Take a food-lover’s journey from town to town and savour The Tweed’s country flavours.
For a real taste of hinterland essence, from delectable high teas and kitchen garden eateries to farm-fresh cheese and lovingly brewed coffee, indulge yourself with a day trip around the region.
There are also pop-up roadside stalls packed with take-home produce, bush tucker picks, cakes and wood-fired pizza goodness. With all this abundance awaiting, it’s easy to savour the flavours of country life on your next visit to The Tweed.
Here’s a three-day itinerary to get you started:
Day One:
Start at Farm and Co on Cudgen Road in Cudgen – an organic family farm serving coffee, breakfast and lunch. Wander through the farm, pick sunflowers, feed the pigs and chickens and get back to nature. Before leaving, make sure to check out the farm store, full of produce and hand-selected treats.
Move onto Husk Farm Distillery on Dulguigan Road in North Tumbulgum, set on the banks of the Tweed River. At Australia’s only single estate rum distillery and the home of Ink Gin, guests can take in views across the valley to Wollumbin and the border ranges while enjoying a cocktail and lunch, before purchasing limited release products; or perhaps join a distillery tour.
No visit to The Tweed is complete without visiting multi-award-winning dining destination Potager – A Kitchen Garden in Carool. Set on a small 10-acre farm in the picturesque countryside the restaurant boasts views to the coast across a flourishing valley, while guests delve into dishes created from organic produce grown in the farm’s garden and from the surrounding region.
After a sumptuous lunch, head to the beautiful village of Tyalgum to discover Tyalgum Gelato Shop on Coolman Street for artisan gelato made by second generation gelato makers. Offering traditional and innovative flavours every weekend, ingredients are sourced both in Italy and Australia, with special produce straight from the ancient local Tweed Caldera.
Finish the day at Zeta’s Coffee Origin House on Blissetts Road in Carool. This award-winning Wirui estate coffee plantation is a small estate producing one of Australia’s finest single origin coffees and offers guests an opportunity to experience how coffee is grown and produced. The cottage provides accommodation of two ensuited King bedrooms, an open plan living-dining area and fully equipped kitchen.
Day Two:
For a true local breakfast, head to Ju Ju’s on Wharf Street in Murwillumbah. Open for breakfast and lunch from Monday to Saturday, this BYO café prepares food using fresh produce, sourced directly from beautiful Tweed Valley suppliers and the Murwillumbah Farmers’ Market.
Every Wednesday morning, the Murwillumbah Farmers’ Market on Queensland Road is bursting with activity as locals and visitors alike arrive to chat with growers and producers and enjoy the freshest seasonally available locally grown fruit and veggies. Pick up some artisan cheese, macadamia and pecan nuts, honey, avocados and freshly baked bread, to go with meat, seafood and much more.
Bucks Farm on Numinbah Road in Chillingham nestles in the foothills of the Tweed Valley. Owned and operated as a fruit farm for around 50 years, produce is picked daily for visitors to buy fresh from the farm shop, as well as for use by restaurants and fruit markets around Australia.The farm shop also sells natural beauty products made from farm produce, along with coffee, cold drinks, ice cream, preserves and fudge, made from bush foods.
Relax in the Tuscan-style garden courtyard at Flutterbies Cottage Café on Coolman Street in Tyalgum. Set within the grounds of the lovingly restored Bakery and Butcher, this café is filled with old-world charm – discover the delight of French linen, flowers and vintage crockery in the elegant tea room, where Devonshire and high teas are served daily.
Escape to the peace and tranquillity of country-style restaurant and boutique accommodation, Mavis’ Kitchen and Cabins on Mount Warning Road in Uki. Set within a block of 25-acre farmland at the foot of Wollumbin-Mt Warning, this idyllic property is an ideal base from which to explore surrounding villages and hinterland – or go fishing in the Tweed River and swim in crystal clear creeks.
For fresh traditional French pastries and cakes made from scratch, head to small family business Ben’s Patisserie on Brisbane Street in Murwillumbah. Expect to find award-winning Parisian macarons, lemon meringue, éclairs, mille-feuille, custard flans, pear tarts and much more!
Day Three:
Located at the foothills of Wollumbin-Mt Warning, Uki is a small village with a big focus on creativity, wellness and good food. Visit the local produce markets in the old Buttery and watch resident artists work at the School of Arts; or exhale at healing retreats and luxury accommodation in lush rainforest spaces. This is where lunch comes with a mountain view and both art and coffee, along with postal services, are on offer in the historic post office building.
Arrive as a stranger and leave as a friend at Elwood Café in Burringbar. Located on The Broadway in a cute green cottage, this eatery delivers quality food and coffee either alfresco, or in rustic surrounds of recycled timber and painted brick indoors. Wrap your hands around a bagel stuffed with smoked chicken, melted cheddar, tomato and cucumber, to go with your brew of choice.
Whey Farmhouse Cheeses is a family-owned and operated artisan cheese factory, set in the lush pastures of the Tweed Valley at Burringbar. Using milk from their herd of grass-fed dairy cows, this farm produces genuine farmhouse cheeses and yoghurt; browse through the farm shop and pick up artisan products and gifts, before dining in the licensed verandah café with a cheese platter and glass of wine.
More than just a farm and no ordinary tourist destination, Tropical Fruit World in Duranbah has been a pioneer for eco-tourism since 1983. Spend time on a 200-acre working farm, featuring more than 500 unusual tropical fruits from all over the world; explore the in-house nursery, retail shop with homemade products and shop for fresh produce at the onsite fruit market. Sample jackfruit nachos, dragon fruit cheesecake, or always popular smashed avo on sourdough.
