Our homegrown goodness and fun foodie experiences are heralding a whole new era in Sunshine Coast tourism.
And the region’s passionate producers, artisans and agritourism businesses are meeting the challenge, coming together to form a new, distinct and unified brand.
Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry seeks to shine a light on the breadth of the region’s quality produce, artisanal products and food and beverage experiences to build our reputation as an agritourism destination.
The doors officially opened to Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry last week in front of dignitaries, farmers, producers and tourism operators at Nutworks in Yandina.
Developed in partnership with Visit Sunshine Coast (VSC) and the Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN), Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry campaign has been funded by the Palaszczuk Government through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
“The greater Sunshine Coast is home to a truly diverse range of makers, growers, producers, distillers, brewers and supporters, who are all passionate about their produce, products and region,” FAN CEO Nicole McNaughton said.
“We’re delighted to officially open the doors to Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry and showcase our region’s truly collaborative, innovative and tasty food, beverage and agritourism industry via this campaign.”
Ms McNaughton said the Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry campaign not only aimed to position the region as a leading food and agritourism destination, but also create a host of new market opportunities for our producers and makers.
VSC CEO Matt Stoeckel described Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry as “a platform to share what’s distinct about our food, drink and agritourism experiences, and it does so through one voice”.
“We know visitors travel with their stomachs and so we wanted to make sure the Sunshine Coast is recognised for its natural abundance, quality of produce and range of culinary experiences,” he said.
“We anticipate that our Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry campaign will attract more foodies to come to the Sunshine Coast and experience it for themselves.”
State Minister for Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner said the campaign brought together industry, local government and destination management agencies to drive food and agritourism initiatives that support industry growth and regional economic resilience.
“The Palaszczuk Government is supporting the Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry Campaign and the Project Crafted through a $400,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ $2 million Agribusiness Diversification initiative,” he said.
“It’s also entirely appropriate for the official launch to be here at Nutworks, because we know people across the world are going nuts for Sunshine Coast produce and destination experiences.
“From the array of craft beers and unique distillers to award-winning cheeses, yoghurts and ice creams, not forgetting some of the best seafood in the world, the Sunshine Coast is a larder of gourmet opportunities.
“Kayak with dolphins, sail the Pacific Ocean, hike the coastline or cruise the Mooloolaba River – all these terrific experiences – and so many more – are all now inside the one Sunshine Pantry.”
The campaign has been developed as part of the wider Project Crafted initiative that has been developed in partnership with FAN and Visit Sunshine Coast and in collaboration with regional partners including Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Gympie Council, Tourism Noosa and Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism.
SUNSHINE PANTRY OVERFLOWS WITH GOODNESS
Collectively, the Sunshine Coast region boasts an impressive array of food and agritourism credentials with:
• More than 900 producers
• 24 food and beverage tours
• 18 food events
• 400 food tourism experiences
• Six food precincts
• 740 restaurants
• 22 craft breweries
• One Big Pineapple
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