Mavis's Kitchen flourishes in aftermath of floods
27 April 2023
Nestled in the foothills of Wollumbin /Mount Warning, Mavis’s Kitchen and Cabins stand as a testament to the determination of Tweed businesses to survive the devastating floods of 2022.
The road to the iconic venue near Uki still reflects the destructive power of the deluge which hit the Tweed early last year.
But just like the beautiful and productive gardens which surround the restaurant, Mavis’s Kitchen is flourishing.
General Manager Clive Bailey (pictured) said the deluge destroyed the gardens with more than a metre of water surging over the grounds through many of the structures including the accommodation cabins, homestead and restaurant.
“We have two watercourses either side of us here and they merged as one to cause plenty of damage to use and the surrounding area,” Clive said.
“When were finally able to again access back here when the waters subsided, the owners of Mavis’s Kitchen, Sam McCormack and Tindall Magnus both from Sydney weren’t deterred, they were determined to rebuild.
“They came up, engaged builders to incorporate resilience factors into our rebuild and with the support of our fantastic staff, we managed to be up and running again in 8 weeks.
“Under the guidance of our horticulturalist Jackie Hopkinson, we held a community day where members of the community came to help us replant our gardens.
“Our gardens are back and we are harvesting fresh produce from them which we use in the restaurant.
“It is one of the features of Mavis’s Kitchen and something which our guests truly value, knowing where their food is coming from.”
Clive said the focus for Mavis’s Kitchen was spreading the word the venue was once again open after the floods.
The Tweed’s growing reputation as a foodies’ paradise is something which Clive is excited about.
“Mavis’s Kitchen is taking part in the Northern Rivers Harvest Food Trail on 6-7 May and are one of a number of Tweed businesses participating,” he said.
“We are also hosting garden tours which complement our restaurant – explaining how the different produce is grown and then providing people with the opportunity to taste it fresh in our menu.
“We are fortunate to have strong loyal local support and now we are targeting the visitor market which, for us, extends from the outskirts of Brisbane down as far as Byron Bay.”
Like many businesses on the Tweed, the journey to flood recovery continues but at Mavis’s Kitchen, that journey is being served up with a healthy dose of optimism.