South Australia is blessed with an abundance of local farms and venues of which pave the picture of our eclectic food industry and how the dishes we adore have come to be.
Whether it’s a paddock to plate experience, interactive eateries, or an adventure for the budding foodie, there are a number of SA food encounters that prove educational for the young and old, whilst ensuring satisfied stomachs all round.
This guide from the team at Kids in Adelaide will have you planning your next family outing with excitement and in confidence knowing that no one will go hungry!
Step into the cultural foodie experience that is The Dutch Pantry at Klemzig, with eye-catching traditional Dutch-inspired themes, and a menu that invites all ages to explore a rich heritage and its delicious delicacies.
A family-run business, this café and shop stocks a variety of Dutch products like kroketten, frikadelen and speculaas, whilst allowing diners to experience the flavours of the Netherlands through its authentic and mouth-watering menu.
Evergreen Deli, Adelaide Botanic Gardens
Take the beautiful short stroll into the centre of Adelaide’s Botanic Garden with the family and experience the magic of nature with exceptional cafe food inspired by the gardens.
Evergreen Deli is nestled amidst the lush greenery and vivid backdrop of the Botanic Gardens, featuring a myriad of unusual and intriguing plant species that will ignite interest and learning – plus the café’s associated ‘Little Diggers Club’ has a busy event calendar for kids wanting more!
Kangaroo Island’s Clifford’s Honey Farm is a special experience for the whole family, with regular tours exploring the beehive system to be enjoyed whist diving into a house made honey ice cream.
A Children’s University partner, visitors can peruse and purchase an excellent selection of wonderous honey and wax products, with a large picnic area, sandpit and small cubby house to keep the whole family entertained.
The kids’ classes at Sprout Cooking School let children independently learn how to cook fresh, seasonal and healthy meals from scratch, in a commercial kitchen setting using proper equipment – no cupcake decorating here! Just real food and real skills.
Classes run over school holiday periods and for special events, and the kids are sure to reap the rewards (and likely try something new) when they sit down to eat their creations!
Barossa Valley Chocolate Company
More than just a gloriously huge chocolate shop, a visit to Barossa Valley Chocolate Company lets kids discover chocolatiers at work from start to finish through large viewing windows into BVC’s production kitchen.
Grab a delicious bite to eat in its neighbouring Benni’s Café, and let the kids revel in a self-guided artisan gelato/sorbet and chocolate pairing flight – all made in-house.
Vibrant, abundant in culture and diverse in its offerings, a visit to the Adelaide Central Markets is the essence of experiencing the best of SA’s wholefoods and raw foods all in one space, whilst allowing visitors to meet and buy direct from growers, artisans and chefs.
It’s ‘Little Foodies Market Trail’ gives kids a market map and a loot bag that can be used to navigate the market and collect produce at their own leisure, making it a truly uniquely South Australian experience.
Known for its rolling strawberry fields and world-renowned jams and preserves, the visitor experience at Beerenberg offers families the opportunity to learn the farms history, watch the journey of its produce from farm to factory, and for a charge, seasonally access its strawberry patch for picking.
A pinnacle of paddock to plate, the exceptional quality of Beerenberg’s onsite Farm Cafe and Dairy reflects the dedication and excellence of this South Australian family business.
South Australia’s apple picking season runs through Autumn and all ages can enjoy @Lenswood’s beautiful twenty-three-acre rolling orchard to hand pick a variety of different apples.
Farm tractors from days gone by are on display for the little ones to sit on, with a coffee van, children’s pomology trail and giant outdoor games to entertain the whole family – but be warned, it’s likely the kids won’t look at a supermarket apple quite the same again!
Kitchen Farm at Newenham Estate in Mount Barker showcases underutilised land that’s continuously evolving as a sustainable produce farm, supplying a bounty to its Pantry Café and Retail Nursery.
The cafe has a paddock to plate philosophy with a kids menu and plans for an adjoining community garden where everybody can get involved – plus a huge barn, play corner and plenty of space to explore and relax with the family.
If you have a family that loves their cheese, a visit to Udder Delights at Verdun is a must, with tastings, cheese boards, toasted sandwiches and pizza’s all part of its offering.
With its cheese cellar located inside microbrewery Grunthal Brew, older kids can enjoy a pre-booked cheese making class, whilst younger ones can explore the venues space with cubby house, sand pit and lawn games.
It’s a short and often fragile season, but Summer isn’t complete without a little cherry stained smile and a belly full of fresh cherries from the tree – and yes, this applies to all ages!
The only commercial grower in the Adelaide Hills to offer ‘pick your own cherries’, this fourth generation of cultivators present a picturesque orchard of cherries for the family to enjoy, with home-made cakes, gifts and plenty of house treats on offer.
Find more Family Friendly Eats at the Kids in Adelaide website.
