The Sunshine Valley Gazette

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Ground breaking, grain free cafe on the market

Alisha Eagle and Tash Faulkes of Nambour trail-blazing Husk and Honey Cafe.

After a 26 year career as an Italian trained professional chef creating a business based on grain free cooking represented a 180 degree pivot for Husk & Honey’s Tash Faulkes.

“Early in my career I had the most incredible opportunities to travel around the world and learn my trade from talented and world renowned chefs like Jamie Oliver,” Tash said. 

“I have cooked in all kinds of restaurants and cafes, everything from burgers to Italian food. But I could see that there was a real opportunity to blaze a trail in grain free cuisine, as food sensitivities and intolerances are on the rise,” she said.

Tash and her husband Johnny took over Husk & Honey in Queen Street Nambour and quickly turned it into a much loved mecca for people seeking fresh, nourishing and tasty grain free food.

“It turned out to be a great move, and I like to think we have revolutionised the way people think about grain free food,” Tash said. 

“We are exclusively grain free and everything on the menu is made from scratch, on site.”

Husk & Honey quickly built an incredibly loyal following of regular customers who continued to support the business during the COVID lockdown. “We were able to pretty much trade through and we did very well, regardless of the restrictions,” Tash said. 

“Many of our customers simply can’t get food like ours anywhere else. It helps that we also have amazing staff. 

“Five years ago, Alisha Eagle joined us in the business, having hailed from the iconic fine dining restaurant ‘Star of Greece’ in Port Willunga, Adelaide. She is absolutely incredible, a dream to work with,” Tash said. “We honestly could not have done it without her.”

After ten hectic and rewarding years, Tash and Johnny are ready to hang up their aprons and pass the business on to a new owner.

“We have listed Husk & Honey for sale as we are looking at new and different career opportunities,” said Tash. 

“Ideally, I would love to see someone with the same passion for innovative and nourishing grain free cuisine take over from here. It is such a rapidly expanding niche market, in a community that is supportive, loyal and growing like crazy. It really is a win-win situation for the person who is keen to take it on and put their own stamp on it.”

• Husk & Honey, 18 Queen Street, Nambour Phone 5441 3510.