Sample wild coconuts from North Queensland beaches collected by Peace Love & Happynuts
It took food entrepreneur Simon Ivanovic to turn a tropical fruit experience associated with lazing in a hammock on holiday, into a refreshing weekend market experience. Creating something out of nothing and not allowing good food to go to waste is the mantra of Simon’s venture, Peace Love & Happynuts.
There are countless wild organic coconuts lying on the beaches of Far North Queensland, washing in and out with the tide and rotting away. Local Simon Ivanovic had fallen in love with the tropical fruit and had previously been contracted by the council to remove excess coconuts, ensuring the coconuts didn’t drop and injure passersby. But in 2001 Simon formed Peace Love & Happynuts and approached the relevant government department for permission to climb the trees to collect the young coconuts and transport them, chilled, to Brisbane to sell at the markets. Nine months on a tree is the desired age of a young coconut for drinking purposes and twelve months for a mature coconut, which is ideal for eating the flesh. Simon personally hunts for and climbs the coconut trees of Far North Queensland to collect them. “It’s a serious commitment,” says Simon. “I literally scour remote beaches to find the trees worth climbing for the coconuts, then manually lower each nut down to protect the fruit,” he remarks.
Simon grew up in Far North Queensland surrounded by coconut trees, but it wasn’t until he travelled around Asia that he realised it was the ‘tree of life’ – providing shelter, food and medicine. He realised that other cultures recognised it as a wonderful resource, but Australia was only just catching on to the benefits of fresh coconut, as opposed to fumigated imported coconuts stocked in major supermarkets or products preserved in bottles and cans.
The lively Peace Love & Happynuts stall at the Davies Park Market and Mt Gravatt Showgrounds Market serve up freshly opened coconuts with a straw as a refreshing drink. Once your are finished drinking the hydrating coconut water, the team puts its machete back to work with an energetic performance, to husk the coconut and give you back the flesh to snack on while you finish your stroll around the markets.
Visit the Peace Love & Happynuts market stalls or get in touch with Simon for event bookings or bulk orders.
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