The Ultimate Food Lover’s Road Trip in WA

Western Australia is a gourmet food lover’s paradise.

Home to an abundance of artisan producers, award winning restaurants, breweries and fine wineries, it’s a state that’s making waves in the culinary world.

Whether you’re a local wanting to sink your teeth into the best gourmet delights or you’re visiting from further afield, WA has something delicious for all to enjoy. And what better way to combine your love of food with a casual road trip?

Food and travelling make a winning combination. Paired with WA’s natural beauty, fresh produce and a playlist of ‘foodie’ songs to get your taste buds buzzing, we guarantee your stomachs will be tingling with anticipation.

If you’re looking to follow the foodie trail and try the best products from local gourmet food suppliers, WA’s south west has you covered. Edged by the Indian Ocean, expect a plethora of seafood to sample, wine and produce tasting in Margaret River, truffle hunting in Manjimup and feasts in between; there’s always cuisine worth travelling for.

Forget grabbing hot chips at the freeway servo. These days, road trip dining is a gourmet affair. If you’re looking to explore world-class food and wine spots right on your doorstep, here’s our recommended south west itinerary for all food lovers.

 

Day 1: Perth to Eagle Bay (3 hours)

From Perth’s CBD, Eagle Bay is an easy two hours and 54-minute drive. But that’s without stops – and there’s a lot of appetising exploring to be done midst travel.

The fastest route, via the freeway, will still take you through key areas such as Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough. However, if you want to take the coast, you can stop at other food and wine hot-spots including Fremantle and Mandurah before you get back on the original route. You’ll still be able to explore Bunbury and Busselton on this drive too.

Once you hit Eagle Bay and Dunsborough, there are plenty of places to eat. Join the flavour revolution and unzip your taste buds at:

• Eagle Bay Brewery: Combining rural with ocean views and quality wine making with great craft beer, this family-owned business is renowned for its seasonal Cacao Stout, old faithful beef burger and squid and snapper tacos
• Meal Up: In the heart of Dunsborough, this venue dishes up healthy options for breakfast and lunch, with freshly baked pastries and raw treats. All their food is locally sourced
• The Studio Bistro: If you love art, food and wine, The Studio Bistro combines them all. And as a three-time Gold Plate winning bistro, expect to leave more than satisfied

 

Day 2: Eagle Bay to Gracetown (30 minutes)

If you can spend two days food trailing between Bunbury and Gracetown, stopping over at Eagle Bay, you’ll get a decent taste of what WA’s local produce has to offer. Not to mention, the breathtaking scenery to soak up along the way.

Venture into Yallingup for their local flavours, tourist attractions and places to stay. You can easily use a day for eating and sightseeing here, before taking off to Gracetown. These places will get your stomach positively growling:

• Amelia Park Wines: A winery restaurant loaded with all the good stuff. Book in for a tasting menu and cellar door experience for a taste of the best dishes
• Wildwood Valley Cottages and Cooking School: Learn a few foodie cooking tricks before you head off to the next destination
• Sandalford Wines: Is one of the country’s oldest and largest family owned winemakers, with a multi-award-winning restaurant to top it off

 

Day 3: Gracetown to Manjimup via Margaret River (2 hours)

Take the longer drive from Gracetown through Margaret River into Manjimup. The Margaret River region is famous for its coastal paradise and food trail of everything gourmet and delicious. It’s the cheese to your wine, the truffle to your craft beer and the chardonnay to your crayfish.

Make sure you put these places on your itinerary:

• JITG Tasting Room: Visit our Margaret River gourmet food tasting room where sampling is encouraged and deliciousness is guaranteed. We’re open Tue to Sun, 11am to 4pm in the grounds of Fermoy Estate.
• The Berry Farm: Dabble in local flavours with The Berry Farm’s extensive gourmet range. Wine taste at the cellar door, dine in at its cottage café or simply indulge in their jams, sauces, dressings and other treats. If you need more supplies when you are back home, we stock some of their fortified wines and delicious jams, butters and sauces. Tease your taste buds here
• Bettenay’s: Combine your love of wine and nougat in the heart of Margaret River. Bettenay’s offer accommodation too, as well local wines and liqueurs to spoil. At Just in Time Gourmet, we also stock a handful of their treats including the oh so scrumptious chocolate and hazelnut swirl nougat
• Pukara Estate: For lovers of quality produced olive oils, vinegars and other condiments, Pukara Estate will get your taste buds dancing. Their Margaret River tasting room, within the Fermoy Estate Winery grounds, lets you try all their best flavours (with a few vinos to finish the day off)
• Margaret River Farmers Market: For the freshest local produce, check out the markets every Saturday morning. There’s a realm of food to eat your way through, perfect for the ultimate foodie. Not to mention, you always leave with bags of goodies to fuel you for the rest of your road trip.

 

Day 4: Manjimup to Denmark via Pemberton (3 hours)

Eat your way further into the Southern Forests by road tripping down to Denmark via Pemberton. Alternatively, you can take the quicker route from Manjimup to Denmark, which will be just over a two-hour drive.

This road trip will lead through forests around Manjimup and Pemberton on the trail of great wines, truffles and gourmet food. Essential gourmet spots to visit include:

• The Truffle Wine Co: Manjimup is the home to black truffles and the iconic Truffle Kerfuffle food and wine festival, snuffle your way there for gourmet treats. From June to September in truffle season, you can book to be part of a truffle hunt. It’s tons of fun and you’ll get to meet the adorable truffle dogs as well.
• Holy Smoke: 30 minutes’ drive from the timber town of Pemberton, Holy Smoke is an overlooked gem for anyone that loves smoked food products
• Singlefile Wines: For the necessary chocolate and wine pairing in Denmark with delicious Cuvee chocolate
• The Lakehouse: Perfect for laid-back lunches, Vino foods and a cheeky wine

They say good food is the basis of true happiness. So, if you need your dose of nourishing food for the soul (and an excuse to pack up the car for a road trip), there’s no better time to start planning it than now.

If you’re after all things gourmet and delicious, Just in Time Gourmet stock a hand-picked selection of the best. We also offer free delivery on orders over $50 in Perth and great delivery rates for interstate orders. Contact us today for more information.