Bundaberg’s best food trucks and the people behind them
A diversity of fabulous food and coffee vans can be enjoyed at events, festivities and parties across the region, day or night. Vote in our poll and help crown Bundaberg’s best food truck.
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From country shows to major festivals and weekend farmers markets, Bundaberg is home to multiple food and coffee vans offering a vast range of culinary delights and beverages.
A common fixture at community events and many private functions, some have delighted locals for generations.
Many are run by passionate chefs, friends and family, and have grown from humble beginnings.
Now that we know which are the best food trucks in the region, we’d like to take a vote on who you think the very best of them is. You can lodge your vote in the poll below:
In no particular order here are some of the best and most popular food truck operating across the region.
German Sausage Van
Sharon Campbell and Dez Kross have operated the German Sausage Van for four years, and it has become one of the most recognisable food vans in the region.
The pair started the business after planning to purchase an existing German sausage van business, but having the deal fall through.
The idea for the business stuck, and after noticing a gap in the market Sharon and Dez came together to create the German Sausage Van.
The pair now own two vans between them, both built by Dez himself who is a qualified boilermaker.
Sharon brought her years of experience with various food vendors.
“I love it because you get to go to so many different places and meet so many different people,” she said.
The pair frequently attends various events, with their most distant venture being an annual visit to the Emu Park Oktoberfest.
Despite travelling hundreds of kilometres every year, they look to the Bundaberg region for most of their goods, sourcing their sausages, sauces and condiments from Barritt’s Butchery.
Gidji Cafe and Catering Co.
The Gidji Cafe food van is the brainchild of the Gidarjil Development Corporation, a local Indigenous led organisation aimed at fostering positive Indigenous connections with local industries.
The food van is just one aspect of the hospitality presence the corporation has in the Bundaberg region, which includes the Gidji Cafe in Burnett Heads, the Milbi Cafe at Mon Repos, a food truck and a coffee van.
Hospitality manager for Gidarjil, Serena Curnock, said the food truck catered to a variety of clients from local community festivals to private functions.
“Our identity is street food with native ingredient fusion,” she said. “We grow a lot of our own native ingredients through Gidarjil.
“The ability to have exposure for First Nations people while making the tourism experience more exciting with the native ingredient and stories is really important.”
The corporation first opened the food truck in 2021, and despite the impact of Covid, it has proven a success for the organisation and the community.
Twisted Potato Finger Food
The team behind the Twisted Potato Finger Food Truck have been in the industry for 16 years, and bring a home cooked love to all their events.
Owned by Nannette Houston and operated with the help of her husband Barry, the pair travel the Wide Bay Burnett with their two food trucks offering churros, twisted potatoes, pluto pups, slushies and a whole range of popular festival food.
They first got into the food truck industry after Barry sold his earthmoving business and Nannette looked to running her own enterprise.
After noticing a gap in the local market, handyman Barry built his wife a food truck and the rest is history.
They credit their ongoing success to their locally sourced, homemade ingredients which includes the batter which coats their popular twisted potatoes.
The food trucks now keep the pair busy full-time, and they said their love for the industry will keep them going into the future.
“It’s nice to get out and about, and in this industry it’s mostly the same people that go to different events,” Barry said.
“It’s like one big extended family.”
Dutch Poffertjes House
The Dutch Poffertjes House food truck is arguably one of the most recognisable in the region, if only for its cozy cottage core exterior complete with wooden clogs and tulips.
Owner Bill Prins has operated the food truck for almost two decades, following years of working independently in a number of industries.
The first food truck initially catered to local markets in the Lockyer Valley, before Bill decided to “retire” to Bundaberg.
“After six months I was bored, I had to do something, so I built a new food van,” he said.
The Dutch born business owner now travels across the state with the poffertjes van, travelling as far north as Roma, as far west as Emerald and as part south as Redcliffe.
Tasty Street Food
It’s hard to wander through a local market or festival and not notice the recognisable Tasty Street Food van, adorned with bright spray paint, flags flying in the wind.
The truck is the brainchild of Darren and Jolene Wilmott who purchased the set up in 2010, after flying from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast on a spur-of-the-moment lifestyle change.
The pair share dozens of years in the hospitality industry, and Darren said the western Sydney food scene had been a major inspiration for the variety of menus the food truck has offered over the years.
“I was always exposed to all the different cultures of the area, and working in the Sydney restaurants I developed a personal style,” he said.
The pair have plans to continue in the industry with the help of their growing four-year-old daughter Tarni, who Darren jokes is almost tall enough to reach the grill.
Mamminos Ice cream
Perhaps one of the most recognisable exports from the Bundaberg region, Mammino Ice Cream food truck is just one small part of a historically regarded Childers business.
Founded in 1996 by Anthony and Teena Mammino, the gourmet treat was born after Teena decided to try creating a new treat by mixing homegrown macadamias with her grandmother’s old-style ice cream recipe.
From there the business has grown, with years of iconic moments including becoming the first homemade, independent ice cream company to manufacture strawberry ice cream for the Ekka’s renowned strawberry sundaes.
The mobile food truck has become just one arm of the incredible business which allows the owners to bring the sweet treat to local festivals, events and private functions.
Despite the passing of Anthony in 2017, the business has remained in the hands of family through Anthony's cousin Leo Ricciardi, and his wife Helen who regularly travel across the state with the van.
“We prefer events that are more than one day in duration. We regularly attend five or six day caravan and camping shows in Brisbane,” Mrs Riccardi said.
“I have travelled to Tara for their Camel Races, Stanthorpe for their Apple and Grape Festival, Mackay for their annual Italian Festival, Rockhampton for Beef Australia and many other local one-day events in our region.”
“It’s a great reason to travel and see different towns, even if I am working most of the time.”
Alowishus Delicious Gelato Cart
Despite being one of the smallest – and the cutest – food trucks on this list, the Alowishus Delicious Gelato Cart is always a welcome addition at local functions and events.
The cart is just one part of the Alowishus empire, which includes three cafes across the Wide Bay.
The business is the brainchild of entrepreneur turned councillor Tracey McPhee and her husband Michael after a spark of inspiration was born on an overseas trip to the United Kingdom.
The first cafe was born on Bourbong Street in 2011, and over the past 12 years has grown into a staple of the Bundaberg region.
The gelato cart was born from a love for the sweet treat, and can be seen at a variety of events from local festivals right through to high school graduations.
Binney’s Tornado Potatoes
What began as a side hustle quickly became a full-time business for the owners of Binney’s Tornado Potatoes.
The iconic street food has become a staple of the region’s food festival scene, with no local event complete without the golden spirals.
Binney’s Tornado Potatoes was born in 2015, when owner Steve Binney was looking for a side hustle to keep busy.
Within 12 months the demand for the popular street food snack encouraged the former painter to dive in head first.
Now Steve operates the van full-time with the support of his wife Nyree, with the van travelling across the Wide Bay and Burnett to attend a range of events from local country shows to farmers markets.
The Bundy Burger Company
The Bundy Burger Company is the brainchild of partners Chris Wynne and David Kent, who, after moving to the Bundaberg region saw an opportunity to showcase the foodbowl that is the Wide Bay and Burnett.
As a fully qualified chef, David had the skills to bring their vision to life and the food van was born.
“We decided on food trucks as we could go to the people and events and also makes the business for us and our staff a lot more interesting with travel, front row seats to concerts festivals etcetera, and of course different scenery rather than being stuck in a kitchen looking at a wall,” David said.
The van specialises in gourmet burgers made from locally sourced ingredients alongside sweet treats.
After beginning with just one Friday session a week, the business has expanded to cover a range of events and functions, on top of operating on the Moore Park Beach foreshore during the week.
The team has also expanded from Chris and David to a local staff which includes full-time employees and a fully qualified chef.
Piping Hot Woodfired Pizza
The duo behind the popular Piping Hot Woodfired Pizza have been in the business for more than a decade as one the region’s favourite vendors.
The business was founded following a spur-of-the-moment purchase made by David Woollard in 2010, when the concreter attended a mate’s party and saw a similar pizza van.
After making inquiries into the make and model of the van, David went out and purchased his own the next day, and quickly obtained the necessary food safe licences.
He travelled around with the very food truck which inspired his purchase, before bringing the popular offering back to the Bundaberg region.
In 2013, his partner Belinda Neale joined the team, and she has become the face of the popular pizza business which attends dozens of weddings annually along with local shows, festivals and their regular appearance at the Bargara Big 4 Caravan park on Friday afternoons.
Mr Whippy
As the second generation to own the Mr Whippy’s ice cream, Robby Staff said the local connection had made the iconic van so much more than a business.
Robby Staff took over the business from his father Bob, who first purchased the van in 1980.
While the van’s base of operation is in Hervey Bay, anyone who has attended a local event, festival or show in the Wide Bay and Burnett region can recall fond memories of the sweet treats.
At the Hervey Bay headquarters, the small family-run team focuses on creating the beloved soft-serve, and toppings which are made fresh daily.
The team also works hard to sanitise the vans and the Italian-made Carpigiani vintage ice cream machines are sanitised inside and out daily.
Somewhere to Eat
If you have spent a weekend at the Bargara foreshore you have seen the Somewhere to Eat food van parked, overlooking the crashing waves.
The van is just one part of the Somewhere to Eat business run by Ashleigh Bowman, who first launched the enterprise in 2021 after years of dreaming of creating her own space in the hospitality industry.
Since then, the business has grown into a local cafe and the Bargara food van, which serves locals and tourists a range of classic takeout options from hot chips to cold ice creams.
After she first began leasing a food van, Ashleigh said the opportunities and demand quickly grew, which lead to her applying for the Bargara foreshore tender.
The food van which operates on weekends and during school holidays has become a beloved part of the business, due to its stunning location.
Ashleigh said she enjoys the versatility the van offers the business, which is still growing across the region.
Insane Caffeine
When the owners of the popular Insane Caffeine cafe in Childers, they had no way of knowing only a short six months after opening their doors they would have to shut again due to a global pandemic.
Kevin and Tania Chapman first launched the Insane Caffeine cafe in 2019, after years of eyeing off the ideal location in Childers.
The pair said they had long desired to offer a high quality food and coffee stop for travellers along the Bruce Highway outside of the standard service station meals.
When the pandemic hit, they were left reeling and reached out for a way to keep their service open during shutdowns, and invested in the coffee van.
Since then the van has allowed them to service a range of events across the region, as well as serving the locals in Childers.
As the pandemic fades from everyday life, the pair are looking to a new future for the van, with hopes of offering a farm based health food service with home grown products complementing the coffee van.
The owners are also eyeing off more festival and event opportunities with hopes of becoming a staple at local private functions.
Nonna’s Gelateria
The impressive Nonna’s Gelateria food truck is just one arm of the local staple which is Nana’s Pantry, a Wide Bay business known for its variety of wholefoods, treats and locally sourced goods.
The couple behind the business, Leisa and her husband Darryl Storey, first launched the food truck in 2013, as a way to advertise for the existing business before realising the gelato truck was successful in its own right.
“We thought it would be a good idea to spread the word about our little store Nana's Pantry and our new addition to Nana’s, the Gelato,” Leisa said.
“Because our physical store was in the backstreets of Bundaberg we thought the van might shine a light on the store.”
Since then the pair have attended a range of events across the Wide Bay, though the demand of their two stores in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay has kept them close to home.
While they have had a decade of success with the food truck, Leisa said with a heavy heart they had made the decision to put the food van business up for sale.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are selling, but it is a great way for someone to start their own business selling our award-winning gelato and coffee,” Leisa said.
Dinki Di Donuts
Dinki Di Donuts is one of the most recognisable and well-known food bans in the Bundaberg region, operating from its weekly base at the Shalom Markets.
The van first came to life in the late 1990s, when Minnie Dunshea and her husband Gregg purchased a snow cone stand off Minnie’s brother, which they ran alongside a laughing clown sideshow stand.
The pair expanded into doughnuts which have become the staple offering ever since, and were one of the first ever vans to attend the local Shalom Markets.
While they originally travelled the state alongside Minnie’s mother, Dinki Di Donuts now only operates one day a week at the markets.
When reflecting on what has kept them going with the doughnuts for more than two decades, Minnie said it was her love for the locals.
“I like all the people, and I know kids that have grown up getting doughnuts and come through,” she said.
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