Four charming characters you should meet in Bundaberg North Burnett.
1. The Barista
Tucked down a small Bargara laneway, stumble upon The Journey coffee shop and in this 24 square-metre space you'll likely bump into owner Matt Grills as well. Matt, a former Bundaberg police officer, wanted to bring "a little bit of Melbourne" to this beach village, and so opened his shop in December 2016.
The Kai Coffee he uses is roasted on the Sunshine Coast and is sustainable, with donations from each sale going back to assist children in the regions where it is produced. He also serves Rawlicious raw food from made by a local cook.
You can't miss Matt, this 34-year-old ultra-marathon runner is heavily tattooed, with many designs coming from his Christian faith.
"I want to provide premium coffee but spend time with each person and leave them feeling better than when they turn up," Matt says.
"It is about trying to provide a good vibe. The coffee is just a bonus."
2. The Butcher
Boasting one of the cheekiest names in the business, you'll also find some of the tastiest meat in Queensland at Bundy Chop Shop. Meet affable owner Rick Elliot, whose father was a butcher in Gin Gin back in the late 80s and wanted his son to come to the "big smoke" of Bundaberg to find work. Bundy Chop Shop was the first door on which Rick knocked and in 2010 he went on to buy the business. So successful is this operation, it recently won Best Butcher in Bundaberg. Last Christmas they smoked 1000 hams in this shop which specialises in all sorts of meat and smoked goods such as bacon and chicken. These days, Bundy Chop Shop is so busy it employs 11 butchers who rotate on a seven-day week basis. Follow the scent of sultry smoke to North Bundaberg to meet Rick and his team.
3. The Brewer
Bundaberg's newest brewery operator knows a thing or two about the brewing business. Kalki Moon Distilling Company owner Rick Prosser was a blender at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery and also a master distiller before he eventually decided to open the doors on his own business. While, under law, his rum has to sit in barrels for two years and will not be ready until 2019, in the meantime, he is busy brewing and selling vodka and gin.
"I've got a good name in the industry and I wanted to leverage off of that. I love the alcohol industry. It is such as great industry and distillers are like one big community," Rick says.
"The craft industries are in such a boom. People are getting more fussy about how they want to spend their money and they want to see where it came from."
Rick assures rum drinkers his mid to premium rum will be worth the wait.
"That's what my name is synonymous with. The most refreshing part of this venture so far has been the gin because gin is in such growth at the moment," he says.
"It's been so well received in Bundy. It is very refreshing to see a new customer face-to-face.
"What tastes good to me must taste good to the consumers as well."
This blog was written by Christine Retschlag from The Global Goddess. Christine visited our beautiful region thanks to our incredible members and Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism.