Off the eaten track in the Sunshine Coast

Fast, fresh and simple recipes using mouth-watering local spanner crab, delicious raspberries, sweet pineapples and soothing olive leaf tea - expect all this and more in the second season of Off the Eaten Track, starts on at 7pm, Saturday December 3 on Channel 7.


Joining star chef Alastair McLeod, Executive Chef at Tank and the bad-from-the-dead Bretts Wharf,  as he cooks will be Martin Duncan, Chef owner of Freestyle Tout in Fortitude Valley and West End. You'll fall head over heels for the delectable Martin  (it's okay Martin, you don't have to pay me for this), in the first episode.

Produced in partnership with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), it's now in the second series and  features Alastair travelling from Tropical North Queensland to Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast and the Darling Downs, meeting passionate producers and celebrating the quality and diversity of Queensland's food.

The largest spanner crab producer in Australia, Ceas is based at Kawana Waters and is one of the businesses profiled in the series. Spanner crab is a premium product that's sustainably produced and sold both nationally and internationally.

The locally bred and grown Aus-Jubilee pineapple will also be featured. For this episode, Alastair travelled to the Queensland Government's newest food research facility and joined consumers taste-testing the pineapple.

DEEDI's Katrina Gething, a Consumer Research Scientist, said the program offered a fresh insight into food production.

In 'Off the Eaten Track', viewers not only learn where their food comes from and how it's grown, but they can also appreciate some of the science behind the food. DEEDI scientists assist primary producers by researching innovations and technologies to add value and marketability to Queensland food. Research into using natural native foods to extend the shelf-life and convenience of seafood for consumers will also be profiled in the show.

Sunshine Coast businesses featured in episode one include Ceas, Favco, Freestyle Escape, Gowinta Farms, Kin Kin Bees, Mooloolah River Fisheries, Obi Obi Essentials and Montville Markets.

The four-part series is produced by TPD Media, the team behind Seven's 'Great South East' and 'Queensland Weekender' programs, in partnership with DEEDI. For more details check out  Queensland Food's facebook page