don’t need to eat asparagus from Peru. We can choose to eat something else that’s local.”

THE FISH HOUSE

With the best Australian fish delivered daily to its doors, fresh produce is king at The Fish House. Cooked in Mediterranean style with the seafood left to speak for itself, this truly is a celebration of fresh seafood – the backbone to the restaurant’s award-winning success.

SONGBIRDS

Songbirds Rainforest Retreat showcases local produce, much of it from the Scenic Rim.  The menu focuses on locally-caught seafood, artisan products and locally-grown produce – many of the vegetables used come straight from Songbirds’ kitchen garden.

ROCKLEIGH

To Rockleigh’s owner, Ben Moffitt, a third generation dairy farmer, today’s trend of growing your own food is just a part of life. Moving states and industries, his café follows the same principles of provenance with all produce purchased from Tweed farmers and fishermen, and organic grass-fed meat bought from a local butcher.

BLACK SHEEP BISTRO

Changing the menu frequently, Black Sheep Bistro’s owner, chef Sian Bressoles, follows a nose to tail dining principle using whole grain-fed cattle from Bonnie Beef Growers’ farm. “The animals have spent their life on one farm, treated with respect, so it’s tender, relaxed meat, rather than a manufactured product,” she says.

THE ISLAND BISTRO

The Italian-inspired menu at The Island Bistro reflects Executive Chef Anthony Fullerton’s passion for food and wine and his appreciation for unadulterated foods. He sources many ingredients from local farmers and producers. “Each ingredient has its own role on the plate and palate,” he tells us, “which contributes to the overall seduction of the senses.”

CARDAMOM POD

With some of their produce hailing from their farm in Tyalgum, the Hare Krishna owned Cardamom Pod is a plant-driven health café based on a holistic philosophy emphasising spiritual and physical being, including the integration of medicinal foods into everyday eating for maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.

STONES THROW

After working his way around the world as a chef, Cameron Chartres set up Stones Throw with his sister Melanie Windsor, a stone’s throw from Burleigh Beach. Using fresh, healthy food from locally sourced producers and Burleigh Bakers’ bread, the pair have installed a build your own breakfast bar – that is if you can go past their delicious hot dishes.