Out of the Whey Review

Organic cow country

I'd been driving around the Atherton Tablelands for hours showing my Melburnian visitor the wonders of high-altitude nature and the joys of driving along empty roads. But the tedious passage from Ravenshoe to Millaa Millaa was taking its toll on my alertness at the wheel, so a leg-stretching stop was in order.

As I careened around a bend, low and behold, the Out of the Whey café suddenly appeared. A few moments, and a few millimetres of lost tyre tread later, we were strolling into the little cottage surrounded by lovely old trees.

The setting is picturesque. The house is perched on the side of an organic cattle farm with lush green grass everywhere to be seen. A cool breeze flows over the mountainside creating an atmosphere that is comfortable and calming. As I entered the main room, a lady wearing an apron skipped out and offered me delicious cheese samples.

At the front counter I ordered Devonshire tea, replacing the tea with a strong coffee. Yes, I know this means it isn't a real Devonshire tea, but I needed the caffeine hit to get me down the Palmerston Highway. I was filled with an overwhelming emotion - call it nostalgia, call it patriotism, or just call it weirdness - as my scones were presented to me with natural cream and home made strawberry jam. I felt like I had found my place on this earth, that this is what life should be like. Out of the Whey café is a treat that is so hard to find in these let's-kill-Saddam days.

The café is the front for Mungali Creek Dairy, who produce an organic range of dairy products including milk, yoghurt and cheeses. These natural products are used in all the food served at the café.

Out of the Whey cafe is a welcome reprieve from the road. The country hospitality is warm and lifts your spirits. I highly recommend it to anyone making the journey up or down the Palmerston Highway.

- Diner Diller

Out of the Whey	Millaa Millaa
North Queensland's only farmhouse cheese making operation. This charming cottage is located at a biodynamic dairy farm, and visitors can watch the organic products being made on the premises. Free samples of cheeses are offered, and the devonshire tea is a treat.
cuisines: Australian features: Cafe, Organic review: Organic cow country (24/3/2003) contact: (07) 40972232 | 256 Brooks Road, (off Palmerston Hwy) Mungalli Creek
Mini Reviews
More Food Please	31st Dec 2005
On our last visit to the picturesque Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, my husband and I stopped at the Out of the Whey Teahouse, which fronts Mungalli Creek Dairy, situated outside Millaa Millaa. We can say without a doubt that this little mecca hidden amongst the green rolling hills of dairy country was simply delightful and provided us with the most memorable meal of our travels. If you go to Mungalli Creek Dairy expecting a cheesy (excuse the pun!!) song and dance routine about the dairy industry complete with hour long tour and compulsory hygienic shower caps upon entering, you will be disappointed. But if you go with an enormous appetite and a desire to escape to a bygone era, if you want to eat the best damn cheesecake you have ever tasted, if you want a meal with an incredible view of Mt Bartle Frere and some very contented looking cows. If you want friendly service and free cheese samples on arrival and some really cute souvenirs. This is the place you're looking for! After eating my mind-blowing Pot de Fromage (a pot pie made of three cheeses!!!!!!) for only $10, I couldn't help myself. I went all nostalgic and bought a spunky heritage-style Mungalli Creek Dairy tea towel and apron. My husband would like me to acknowledge the taste bud tantalizing effects of the Mungalli Creek Dairy brand Chilli Sauce. He insisted on buying a jar to take home, after sampling it with his spanakopita (spinach and feta pie). If you want to support biodynamic farming and small family businesses, you cannot afford to miss the Out of the Whey Teahouse experience at Mungalli Creek Dairy.
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