When chef Spencer Patrick says he uses local ingredients in his cooking he's talking about the tropical pantry where he does his weekly shop, Mossman Markets in North Queensland, just south of the Daintree River.
Spencer and his wife Reina have two restaurants in Port Douglas which is about an hours' drive north of Cairns along the scenic Great Barrier Reef Highway.
They stumbled across this little bit of heaven while travelling around Australia and put down roots. You can hear Spencer's story and how he sources produce for his hatted restaurant Harrison's at the weekly Mossman Markets below.
Spencer and Reina also organise Taste Port Douglas, a food festival that's grown into an annual event showcasing the bounty of this region. It's worth a visit.
What's your favourite tropical fruit? Have you visited Mossman Markets? Which food markets do you recommend to your friends? Please leave a comment below.
Kerry Heaney is a food sherpa, travelling the world bite by bite. For
her, it's all about where to go to eat and where to eat when you go,
and she's been writing about that for the past 20 years. A writer and
editor who contributes regular food and travel feature stories for
RACQ's The Road Ahead and a range of other print publications, Kerry has
been sharing food love through Eat, drink + be Kerry for eight years.
Although dedicated to eating her way around the world, Kerry is an
expert on Queensland food and has written the Queensland food component
for several Hardie Grant titles. Kerry is immediate past president of the Australian Travel Writers Society
(ASTW).
