Why festival’s a special snapshot of Coast’s evolving food scene

It’s known for its unrivalled whale watching and access to the world’s largest sand island but the Fraser Coast is also on the path to foodie fame. Here’s why.

Scott Thompson and Jason England are changing up the Fraser Coast food scene.

While the festival may be one-day only, Saturday’s Relish in Maryborough’s Queen’s Park provides a special snapshot of the Fraser Coast’s evolving food scene which can be enjoyed and supported via local eateries year-round.

Among those showcasing the future of Fraser Coast dining is dynamic duo Jason England and Scott Thompson.

Food friends Scott Thompson and Jason England are changing up the dining scene in Hervey Bay.

After building a solid reputation for honest, tasty food and upping the Bay’s burger and boutique beer game via Echo Alpha Tango at The Junction on Truro, their latest offering, Odyssey Bistro, is a Fraser Coast first.

The low-lit intimate dining room at 341 the Esplanade, Scarness, delivers the flavours and feel of the paddock-to-plate style cuisine diners might expect in a Bourke St laneway or Byron Bay farmstay.

Fresh crudités from Falls Farm.

Here, fresh crudités, picked up each week from the farm gate and still boasting an earthy crunch, are served alongside an array of treats sourced from suppliers between Bundaberg and the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Magic happens in the kitchen where even a hail-damaged fruit crop from Petersen’s Farm west of Maryborough has been known to make for a superb chutney served on still-warm mini scones.

The fish served on any given day has often quite literally been line-caught in the Bay hours before it’s transformed into an Asian inspired morsel wrapped in betel leaf or smoked/charred/cured to suit the journey the chef wants to take you on.

The first course comes with an array of petite starters to get the palette ready for what's to come.

Tender offerings like a 500g dry-aged sirloin supplied by fellow foodie Dale Newberry of Kawungan Quality Meats, cooked to perfection and served with crispy chicken fat potatoes and ‘side dishes’ worthy of their own place on a menu, are among regular specials.

GOOD CUTS: Kawungan Quality Meats manager Dale Newberry supplies to Odyssey. He’s pictured here with his award-winning-wood-smoked bone-in leg ham.

The concept of a mystery Modern Australian multi-course set menu, which changes weekly based on the best available seasonal produce, can still prove slightly polarising for some.

But just as it was in the early days of the former Coast Restaurant & Bar, where both honed their Hervey Bay hospitality skills (chef Jason also had stints overseas and worked for Rick Stein at ‘The Seafood Restaurant’ in Cornwall), the community is being won over one plate at a time.

A fine dining version of a toffee apple.

Six months in, a steady stream of regulars and blown away first-timers are boosting the boy’s confidence that they’ve made the right call.

The business partners represent the next generation of passionate Fraser Coast food chiefs alongside the likes of Tres Salsas’ Jemima Nash and 19XO Wine and Cocktail Bar co-owners Geoffrey Bouvier and Damien Estreich.

Tres Salsas owner Jemima Nash at her Torquay restaurant.

This up and coming hospitality set is showing industry attitudes can be as progressive as their menus- with a collaborative culture, willingness to refer, share ideas and the customer base, helping set a new standard as the region plots its course for the COVID-19 economic recovery.

Speaking to the Fraser Coast Chronicle on Relish Eve, Scott and Jason said they were “thrilled to see the return of the Relish Food Festival and are excited to be hosting our first Relish event.

“We have invested a lot of time into developing our ‘Food and Cocktail Journey’ and cant wait to share it with everyone coming to see us.”

While the pair’s Relish sessions sold out quickly, you can still join the Odyssey team for the only local food journey of its kind Wednesday-Sunday.

Visit www.odysseybistro.com.au