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Meet the Vendor: Coastal Food Design – Whitsundays
Airlie Beach caterer, Tara Sobott, spent years in the hospitality industry perfecting her signature cooking style before opening her business in 2020. Not only does she run a popular food truck, but Tara offers couples customisable wedding packages to suit their individual needs. From à la carte, canapés, buffets, banquets, picnics, high teas or ready-to-go deluxe packs, Tara does it all.
Welcome to The Busy Bride community
Coastal Food Design – Whitsundays
Vendor Profile
| Owner | Tara Sobott |
| Services Available | Catering; Food truck hire |
| Experience | 20+ years |
| Location | Airlie Beach, Whitsundays, QLD |
| Travel available | Depends on the destination |
| Website | coastalfooddesign.com |
| @coastalfooddesigns | |
| @coastalfooddesigns and @cheftarasobott | |
| Rating on Google | 5 stars |
| Rating on Facebook | 4.8 stars |
Getting to know Coastal Food Design – Whitsundays
Integrity, Boutique, Genuine
What is your signature cooking style?
My signature style would be…. simple… I prefer to let flavours speak for themselves and to not overcomplicate a dish with too many flavours or components. I love to cook everything. So many cultures have different styles and flavours – I like to explore all of it. If I had to choose a faMy signature style would be…. simple… I prefer to let flavours speak for themselves and to not overcomplicate a dish with too many flavours or components. I love to cook everything. So many cultures have different styles and flavours – I like to explore all of it. If I had to choose a favourite though, it would be working with seafood! In my opinion, seafood speaks for itself. You don’t have to add much to it to complement it.
What’s the best restaurant or bar you’ve ever been to?
‘The Ledbury – London’. Everything was impeccable! I think it resonated with me because of the simplicity of the degustation menu. Service was second to none and that, too, is part of the experience.
What trends are you seeing right now in the catering segment of the wedding industry?
Couples are moving away from the traditional experiences and moving more towards the creative side of food and service styles. Couples are more open to sharing the experience whether be in the form of food trucks, pop up or a fine dining element.
What advice can you give couples when choosing a caterer for their special day?
The biggest advice I can give is to ensure you choose the provider that listens and understands your vision of your day. For me, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Everyone is different and to make the experience special a caterer needs to understand and to be able to deliver that. If you have a clear vision of what you would both like your day to look like, then that helps us make your day run as smoothly as possible.
How early should couples book a service like yours?
The earlier the better. We get bookings as far as 12-18 months in advance.
On a more personal note, my hubby and I hired Tara and her team to cater our Whitsunday wedding. She provided us with scrumptious, individually-packaged lunches and a divine two-course alternate drop dinner, with impeccable service to match. I couldn’t wait to feature Tara on our blog!
If you have any questions about Coastal Food Design – Whitsundays, please reach out at the details provided or drop us a line in the comments below.
With warm wedding regards,
Kimberley xx
