Slow food guide: Savour the flavours of the Coast right from the source

The origins of slow travel derived from the slow food movement first coined in Italy in 1986. The movement aimed to preserve regional cuisine, local farming and traditional cooking methods through the education of tourists and locals.

Rather than an increase in tourism changing the way people eat by bringing larger, chain-based restaurants to major cities and taking profits away from family-owned establishments, the slow food movement draws business back to traditional restaurants by touting the benefits of using regionally sourced ingredients and stimulating local economies.

We are what we eat, right? And we're exceptionally lucky here on the Central Coast to have an incredible bounty of fresh seasonal produce to access!

This slow food guide showcases local chefs and kitchens truly passionate about their menu items. Taking advantage of the Coast’s rich earth and ocean - featuring organic and free-range produce, and quality seafood - these restaurants gather it all up for you, and turn it into pure deliciousness.

There are also plenty of immersive culinary experiences on the Central Coast to learn about our local produce, farming techniques including permaculture and rewilding, and cooking methods by both ancient and more recent ancestors through educational, sensory experiences.

Using the very best local, seasonal produce to make dishes with punchy, vibrant flavours Yellowtail brings influences from the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Asia to a flexible, ever-changing menu. All the food lends itself to sharing but can be enjoyed just as much the old-fashioned way, with the menu made up of smaller items, and larger plates with a small cheese and dessert offering.

Woy Woy Fishermen’s Wharf has been serving freshly caught seafood on the Central Coast for over 40 years. Pat Cregan started the business in Woy Woy in 1974 with the goal to serve the best quality seafood as simply as possible. The waterfront nature of this restaurant lends itself perfectly to feeling like you're eating the freshest seafood cuisine prepared by the experts.

The Wild flower Bar + Dining within Bells at Killcare offers world-class hospitality with a strong focus on Mediterranean flavours, simplicity and sustainability. The dining experience is a celebration of our unique part of the world, featuring seafood from our local waterways in a lively, sophisticated bistro style space.

In addition to estate-grown produce, the menu showcases as many local New South Wales producers, suppliers, winemakers and growers as possible. Locally harvested seafood includes freshly shucked oysters and crayfish caught off nearby Macmasters Beach. Their kitchen garden, now some 500 square metres in size, includes an orchid, olive trees, honeybee hives and free-range hens.

The BOX on the Water is situated in a prime seaside position on the redeveloped Esplanade area of Ettalong Beach. Looking out to Lobster Beach and the Bouddi Peninsula, it's absolute water's edge location has panoramic views out across Broken Bay to its namesake, Box Head, and over to Sydney's Northern Beaches. And the food itself? Well, you're in for a stylish treat with modern Australian cuisine crafted around the concept of a 'long lunch': good food enjoyed with good company. Try the Degustation menu or Sunset Sips menu. 

Inspired by Turkey’s rich culinary history from the Ottoman Palace kitchens, Istanbul meyhanes, street food and traditional village meals, Safran's Chef Suleyman Kirbancioglu draws upon authentic recipes and techniques, presenting them with contemporary interpretation.

The name, ‘Saddles’ takes inspiration from artisan saddler, Heath Harris, one of Australia’s most renowned horse trainers and masters of saddlery. The Saddles Mt White menu is modelled on a simple and ethical approach to food along with showcasing Australian native ingredients. Highlights on the dining menu include a selection of house-made charcuterie, savoury pastries, salads inspired by the onsite garden, roast Little Hill farm chicken and local seafood. 

The bakery offers house-made breads, pastries, sweet tarts, cakes and Australian classics including meat pies with grass-fed beef cheeks and wine, pork and fennel sausage rolls and of course, the humble (but magnificent take on) The Aussie Lamington.

Sydney Oyster Farm Tours of Mooney Mooney is an indulgent, earthy in-water experience where you can taste the delights of local oyster farm on the lots, delivered to your table via boat for you to freshly shuck. 

If you prefer to stay dry or are just after takeaway - stop off at Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed and take in the views of the waterways from land. If it’s the precious gems found in oysters that make you salivate, then book a pearl farm experience with Broken Bay Pearl Farm. This immersive experience invites you to their 'Shellar door' where you can witness their work or join in a tour to discover the story of locally grown pearls.

The orchards at Cedar Farm in Dooralong were established back in the 1920s and today there are over 3000 trees, including Navel oranges which are ripe for picking from July until October. The oranges are all farm fresh and not sprayed with chemicals.

Farm owners Jack and Kay started the Pick Your Own (PYO) experience four years ago and watched it grow in popularity. You'll be greeted at the farm gate and handed a picking stick and bag to harvest some of the most delicious oranges you'll ever taste. Once finished take your bags in for weighing and pay the a bargain price per kilo for your haul.  

Fanelli Organics is an ACO Certified organic farm set on 45 acres of regenerated farmland within the Central Coast hinterland. The farm is owned and managed by Eden Fanelli and his partner, Louise. Fanelli Organics offer local produce and experiences for the community and visitors including certified organic fruit and vegetable boxes, sunflower picking, orange picking in winter, and paddock to market stalls locally, and in Sydney.

Experience farm life on a farm tour at Grace Springs Farm. You’ll get to see a cow being milked, collect eggs, cuddle a chick or duckling, and pat the sheep. Grace Springs is a small, chemical-free farm on the Central Coast Plateau. They run tours to connect people with where their food comes from and to connect children with farm animals. They are a working farm (not a petting zoo), and they open their gates at set times to give you first-hand experience of life on a small, sustainably minded Australian farm.

Gain an understanding of Australia’s bush food on a dedicated tour guide with Jake Cassar. Jake Cassar is a Central Coast Bushcraft teacher, tour guide and youth mentor specialising in edible, introduced and medicinal wild plants. He has spent over 20 years doing annual survival missions where he lives off only what he can hunt, catch or gather for weeks at a time. You can book Jake's bushcraft courses and tours online, or arrange corporate packages. This experience will change the way you look at the Aussie bush forever!

Wyong Milk Factory is home to local foodie factories Luka Chocolates, The Daily Dough, and the multi award-winning Little Creek Cheese. These Central Coast producers all use locally sourced ingredients including fresh cream, organic honey, 100% pure fruit juices, nuts, fruits and spices to create a little slice of heaven with their artisan offerings. And best of all, you can pop into all three in one visit, as they are less than one minute apart in the Wyong Milk Factory precinct by the river.

For an immersive taste of the Central Coast's award-winning cheesemakers, book a behind-the-scenes experience to discover some of the history of the site, as well as the beginnings of Little Creek Cheese. Enjoy a hands on session on making ricotta and paneer which you can take home with you!

For more information about soaking up the natural goodness of the NSW Central Coast take a stroll through our slow travel guide.