It's no secret that Italy is synonymous with good food.
Eliciting thoughts of alfresco dining, pizza, and tantalising pasta dishes, the Mediterranean dining experience is one for every foodies' bucket list.
But for those wanting to experience the traditional dishes Italian chefs are renowned for, they need only look towards a former cane farm nestled at the foot of Mount Jukes.
Three generations of traditional family recipes have made their way to a farm on the outskirts of Mackay, with panoramic views of sloping green mountains, fruit trees, and trickling streams, making the perfect location for alfresco dining.
Sabrina Rampi, and her husband and Calabrian chef Salvatore Cicchelli previously ran an agritourism restaurant in the Italian village of Biandrate, located 30 minutes from Milan.
They made the move Down Under in 2004, spending 16 years in Exmouth, Western Australia, where they created and ran the Pinocchio Restaurant.
The restaurant quickly gained favour amongst Aussie foodies, putting them on the map when their gastronomical business won Foxtel Food Channel's favourite Italian restaurant in the state for six years running.
But a family holiday to Mackay a couple of years ago sparked an interest in moving across the country to begin a new venture.
"We loved the area. We came to Seaforth, and we fell in love with the beautiful tropical weather...and we decided to make it home," Ms Rampi said.
They bought the property in December 2020, and quickly made a name for their quality dishes with a food truck at local markets.
The family has now expanded into an Italian agriturismo endeavour, with their home serving as the new base for their thriving paddock to plate restaurant.
"Our dream is to build a small restaurant farm where we can cook what we are producing on the farm," Ms Rampi said.
"Years ago we were doing the same thing in Italy...with a small restaurant farm. That's eventually where we would like (Mount Jukes Family Farm) to go, as a finale."
"The scenery is beautiful, the sunset is gorgeous. It's just something different.
"We love being outdoors, and I really think people just like to sit down here and enjoy...some people put picnic rugs on the grass.. or bring beach chairs, and they read a book facing Mount Jukes...(while enjoying) their pizza."
The farm offers wood-fire pizza, smoked meat, Italian desserts, pasteurised eggs, and honey sourced from the 25 hives.
"(In Italy), we used 60-70 per cent from the farm...that is what we are trying to do here," Mr Cicchelli said.
"We love cooking...(and the vegetables we use), are seasonal."
The farm started out with 50 chickens, with over 500 of the feathered tenants now scattered across the green pastures.
Around 80 sheep also call the Mount Jukes farm home, and are butchered locally and redistributed through the family's feasts.
Regulars now make the trip out from Mackay, Eton, Finch Hatton and Eungella to dine at the farm.
"It's like a little community now...We started out really simple. We had two gazebos, probably about 15 tables, and slowly people started coming from the 40-footer, the water hole, and they were saying 'we saw you guys as we drove past'," daughter Camilla Cicchelli said.
"We started small and slowly became more active on Facebook. We established what we are today.
"I think the thing people love the most about our pizzas is being able to see them cooked in the wood fire oven, and us younger girls are taking them out, making them, cooking them.
"People love it so much because they can see it in the oven, they can taste that it's wood fired and they have it here fresh from the oven, straight onto the table."
Mount Jukes Family Farm is open 4.30pm-8.30pm Friday, and 12.30pm-8pm on weekends.
