Boat Cooking Shopping Days
Seaduction- home for 7 of us for 6 days
Cooking for 7 people, including 2 Coeliacs and one vegetarian (eats dairy and eggs) with one tiny fridge and one tiny freezer - I’ve got this I said- heart quietly sinking hoping disappointment was not imminent!- especially 6 days of it. First some online research for the best of fresh food in Airlie beach - google star reviews- comment searches and only real food. My Excel spreadsheet menu plan and shopping list perfected- surely this was achievable.
My hot tips- MBW on the Barbie, & Fishi at Cannonvale and Artisan Bakery at the markets were brilliant, good old fashioned service and fabulous produce. I ordered by email, they all called to confirm and everything would be vacuum sealed in packs for each day- superb. All we had to do was land in Airlie Beach, pick it all up and put it on the boat!
I was so ready and super organised until that moment when my much better half (mbh) says as we’re landing- “so which hire car company are we with?” -panic, oops, nooo surely I did, but actually I hadn’t and none available!!!- Surely taxis will be easy!! Walked from hotel (a walk is just what we need says I optimistically) to pick up meat at MBW ( mbh is now a little hot and sweaty and an “air of grumpiness“ is about to set in) waiting at Cannonvale taxi rank - no taxis show, ordered taxi, no show- then remembered the card the hotel had given us. Craig at Whitsunday Luxury Shuttle Service appeared on the horizon like a guardian angel- master of food shopping, connoisseur of wines and dressed head to toe in Audi colours - my hero!
He was a “knowledge hub” extraordinaire- confirmed we had chosen the best meat & fish in Airlie and redirected us to the bottle shop at Airlie Beach Hotel- brilliant wine selection and fab staff. Dropped everything off at Queensland Yacht charters - phew, day one done
Next day walk to the markets, pick up bread, delicious home made jams and curd, then shop at the main supermarket downtown for a scary amount of fresh fruit, veg and longlife milk and juice- no room in fridge for milk- definitely!! Every meal was planned, surely I have just enough- feels like bucketloads, but trust the force and the plan!! Cross fingers too as I loaded two massive boat trolleys with food and wines and of course way too much luggage (mbh who seems to have a fresh change of clothes for every day) put on my anti seasickness bands and headed on board! Let the games begin.