The tunes emanating from the stages and thundering up the amphitheatre may be the reason Splendour in the Grass attracts so many sets of ears every year, but a decent plate of nosh is a very close second in terms of importance. Maintaining longevity on those grassy knolls and steamy marquees can be a battle against nature, but a decent meal inside your belly will certainly aid your cause.

Before you head in to the festival, charge up on Marvell Street specialty coffee and hearty dishes from central Byron favourite Bayleaf Cafe. Open from 6:30 am to 3:00 pm Friday and Saturday, and 6:30 am to 2:00 pm Sunday, the cafe will help earlybirds to get cracking with a quality caffeine hit. If the Bayleaf crowds prove too daunting, hotfoot it to Roadhouse Cafe Bar on Bangalow Road for its new winter breakfast menu brimming with seasonal, local, organic produce. A porridge of brown rice and grains mixed with almond milk, berries and coconut cream will sate the sweet tooth, while a jumbo corn fritter with avocado, tomato and coriander salsa, or sebago potato hash with free-range bacon, eggs and pecorino will fend off serious hunger.

Top Shop at 65 Carlyle Street is open from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm over the weekend, serving fresh granitas and some of the best burgers you’ll find in town. A tempting range of fillings from free-range eggs to beef to haloumi comes stuffed inside handmade sourdough buns, while Single Origin Roasters coffee and smoothies take care of thirsts. Kick back in a sunny spot on the grass or grab a takeaway housemade pastry to starve off afternoon hunger pangs.

Those heading into or out of town can pull up at Newrybar’s Harvest Cafe in the Byron Bay hinterland from 8:00 am for bakery, cafe and deli goods made from mostly organic ingredients. The famed venue can supply you with a sugar hit courtesy of a changing selection of treats like salted caramel and chocolate domes or dark chocolate and burnt orange macarons, or more substantial options like freshly baked sourdough, Bangalow bacon or the renowned crumpets. Alternatively, just outside of Byron in Bangalow sits Harvest’s younger sibling, Sparrow. Swing by for Allpress coffee and the same thoughtful food offerings from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm Friday and Saturday.