The Secret Source at Copperhead Restaurant and Brewery
John Caruso discovers the passion behind the plates, introducing the chef and the local producers reshaping this region’s flavour frontier.
Step into Copperhead Restaurant and Brewery at Cooroy and you’ll be greeted by a friendly face. Look a little further and you might notice the microbrewery and beer taps before your senses light up with the delicious food wafting from the kitchen to the tables.
These days, most venues like to sprinkle ‘local’ through their menu, but here, it isn’t lip service.
For Head Chef Mark Potter, using local produce and working with local producers is non-negotiable and it’s something he is extremely passionate about. It’s an old-fashioned approach, shaped by decades of working in kitchens around the country.
Take the mushrooms, for starters. Mark’s unwavering commitment to quality means turning to Emma Court of Rocky Creek Mushrooms.
Their relationship is built on mutual respect for each other’s craft.
“Storms wiped out crops, power outages stalled production,” Mark says, “yet Emma still managed to deliver a batch of mushrooms to me on time.”
Emma knows the value of supporting each other through thick and thin.
“Mark has been an amazing advocate for using local, fresh produce,” she said. “He creates amazing dishes with what we supply, always coming up with new and innovative ways to create food for his customer.
“Honestly, what he does is magic.”
The result? Dishes like Copperhead’s mushroom linguine, deceptively simple, yet deeply flavourful.
“Mushrooms are torn, not cut,” Mark insists. “You tear them, so they don’t get bruised from the knife as metal reacts with the mushroom.”
His old-school approach isn’t just nostalgic; it’s about the right kind of fussiness that lets fresh, nutty, buttery varieties like Emma’s chestnut and Pioppino mushrooms shine on the plate.
“Our spray free organic gourmet mushrooms deliver a whole spectrum of flavours,” Emma says. “It’s fantastic to see how Mark honours the produce and engages the customer with our product.”
Crayfish is another local favourite of Mark’s, courtesy of Scott Shanks at Cherax Park Aquaculture.
“I had another supplier who was supplying frozen crayfish – which was okay, but I prefer them fresh,” Mark says. “I discovered Scott and he delivers them live once a week straight from the farm, full of flavour and freshness.”
Scott’s commitment to his crayfish craft is meticulous and unrivalled.
“We harvest, grade and purge our extra-large and jumbo crays every Thursday and within an hour they’re delivered to Mark at Copperhead,” he says. “It doesn’t get fresher than that.”
The difference is clear in dishes like house-made gnocchi with poached leeks and a rich crayfish bisque made using the shells.
“Nothing is wasted,” Mark says.
For summer, it would be hard to not take up for the option to add a crayfish to the Summer Seafood Platter special.
For the finishing touches, meet Steven Lewis from Cooloola Microgreens whose obsessive attention to detail provides the freshest microgreens and edible flowers.
“Mark is very particular about what he puts on every plate, and it’s an honour to have my produce used at Copperhead,” Steven shares. His Gympie-grown microgreens are cut and picked right before delivery.
“They don’t sit in a cool room for days,” Mark notes.
Steven sees the importance in not only keeping their vibrant colour but also ensuring they are full of flavour
“Microgreens can have up to 40 times the nutrients of the adult counterparts,” Steven says. “You get more vitamins out of a handful of broccoli microgreens than you would from a whole plateful of broccoli. They’re all grown as nature intended with water and no chemicals.”
Copperhead’s devotion isn’t just sentimental; it’s practical.
Mark says that while there are less people growing things locally, his suppliers keep going and growing and he’s always open to discovering and supporting more local producers.
His partnerships with local producers like Emma, Scott and Steven aren’t about shortcuts. If something’s not available, he simply adapts the menu, no compromising for inferior product, ever.
For customers, that means the freshest flavours from the region, expertly prepared with respect and presented with passion.
At Copperhead Restaurant and Brewery, each plate is a showcase of simple ideas done well with the very best ingredients sourced from local operators who live and breathe their craft, rain or shine.
Here, ‘local’ means what’s grown, delivered, prepped, and served every day, with real faces, real stories, and genuine care behind every mouthful – and that’s the secret source to success.
Take a seat, place your order and taste why Mark’s old-school approach to sourcing local still matters.
