Global Flavours, Local Heart at Sunshine Beach Surf Club
Sunshine Beach Surf Club’s new menu brings the world to the coast with dishes inspired by South Africa, France and Brazil, adding depth and flavour to an already popular offering. Kathy Sundstrom writes.
There are few places more quintessentially coastal for a delicious meal than the Sunshine Beach Surf Club, where panoramic ocean views and the steady rhythm of waves create a setting as memorable as the food itself.
Catering to more than 1,900 meals a day during the peak summer period, the club remains a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike.
It is the combination of great food, changing menus and signature dishes that saw the Club named Best Family Dining Venue for South East Queensland at the Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence last July.
But this autumn, the kitchen crew, led by head chef Darren Sandilands, are taking the menu in a fresh direction.
This gastronomic gang will introduce a series of new dishes inspired by the home countries of the chefs, each one reimagined through the lens of local produce.
Food, after all, is far more than sustenance. In the hands of a thoughtful kitchen team, it becomes a sensory experience capable of transporting diners to another country or culture with a single, well-balanced bite.
Drawing on their collective heritage and professional journeys through Africa, Europe and South America, Darren and his team have crafted new additions that reflect their own stories while also celebrating the multicultural makeup of modern Australia.
It makes the evolution of a tried-and-trusted menu feel natural rather than forced.
Darren’s own journey is one of travel and experience, before returning to his Sunshine Coast home.
“I did my apprenticeship in Hastings Street in 1978,” he says. “Then I travelled to different places before returning to the region and starting at the Sunshine Beach Surf Club 15 years ago.”
Under his capable hands, the club has grown into one of the most sought-after dining venues on the Sunshine Coast, employing over 60 staff and 16 chefs who work together to create a menu that is memorable without the costly price tags.
The much-loved classics remain firmly in place on the new menu, yet they now sit comfortably alongside dishes that speak of travel, tradition and shared tables.
For some diners, it is the comfort of traditional cooking not experienced since leaving their place of birth to make Australia home.
South African-born chef Jan Tuzee has introduced Cape Malay Pickled Fish, a treasured dish from his homeland defined by its interplay of sweet, sour and gently spiced flavours.
It invites even first-time tasters to smile and declare it ‘lekker’ (an Afrikaans word meaning “nice” or “sweet” that is used in a variety of contexts to describe pleasure).
Creating culinary delicacies that reflect local flavours is in Jan’s DNA. The large South African-born contingent who now call Noosa home may remember his family-owned restaurant, Dixies, a popular, long-standing dining spot in Glencairn, Cape Town.
French-born chef Florence Dablanc has contributed a Moroccan-style chickpea and vegetable tagine to the menu that reflects the historical ties between France and North Africa.
It delivers slow-cooked warmth and fragrant spice perfectly suited to cooler autumn evenings by the sea.
Brazilian-born chef Alex Mascia has added marinated pork cutlets based on a recipe passed down through generations of his family, bringing a sense of homestyle comfort elevated by quality local produce and careful technique.
For Darren, these additions are not about novelty for its own sake, but about thoughtfully broadening the offering as the menu transitions from lighter summer fare to heartier seasonal options while maintaining balance and authenticity.
Rather than creating a fusion free-for-all, the kitchen has ensured each dish respects its origins while celebrating the region’s seafood, seasonal vegetables and carefully-sourced meats, anchoring every plate firmly in the Sunshine Coast.
For diners, this means genuine choice, whether settling in with a beautifully executed pub staple or venturing further afield without ever leaving the expansive deck that frames the ocean beyond.
The new menu feels like a natural extension of the club’s energy — relaxed yet considered and adventurous without ever straying into intimidation, inviting exploration in a way that feels welcoming rather than overwhelming.
Sustainability has also played a key role in the revamp, with the team prioritising seasonal produce and strengthening relationships with local suppliers to ensure fresher ingredients, reduced food miles and a tangible connection between kitchen and community.
As the seasons shift and chefs continue to share their ideas, diners can expect regular specials that showcase different culinary traditions, creating an ever-evolving experience where the world’s flavours meet the warmth of a Sunshine Beach welcome.
For a surf club, it is a confident move that acknowledges today’s diners are increasingly curious and keen to explore new tastes even during a casual dinner with friends, and at its heart the menu remains a celebration of connection between cultures, between chefs and community, and between land and sea.
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