Why you’ll love it

Farm gates on the east coast are about as diverse as you can imagine. The mild East Coast climate, clean ocean and fertile soils create an environment where Tasmania’s world-famous produce is grown in abundance—from fresh fruits and award-winning cheeses to premium seafood.

Meet growers, farmers and makers to discover the stories behind the region’s sought-after produce and taste, buy and perhaps even cook your own fresh East Coast bounty.

Where you’ll find it

On a farm

The Pyengana Dairy Company is found in the genuinely lush Pyengana Valley. Here, you can sample award-winning cheddars, homemade ice creams and creamy, real farm milk (from the happiest cows you’ll find anywhere).

A quintessential east coast farm gate experience is at Freycinet Marine Farm, where you can taste freshly shucked Pacific oysters and Tasmanian blue mussels, straight from the sea at the at Coles Bay. Or take a tour of the farm with Oyster Bay Tours (bookings essential).

Melshell Oyster Shack is located at Yellow Sandbanks Road, Dolphin Sands. Enjoy a fantastic view of the Swan River as you slurp down a dozen. You can see the farm activity as Ian and the boys work in the background. Open daily: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Join Tasman Sea Salt for an immersive and highly hands-on Salt Sommelier experience.  Learn how the salt is harvested from our very own East Coast waters at the operating saltworks and then find out about the importance of salt, how it helps us taste our food and the role this humble mineral has played in the rise and fall of empires. Enjoy a salt tasting experience while sampling a selection of locally sourced small bites paired with the produced-on-site sea salts.

No food-lovers’ visit to the east coast is complete without a stop at Kate’s Berry Farm, where you can pick your own berries from November until May, and purchase preserves, dessert wines, berry ice creams and handmade chocolates all year round. Further north, at Scamander, you’ll find more fruit and farm-made jams, chutneys and sauces at Eureka Farm.

At a market

Markets in Tasmania are often the best place to source truly fresh, organic local produce. At weekly and monthly markets in towns along the east coast you’ll find tables laden with fresh, locally-grown fruits, vegetables, preserves, baked treats and other irresistible produce. Swansea, Coles Bay, Triabunna and St Helens each have regular or seasonal community markets where gourmet treasures await. Check East Coast Tasmania’s What’s On page for the latest listings.

At a festival

The Bicheno Food and Wine Festival is an annual celebration of the east coast’s passionate and talented producers, fresh produce and culture. Held each November on the Bicheno waterfront, the festival showcases Tasmanian and east coast producers, chefs, wine and beer makers and other gourmet innovators with a day of tastings, demonstrations and cooking classes, food stalls and pop-up cafes. Think of it as the best all-day lunch of your life…

ECHO Festival – An East Coast Harvest Odyssey, a uniquely immersive experience that offers guests the opportunity to connect with nature in the amber glow of the Tasmanian Autumn. Showcasing fine local wines, spirits and produce, the Chef’s Native Bounty Feast will delight guests with local shellfish and sumptuous bush foods, cooked on the open coals. Other tasty food options will be available on site throughout the weekend.

Outdoor Food Experience

Match the perfect location and beach setting with a Pop Up Picnic or Picnic Hamper. Packed full of the best, most delicious East Coast Tasmanian produce you can graze your way up and down  the East Coast with a minimum of effort. Try Salty Picnic Co or Pop Up Picnic Tasmania to experience the best product East Coast Tasmania has to offer.

At a gourmet providore

East coast providores are a fantastic source of gourmet local produce. Try the East Coast Village Providore at St Helens for some choice morsels, then pack a picnic basket with your favourites, select a superb view and settle in for a lavish wanderer’s lunch. Match fresh east coast seafood, cheeses, fresh fruits and berries and crisp farm produce with the region’s finest cool climate wines for a five star, al fresco food moment.

Travel times and driving distances

To help plan your visit, you can check our travel times and driving distances.