Best trawler and paddock-to-plate experiences in the Moreton Bay Region
HUNGRY for fresh produce? Here are five of our favourite paddock or trawler-to-plate experiences in the Moreton Bay Region.
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HUNGRY for fresh produce? Here are five of our favourite paddock or trawler-to-plate experiences in the Moreton Bay Region.
1. MILLEN FARM
Rediscover just how good fresh produce can taste and join the growing number of people making Samford’s Millen Farm an essential part of their weekly shop.
Create your own paddock-to-plate experience, or enjoy the farm’s seasonal produce at Samford’s Pause Restaurant or at the Samford Harvest Dinner, created by chef Alastair McLeod, on October 6.
Millen Farm director and chairwoman Jenni Guse says the 7000sq m community farm has been running for about two years.
It is on a former CSIRO site, which is now administered by Moreton Bay Regional Council for community purposes with the aim of becoming a sustainability hub.
The vision is to see if a farmer can make a living from a piece of land that size. That farmer, Arron Heideman, was recently presented with Brisbane Slow Food Movement’s Snail of Approval.
“We’re going back to how things used to be. People are so excited they can see where the food’s grown and they can eat it straight after it’s been harvested,” Jenni says.
She says the farm is much more than the food it produces — it’s about educating people about seasonal eating, and developing a strong community organisation.
Millen Farm is at 2204 Mt Samson Rd, Samford and is open Wednesdays 2-5pm. Search Millen Farm on Facebook and visit samfordharvest.com.au for details about the next Samford Harvest Dinner.
2. BLUE DOG FARM
Fancy a gourmet salad and a prime cut of beef? Blue Dog Farm at Ocean View is gaining a reputation for its quality of both.
Owner Jacki Hinchey started farming five years ago and now supplies salad leaves and garnishes to Ocean View Estates Restaurant, two cafes at Dayboro and Zone Fresh at Windsor. She grows rocket, mizuna, kale, coriander, lettuce, herbs and salad leaves in an area that’s just 20x10m.
“Our orchard has oranges, lemons, limes, we’ve got chillies and bunched herbs. I want to give people an opportunity to get locally-grown fruit and herbs,” Jacki says.
She also produces grass-fed beef — supplying six beasts a year to customers.
“People can call into the stall and pick up their salad, citrus and herbs and maybe they’d like to take a quarter of a beast with them as well,” Jacki says.
Her market stall is open seven days a week.
“I love having people visit, come and say hello and maybe have a look at what’s growing in the beds so they know where their food comes from,” she says.
“I don’t use any synthetic fertilisers. I only grow what the soil needs.”
2261 Mount Mee Rd, Ocean View
Visit bluedogfarm.com.au
3. MERCURE CLEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE
Head chef Wes Hinds works closely with the gardener when planning the menu for guests at Mercure Clear Mountain Lodge. The retreat has a garden where fruit, vegies and herbs are grown.
Wes says he speaks to the gardener when he’s planning his menu, about 4-5 months in advance, so he has time to plant what’s needed.
There’s also five bee hives, producing honey used in the kitchen and sold to guests. “You see it all the way through to the finished product,” Wes says.
“I like working with fresh food, it’s something I’ve always enjoyed.”
564 Clear Mountain Rd, Clear Mountain
Visit clearmountainlodge.com.au
4. OYSTER FESTIVAL
Oysters are an acquired taste, but a festival in their honour is coming to Sandstone Point Hotel on October 20.
From 10am, it won’t just be a great day out but will also celebrate the history of the land on which the hotel was built.
In 1875, James Clark operated a successful oyster farm from Pumicestone Passage. During its peak, in the 1900s, he owned more than 30 dredging sections and employed more than 25 families.
Now restored, the Oyster Shed has been in operation since 2015, serving fish and chips seven days a week.
During the Oyster festival, you can enjoy freshly shucked oysters, seafood and wine stalls, celebrity chef demonstrations, live music, children’s rides and entertainment.
The Australian Oyster Opening Competition is also part of the event.
Entry is $5 for adults and $2 for children at the door.
Visit sandstonepointhotel.com.au
5. STRAIGHT FROM THE TRAWLER
Enjoy Moreton Bay’s best seafood at its freshest at Bribie’s Saviges Seafood and Scarborough’s Morgans Seafood.
You can eat there, or find a spot on the beach or by the marina to enjoy prawns, crabs, fish and of course Moreton Bay bugs.
You can select fresh seafood to cook at home, or let the experts do the work for you. The choice is yours. At Morgans, there’s even a sushi bar and oyster bar if you want to tuck in there.
Saviges Seafood: 3/12 First Avenue Service Rd, Bongaree.
Morgans Seafood: Bird of Passage Pde, Scarborough
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