Courtyard Kitchen - from humble beginnings

Courtyard Kitchen has been a dream since I was training as a chef many years ago. Not specifically the name, but how one day I would own my own place, where I can bring a bit of my culinary journey to my home town…now Buderim.

It is a story with many twists and turns. I have cleaned grease traps, washed piles of dishes and worked day and night as a trainee chef – as trainees we had a name for these types of days – AFDs (All F***ing day) . Whilst training was tough, I am thankful for that time as not only was my passion for cooking developed, I met my wife, Kim in 1995 in a hotel kitchen in South Africa.

My career has led me to run kitchens in some of the most beautiful buildings in the world like St Pauls Cathedral, the Royal Academy of Arts, and Leads Castle in the UK, to running the kitchen at Taronga Zoo and working with a multi billion dollar hotel group. I have been privileged to cook for Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and many of the Royal family, and have catered for hundreds of thousands of people.

Whether I’m cooking for a small group of 5 or a large gathering of 1000, I believe that food has endless possibilities. I love taking raw ingredients and turning them into something people share and enjoy. Whilst I don’t cook so much at Courtyard Kitchen, I work with our talented chefs to develop menus that hopefully leave you happy.

We settled in Buderim with our two beautiful children in 2019 because we loved the community feel and the support the Sunshine Coast offers. As Kim often says, “Why would you want to live anywhere else in the world?”

Why the name – well we feel we are in a courtyard…..and the kitchen is the hub of our home. We frequently, unintentionally meet there to discuss matters of the heart, hear how everyone’s day was and prepare dinner as a family. It sounds idyllic but we are realists, with the usual debates that ensue between teenagers and the interesting conversations that often take place.

It is time for a new journey to begin and we are truly excited about this next chapter.

I believe, together with a great team, we can create a truly memorable experience for you at Courtyard Kitchen. I don’t like fancy mumbo jumbo, but like the food to speak for itself.

We look forward to getting to know you … thank you for joining us on this adventure – it is going to be one hell of a ride!

Craig Milnes

Ps….If you are keen to find out any more, here is an article in Sunshine Coast News