Guide
By Sarah Bristow
Grab your appetite and get ready to embark on a food-heavy adventure in the Scenic Rim. The picturesque region, under an hour’s drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast both, is a favourite among foodies thanks to its flourishing population of producers, brewers, makers and more.
Combine this flavoursome community with a fertile landscape merging rainforest with pasture and charming country towns and it’s not difficult to see why the Scenic Rim is a popular regional escape.
Immerse yourself in the region and its offerings with a weekend spent eating your way along the Scenic Rim food trail. The below guide will show you the way.
Photo by Scenic Rim Guide via Instagram
Australia’s largest camel dairy farm can be found in the Scenic Rim. Summer Land Camels has carved a specialty in wild camel training and creating award-winning beauty and dairy products from the animals’ nutritious milk.
On the farm you can pat and feed the camels and see the range of products being made before trying them for yourself in the adjoining cafe, camel milk latte and camel milk persian feta included.
Sample local produce from the growers themselves with a trip to Oppy’s Fruit and Veg. The specialty grocer is nestled within a historic former butter factory in quaint Boonah and run by owners and farmers Stuart and Sandra Opperman.
Fill your basket with locally grown and chemical-free fruit and vegetables, alongside equally local deli creations, from locally crafted milk, to honey, olives, chutneys and cheese.
Photo by Country Scene Magazine via Instagram
You’ll be hard-pressed to find something more Instagram-friendly than the Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm. Spend your day trawling the purple-hued property’s cellar door, and six acres of lavender fields and vineyard before tucking into a plate of Modern Australian cuisine at the accompanying restaurant partnered with one of the handful of wines produced on site.
In the midst of romantic getaway Spicers Hidden Vale you’ll find one of the most esteemed Scenic Rim food destinations. Nestled into a historic barn on 12,000 acres of Australian bushland resides Homage Restaurant, a fine diner focused on paddock to plate. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served daily, created from produce grown either onsite or down the road, with the eatery boasting its own market garden, orchard and beehives.
Photo by Arthur Clive's Bakery via Facebook
Taste a piece of history at Arthur Clive’s Family Bakehouse - born back in 1936 the family-run establishment has become an institution for the district and spawned a further duo of stores. Whether dining in or picnic-bound, nibble on traditional hearty slices of lamingtons, fermented sourdough loaves and chunky fruit bread. Though it’s the pies which are particularly famous, crafted from locally sourced meat which has been slow-cooked in homemade Worcestershire sauce.
Photo by Scenic Road Magazine via Instagram
A luscious 1600-hectare working farm forms the backyard for the Overflow Estate 1895 vineyard. The historic grazing property was reborn back in 2010 when it began the first steps into its journey as a wine producer. Today joining the heritage buildings on the property is a suave architecturally designed cellar door in which you can drop in to try the six wines produced on site, partnered with a decadent grazing menu.
Photo by Rathlogan Olive Grove and Shed Café via Facebook
Wander your way to Rathdowney where you’ll greet the abundant Rathlogan Olive Grove. On the top of the property’s hill, amidst the gathering of olive trees, resides its accompanying cafe, a petite eatery focused on fresh, country fare and a shop of the property’s olive-based goods. No visit is complete without tucking into the warm scones on offer, topped with jam and cream.
Channel your inner Italian nearby with a cooking class at Classi di Cucina. Owner and chef Pietro Agnoletto once led the charge at the University of Queensland’s Pizza Café with his authentic wood-fired pizza. Today he’s made himself at home on a 40 hectare-strong property with his wife and a herd of alpaca.
Join them on the first Sunday of every month when Pietro will show you Neapolitan and Roman-style pizza making, followed by lunch with your class.
Quench your thirst after a day spent meandering the Scenic Rim food trail with a stop at the Scenic Rim Brewery. Housed in a heritage-listed former general store, the boutique brewery has become famed for its creations, including the Shazza Mid-Strength Ale and Sheep’s Back Spiced Apple Float, as well as an award-winning Tasmania cider and an old-fashioned shandy. Accompany your brew with one of the many homemade cakes on display in the adjoining cafe.
Photo by Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation via Facebook
It’s at the Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation that you can better educate yourself on the process from bean to brew. Coffee isn’t just grown here on the micro-lot plantation, but roasted and blended by the in-house team for its own unique flavour. Tuck into a cup of the local creation at the adjoining Coffee House cafe, where breakfast, lunch, and cocktails are also on the menu.