Living Localisation Sarah Nicholson learns that one of 2022 big food trends has been business as usual for Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns Executive Chef Aaron Habgood. A 2021 report produced by HelloFresh revealed
farm near Millaa Millaa, citrus from orchards
a third more Australians are searching locally for
around Mareeba, and seafood caught between
food than 10 years ago, with 25 per cent of the
Cairns and the Cape as well as the Gulf of
population committed to eating produce that
Carpentaria,” Aaron says.
makes a shorter journey from paddock to plate. “There is some brilliant coffee being grown on But this post-pandemic trend was no revelation
the Tablelands, and I had fun creating a menu
for the team at Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns
for a foodie group recently that incorporated a
with
particular plantation’s beans in the courses as
Executive
Chef
Aaron
Habgood
long
committed to localisation and incorporating
well as pre-dinner cocktails.
Tropical North Queensland’s impressive inventory of locally-grown goodies into menus.
“Tropical North Queensland is underrated as a food destination, visitors don’t realise how much
“We
use
Stockmans
Dairy
Farmers
milk
Eggs from
from
Atherton,
is grown locally, and I believe making our produce
around
Malanda,
the star of the show at a business event helps
Mungalli Creek yogurt produced on a biodynamic
make the occasion exceptional.”
