Are you Bent on Food?

Are you Bent on Food? I think the majority of us would answer hell yes to this.

Food is a major focus of travel.

We love to break free from the boredom of our own kitchens to experience exotic delights whipped up by others, preferably who can cook better than me.

Not to mention the fact that we can taste and appreciate without preparing or cleaning.

The problem with travel is that we often pass through towns as strangers so we have no idea of the right places to eat to have that culinary experience we are craving.

That’s where word-of- mouth comes in.

Recommending Bent on Food Cafe

We were recommended by the Legendary Pacific Coast drive to visit Bent on Food Café in Wingham in the Manning Valley

It’s not far from Taree and the major Sydney to Brisbane Pacific Coast Highway. We suggest taking the tourist drive past our favourite B & B Artisans on the Hill, through the scenic valley.

Bent on Food has won numerous tourist awards, including best in Australia for restaurant and catering. Take a minute to absorb that, BEST in Australia, better than a lot of the big restaurants in capital cities.

Bent on Food is an institution.

You notice this by the waitresses buzzing around carrying coffees, hearty breakfasts and delicious cakes, and the number of patrons sitting around with smiles on their faces.

Shelves line the walls stacked with sauces and oils, jams and preserves, some of which are made by the team at Bent on Food. This year will see the citrus grown on the farm of the owner, Donna, included in their speciality marmalade.

The Bent on Food Empire

Donna started Bent on Food seven years ago, after being in the wine and marketing industry for many years.

Donna’s ideas for her brand never stop coming and she is slowly implementing each one.

The Bent on Life homeware store is just a couple of doors up and the Bent on Cooking school is around the corner, most famous for its cheese-making classes.

Donna hopes to soon start a chocolate making course, but first intends on learning how herself in Vietnam. She runs cooking tours to Vietnam, whose heavy French influence have made them experts in, not just baking beautiful bread, but chocolate.

Donna has vision, and I loved hearing her talk of all her plans for the Bent on range.

She’s also very warm and welcoming. I watched as she moved about the room greeting new diners as they walked in like they were long lost friends. She took time to stop off at each table with a friendly smile and a chat.

Bent on Food now has a wonderful outdoor seating area complete with small cooking gardens of indigenous edibles and herbs to use in the kitchen and cooking school.

It’s a peaceful oasis to get lost in for the afternoon and has space for the kiddies to wander around.

We arrived mid-morning and only had room for a cup of coffee and a hip-thickening splurge. I thoroughly enjoyed a gluten free friand, Kalyra fluffy pancakes, and Craig a white chocolate and macadamia nut slice.

Almond Friand

White chocolate and macadamia slice

Simple yet fluffy-divine

It was exactly the type of food I travel for.

The food was delicious and the heaviness that comes from eating sweet food was absent.

We walked out pretty content and happy with a bag of chocolate freckles and homemade strawberry jam to enjoy on the road trip to our next destination.

P.S. The strawberry jam rescued us several nights later when I cooked a hideous meal of baked trout and had to resort to strawberry jam on toast instead. Now that was a real winner!