It was more than three years ago that Cleveland locals Colin and Sharon Mason first envisioned an open-air alfresco foodie hub that Redlands locals could enjoy without having to travel long distances. The idea to help up-and-coming hospitality hopefuls hone their craft and also bring a community-focused dining option to the area lingered, and soon the duo started putting plans in motion for what would become Chefs Inc. After scouring the area for a suitable location for their ideal open-air collective, Colin and Sharon settled on a council car park off Shore Street West where the project could live and grow. Colin and Sharon enlisted architect Daniel Oliver to design the custom containers that would house the various Chefs Inc. vendors, bars and private function spaces, before recruiting Tom Twomey and his son to begin construction. After several months of work, the pieces were in place, and once a large marquee tent was erected and ample seating was sourced, Chefs Inc. was ready to deliver the goods.

Chefs Inc. boasts eleven self-contained kitchen containers inhabited by a range of food vendors for the coming year. Each unit is fully equipped with all the internal gear needed to whip up high-quality dishes quickly, with a focus on rotating restaurant-quality menus instead of rotating vendors. The Masons and venue manager Oliver Findlay have assembled a crack team of traders to provide the grub every weekend, handpicking some established names and a selection of newcomers. Patrons can snack on the likes of American barbecue from Graewood’s Barbecue, loaded fries topped with beef brisket and pulled pork from local heroes Twelve Boar, aromatic fare from Tuk Tuk Thai, big ol’ brats from Wurstmeister, Middle Eastern cuisine from Levant, beefy mouthfuls from Uncle Archie’s Burgers, freshly fired pizzas from the Salt Meats Cheese team at Industria Italia, coffee and toasties from Latte Dahh, paella and tapas from Don Quijote, loaded waffles from Waffle Empire and sweet and colourful sourdough doughnuts from Overload’d – and that’s not even naming them all! Complete with a fully equipped bar, local market stalls, live music and a killer community atmosphere, Cleveland now has a space for locals and a dining destination worth travelling for.

Chefs Inc. opens every Friday evening, and all day Saturday and Sunday. For more information, be sure to check out the Chefs Inc. entry in the Stumble Guide.