Beloved Coronation Beach food van to shut it’s doors after four years dishing up desserts and delicacies

One of the community’s most beloved culinary locations is shutting its van doors after four years serving up marvellous ice-cream creations and mouth-watering hunger-tamers for beachgoers and tourists alike. July marks the end of a delicious era for Elly Ward’s Coronation Food Van where the mother-of-two has been dishing up desserts and delicacies since 2021 at the iconic Coronation Beach location. “I started the food van back in 2021 with my mate Shaz Foster, after dreaming about running a little cafe of sorts down at our local Coronation Beach as we toiled in the hot houses picking cucumbers and eggplants,” she said. “We wanted to serve real homemade food that didn’t break the bank, and hadn’t sat in a bain-marie for hours like many takeaways.” After a year serving customers from far and wide as the Country Cooks, the van wasn’t bringing in enough revenue to support both women, so Ms Foster made the decision to find stable income. Ms Ward has since kept the dream alive with some help from her kids Maddy and Lachy — until now. “Unfortunately, many and varied circumstances are such that I am sadly, unable to continue,” she said. “It’s been a huge part of my life for the last four years and I’ve loved feeding all the friends, travellers and beachgoers that have made their way down to ‘Coro’. “It’s hard to let the dream go entirely and there is hope down the track to have another reincarnation of the Country Cooks, but we will have to wait and see.” Many customers have shared their disappointment and well wishes on Facebook after the closure was announced. “I’m so sorry to hear this. You have made so many people happy over the last four years,” one customer wrote. “You’ve been a tourist ambassador for us who live East. I’ve enjoyed your posts and (you’ve) helped keep me in touch with the beautiful place from afar,” another posted. With many customers commenting on Ms Ward’s magnificent singing voice, she was pleased to announce that after hanging up the apron, another opportunity has arisen. “I’ve been offered to pick up a mic and open for the Festival of Small Halls Tour at the Exhibition Hall at the Nanson Showgrounds on August 7,” she said. “It’s a unique event that’s worth checking out. As a lot of my regular customers would know, I can make a bit of a racket. “So, in between finding a new direction — there’s plenty of practising to do.” For those who didn’t get the chance to dine at Ms Ward’s iconic food van, the cook said she hopes to have one last weekend to “say goodbye”. With weather permitting, the Country Cooks will be back in the kitchen one last time on July 26 and 27. “Shaz will be there too,” Ms Ward said. “We’re still best buds. I’m bringing the tissues.” To keep up to date with their final venture, you can like the Country Cooks on Facebook. For more information about the Festival of Small Halls Tour, head to their website festivalofsmallhalls.com