What's on the platter?

A big part of any Pilgrim experience, whether a sailing cruise or a fast-boat adventure, are the carefully-crafted nibbles, bites, and sips. 

Not only do we put a lot of effort and care into serving up a truly delicious lunch and the perfect assortment of cheese and crackers, but we make sure to source each ingredient from local and high quality Australian producers. 

Sourcing quality ingredients sustainable while supporting local businesses means a lot to us. We also like to experiment in the kitchen and incorporate homemade recipes and ingredients where we can.

If you’ve come out with us before and really loved a particular platter ingredient or are curious about what to expect, here’s what and where you can find everything we serve on board Pilgrim. 
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Lunchtime picnic platter

After a scenic sail to Radical Bay we drop anchor so that you can relax, explore, and enjoy our favourite part of Magnetic Island. Here you can find beautiful blue water, a long stretch of sandy beach speckled with palm trees, and the resident brahminy kite that sometimes comes to visit us. You will also get to enjoy a picnic feast of tacos, prawns, tomato salad, an antipasto platter, and a fresh baguette. 

Here’s everything you can try on your personal picnic platter:

Spicy Chicken Tacos 
We prepare the chicken tacos with a spicy mayo sauce, chicken, sliced cucumber, and pickled cabbage, all wrapped up in a soft taco shell. The spicy mayo and the pickled cabbage are both homemade ingredients. 

Locally-caught prawns
These prawns have been fished in Magnetic Island waters and snap-frozen within several hours of being caught, preserving their freshness.  They're served with lemon wedges and a coconut chilli mayo sauce by Magnetic Island Chilli. 

Tomato labna salad
This yummy labna is one of the several homemade ingredients we serve on Pilgrim, and it is made by our wonderful deckhand Siobhan. The recipe is far from complex, and all you need is some Greek yoghurt, salt and a little patience!

Antipasto platter 
This part of the lunchtime picnic platter also doubles as our signature cheese platter for our sunset sail, which is all about wine, cheese with crackers, and a scenic sunset. However, when we serve it for lunch we add some salami and deli meats. 

Fresh baguettes
These crisp baguettes are baked the morning of the lunchtime cruise and are supplied by our favourite island baker Barb at the Arcadia Bakehouse. 
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sunset cheese platter

Our Sunset Sip and Sail cruise cheese platter is a carefully-crafted composition of cheese, crackers, and other nibbles (like Clare’s homemade pumpkin chutney). Here’s a preview of everything you will try while watching the sunset over Maggie Island:

Cheese
We source the sharp cheddar, soft macadamia nut cheese, and runny camembert (you know it's a high quality cheese if it’s runny!) from Gallo Dairyland, a family farm in the Tablelands that crafts a variety of cheeses using traditional European cheese-making techniques. The family business also makes artisan-made chocolate.

Olives
Adding a little saltiness to the platter, our olives come from Mount Zero Olives, a family-owned and operated business in Victoria. In addition to working with olive-growers across Wimmera and Goulburn Valley, the salt used in making their olives and olive oils comes from the Loch lel (Pink Lake).

Tomato labna dip
The same homemade labna featured on the lunchtime picnic platter also makes an appearance on the sunset cheese platter. Topped with quartered cherry tomatoes and basil leaves, the sunset platter labna is marinated in Mount Zero Olive Oil, garlic, and herbs, making it into an appetizing spread.

Dried Mango
The dried mango from Airdale Orchards, a small business based in Ayr, adds a sweet pop of colour to the cheese platter. Try pairing it with the cheddar cheese for a yummy flavour combo. 

Macadamia nuts
These aren’t your typical macadamia nuts. These macadamias, farmed by a family business in Bundaberg called Macadamias Australia, are coated in lemon myrtle, giving them a unique sweet and tangy crunch. 

Clare’s Pumpkin Chutney - Homemade!
Ever since Hamilton Island Race Week in 2016, this homemade pumpkin chutney continues to be a cheese platter favourite. While it goes well with cheese and crackers, it can be used in so many different ways like in a scrummy curry or a Ploughman’s Lunch (a British classic). Here’s a few of Clare’s favourite recipes using pumpkin chutney. 

If you want to take home a jar of pumpkin goodness or gift it to friends and family, stop by the Arcadia Bakehouse to pick it up in store or buy it online.
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wine, beer, and mocktail bar

All of our organic wines come from the Tamburlaine Organic Winery in the Hunter Valley. On board we offer their champagne, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, riesling, rosé, and moscato. 

Our two beers, the pale ale and draught, come from the Maggie Island Brewery in Picnic Bay. 

We have several mocktails on board as well. Our Elderflower Cordial comes from Belvoir Farm, the non-alcoholic Pink Gin is from Lyre's, and our Ginger Cordial is made by Siobhan (who also helps make the chutney and labneh).