And you can read all about our great chefs and eateries on the Central Coast’s ‘This is the Life’ campaign at
One of the movers and shakers is the Central Coast’s Dan Hughes, founder and creator of Mr Goaty Gelato at Erina, who says it’s an exciting time to be on the Coast as a chef and food producer.
“The food scene is really growing and the Coast is becoming a food destination, and we are stoked to be a part of that.”
An icy slice of foodie fun
From the fields of rural England to the bright lights of Sydney and now the shores of the Central Coast, Dan has been slowly but surely realised his dream of producing rich, creamy gelato.
The man behind Mr Goaty Gelato trained as a chef in England, working several years working in Michelin-star restaurants and as a private chef in Europe, before moving to Sydney.
While juggling long nights at work and family life, Dan churned gelato in his home kitchen at Bronte Beach. A few months down the track, he started selling Mr Goaty Gelato at Bondi Markets. Craving a better life, in 2016 Dan and his family moved to the Central Coast and with him came Mr Goaty Gelato.
Weddings and corporate events now make up about 60 percent of Mr Goaty Gelato’s business, with the rest from markets and festivals. The business is clearly reaping the benefits from the move north.
“The community up here is incredible and so supportive,” Dan says of the Central Coast.
Fudging around with flavour
Another flavour leader on the Central Coast are desserts duo Ganesh Crumlin and Angie O’Sullivan.
With 32 flavours of fudge, plus gluten-free cakes, brownies and cookies, their Fudge Monkey café is gaining a reputation as the go-to sweets shop on the Central Coast and beyond. People are visiting the Woy Woy store and café from as far as Mudgee – a sure sign that this is just the beginning.
The duo started Fudge Monkey in 2015 after deciding it was time to escape the corporate world. They chose the confectionary industry for a simple reason: to make people happy. “We wanted to generate smiles and that’s how it came up,” says Ganesh.
“Because we chose to stay gluten-free for everything, we’ve got people coming to the Coast from Wollongong, Mudgee, Newcastle, and some people turning up on the weekend and on Fridays from Sydney with Eskys.”
“We’re the only 100 percent gluten-free cakery within 150 kilometres from here,” he says.
