Fast becoming a culinary destination of choice, the Capricorn Coast food trail is worth exploring for its fresh local tastes, filled with flavour and regional charm. Just a seven-hour drive north of Brisbane in the heart of Central Queensland, the Capricorn Coast is the coastal landscape around Rockhampton and it’s filled with many big flavours.
It was ravaged by fire in November 2019, when more than 6,000 hectares of bush and farmland burned near Yeppoon in a devastating bushfire season. So many local farmers’ lives and livelihoods were turned upside down in the draft of an ember. It was a moment that this close community will never forget, and I remember the stories told when I visited while the coals were still hot.
Three years later, support from the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Initiative and Capricorn Enterprise, together with Livingstone Shire Council, has launched a tasty new project to support the region’s growers and producers.
Highlighting the diverse and delicious local produce on offer across the destination, Taste Capricorn Coast celebrates local flavours, producers, eateries, markets, retail outlets, and farm experiences in the region.
You can head off on a self-guided journey using interactive maps on Taste Capricorn Coast or leave the foraging and prep to the professionals. There are plenty of opportunities to sample the best of the region’s produce in some of the celebrated eateries along the Capricorn Coast.
Taste Capricorn Coast food trail growers
Local businesses had to meet strict criteria to be classified as part of the trail.
Clancy Gillingham from Sunbirds Farm who is a microgreens farmer is one of the 24 growers who has joined the movement. Passionate about locally grown food through passion and tenacity, Clancy supplies locally grown microgreens to IGA, Byfield General Store and Farnborough Country Life Store. She also participates in weekend markets so she can connect personally with the community.
“Being connected to my community and experiencing the joy people get from eating my microgreens has given me a sense of purpose,” Clancy said.
“The more people educated about our natural ecosystems and how to preserve them will enable us all to move forward in our capacity to sustain food supplies without compromising the earth.”
Discover the Taste Capricorn Coast low food mile dishes
From fifth-generation farm stays to Australia’s largest pineapple farm, the regional delights are many. How about locally made moringa spaghetti or fresh off the boat chilli mud crabs and smoked crocodile?
The Taste Capricorn Coast trail allows visitors and locals to discover all these and make informed choices for low-food-miles dishes that support the local community.
Find out more about Taste Capricorn Coast and the Taste Capricorn Coast food trail at www.tastecapricorncoast.com.au
More Capricorn Coast delights
- 5 Surprising things to do in Rockhampton
- Discover the world’s best spiced rum
- Make friends with a crocodile
- Sleep on a Pumpkin
Food trails are my thing, take me there! I also really like supporting local farms and business so this trail is especially interesting!
I have never heard of the Capricorn Coast food trail before and I am Australian. I love reading post and learning new things about my home country, especially when it revolves around food and bring people together. What a good initiative by Bushfire Recovery after the bushfires, I wish more areas did the same kinder thing for local communities.
“Chilli mud crabs” sounds like quite a treat. Everything looks and sounds so incredibly fresh, and I have LOVED the food scenes of the larger cities I’ve been to in Australia, so this would be right up my alley. I’m looking at doing Brisbane for my next destination, so I’ll keep Capricorn Coast in mind both for the food trail and as an option to explore beyond the city. The fact that there’s a focus on sustainability and minimizing logistics makes this even better.
I love that this initiative exists – small businesses need all the exposure they can get, especially after all those fires 3 years ago! And it’s a great way to show off the local flavors of an area.
It looks like I need to add this to my list. Food brings people together and this certainly sounds like a great community feel. I love visiting markets and talk to local producers.