Famed Executive Chef Jimmy Shu of Hanumans will be one of 18 chefs from some of the best restaurants in Tropical North Queensland to venture out in search of local food products when they join the Chef’s Tour of the Cassowary Coast tomorrow (Tuesday, February 2).

The chef’s tour is part of a project initiated by Advance Cairns, and funded by the Queensland Government Department of Education Economic Development & Innovation, to raise awareness of the diversity of the TNQ region’s food in an effort to get more local produce onto the menus in restaurants in Cairns, Palm Cove and Port Douglas.

During the full-day tour of the Cassowary Coast, the group will travel from Cairns to Silkwood visiting an organic vanilla plantation, bio-dynamic poultry farm, exotic fruit orchard, tea plantation, winery and pepper and spice farm, and various other properties.

Tour guide and Advance Cairns Food Project Officer Nola Craig, said tomorrow’s tour is the second of its kind, with a Chefs Tour of the Tablelands last December proving highly successful. “The response from both the chefs and the producers were very positive, with the first tour being the catalyst for two additional tours,” Ms Craig said.