Local insider dishes up Noosa foodie secrets
Drop any foodie into a new place and the first thing they want to know is where the locals go to eat and drink. The search starts with a quest for the best coffee, before moving on to finding the under-the-radar restaurant where the food takes centre stage.
What you need is a local in the know, and nobody knows the Sunshine Coast’s food scene better than Queensland’s Top Tour Guide of 2024: Joel McPherson of Joel’s Journeys.
“Joel’s Journey is about providing a great day out for people that’s fun, educational, experiential and just a memorable time. We offer all-inclusive guided tours across the entire Sunshine Coast region… (and) we get a lot of joy of being the conduit, the connector, of these makers and producers.”
Joel McPherson, Owner of Joel’s Journeys
The thread that ties it all together
What does an organic marketplace, chocolate factory and beachside restaurant have in common? Jump on Joel’s Secrets of Noosa Tour, and you’re bound to find out.
Joel’s Journeys is all about bringing local producers together who share in a common quest to innovate and celebrate fresh, local produce.
Altogether, his tours directly support about 35 local businesses, including those makers and growers who are small in scale, but big on passion.
The tours also celebrate the local landscape, where rich volcanic soils and crystal waterways make the Sunshine Coast and Noosa a haven for food producers.
Take Joel’s Noosa Everglades and Hinterland Tour for example. Here visitors will not only get to explore Noosa’s lesser-known country towns of Cooroy and Pomona - where slow food is a way of life - but discover the River of Mirrors on a Noosa Everglades eco cruise.
Joel's Journeys at Belmondos Organic Market, Noosaville
Once upon a time, on a farm in Noosa…
If you’ve ever wondered what lays beyond the farm gate, Joel’s Journeys gives you a VIP pass to meet the makers and hear their stories.
And no one has a story quite like Amrita Park Meadery, a popular stop on Joel’s Noosa Hinterland Tour.
Here visitors will meet proud owners Nicola and Andy, whose family has been making award-winning mead since the mid-1930s.
Joel's Journeys at Amrita Park Meadery, Noosa Hinterland
The term ‘slow food’ is one used a lot in Noosa, and Amrita Park Meadery keep food miles low by making their mead onsite with honey produced in the buzzing garden hives and fruits grown on their lush grounds.
Theirs is just one of many local stories unearthed through Joel’s Journeys, inspiring visitors to not just enjoy good food and drink, but get a better appreciation for where it comes from.
Belmondos Organic Market part of Joel's Journeys, Noosaville
Embark on a slow food journey
Today’s society might feel increasingly fast-paced, but there’s one place that’s bucking the trend, at least when it comes to food.
Noosa restaurants, cafes and local brewers are proudly displaying ‘Slow Food Noosa’ banners in store, signalling their commitment to sustainable food practises.
The Slow Food Noosa program is all about ‘good, clean and fair food for all’, and businesses that embody the Slow Food philosophy earn themselves a ‘Snail of Approval’.
Belmondos Organic Market part of Joel's Journeys, Noosaville
This philosophy is one that hits close to home for Joel, who uses many of his tours to shine a light on those producers taking part in the Slow Food movement.
In his Noosa Hinterland Tour, lunch is served at Pomona Village Kitchen where the menu serves seasonal, locally grown produce, with a focus on low food mileage and reducing food waste.
Joel’s Journeys operate 7 days a week, with a variety of day tour and private tour options.
To choose your next Noosa food adventure, learn more about Joel's Journeys here.