If you are a regular follower of this blog you may have realised that we like our food, a lot. Whilst on the road we’re always on the lookout for local delicacies to savour. Regional produce like new seasons walnuts in Autumn from the Victorian Ovens Valley, fresh oysters from Coffin Bay and of course Woody couldn’t live without his freshly roasted coffee. We once drove thousands of kilometres for the smoked meats at Kilkivan in Qld and we weren’t disappointed. It works both ways too, as we often travel north with a freezer full of dim sims for Woody’s brother (Woody the Elder to you) who lives in Queensland. As most Melburnians will vouch there is nothing quite like a Melbourne dim sim and our particular favourite is from the Tai Wah in bayside Mentone.

Below is a list of the places that are on our must return to list and some we have indeed returned to every time we’ve been in town.

Roasted Coffee       GV Coffee, Shepparton,Vic

Mansfield Coffee Merchant, Mansfield, Vic

Mikro Coffee Roasters, Mt Gambier, SA

Brewhouse Café & Coffee Roasters, Bendigo, Vic

Montague Island Coffee Roasters, Narooma, NSW

Sexy Coffee, Maryborough, Qld

Yallingup Coffee Roasting Co, Dunsborough, WA

Coffee Dominion, Townsville, Qld

Boston Bay Bean Company, Port Lincoln, SA

Palate and Ply, Coffs Harbour, NSW

Butchers                  Yea Meat Supply, Yea, Vic

Mick Haynes Butchery, Tocumwal, NSW

Shaw Quality Meats, Stratford, Vic

Smokehouse Meats, Sawtell, NSW

Kilkivan Meats, Kilkivan, Qld

Inglewood Aged Beef, Inglewood,Vic

Bakeries                   Dunkeld Bakery, Dunkeld, Vic

Sharpes Bakery, Birchip, Vic (The Australian Vanilla Slice champion four times over)

Bertoldo’s Bakery, Griffith, NSW (Holy Canoli)

Lismore Pie Cart, Lismore, NSW

Seafood                     Wild Local Prawns, Ingham, Qld

Fish & Chips             Pedro’s, Ulverstone, Tas (try the scallops)

Wine & Spirits         Brown Brothers, Milawa,Vic (who can resist a long lunch, great wine and a free camp)

Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Bundaberg, Qld (there’s nothing better than a bottle of their luscious Royal Liqueur on board for that fireside tipple on a chilly night)

Cafés & Produce     Stefano’s Café, Mildura, Vic (famous chef Stefano Di Pieri makes sauces and preserves on the premises)

Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm, Elizabethtown, Tas

Peanut Van, Kingaroy, Qld (super fresh peanuts in the shell)

Deli                            IGA Heathcote, Heathcote, Vic  (Roasted Ham Hocks)

Istra Smallgoods, Musk, Vic (traditional had made smallgoods)

Lou’s Food Emporium Italian Deli, Ingham, Qld

Russian Delights, Burleigh Heads, Qld

Supermarket          IGA Maleny, Maleny, Qld (the best foodie supermarket that we’ve found yet)

Markets                    Victoria Market , Melbourne, Vic

Central Markets, Adelaide, SA

Talbot Market, Talbot, Vic (an inspirational country market)

Eumundi Markets, Eumundi, Qld

Chocolate                House of Anvers, Latrobe, Tas (Oh the snowballs in winter!)