Tiny cafe takes on big boys by Rosie Squires

WINGHAM mght be a sleepy country town, but you can't complain about the coffee. Cafe owner Donna Carrier has proven distance from the city is no barrier to quality by winning a NSW Tourism award nomination for her business Bent on Food. Ms Carrier said the key to her success was creating a city culture in the mid-north coast town on the upper reaches of the Manning River. "I lived in Sydney for 18 years and when I travelled back home to see my family on weekends I was frustrated there were no good coffee shops or gourmet food stores, " she said. "So I filled the niche, I opened a cafe just like the ones in Balmain on the main strip of Wingham and people love it. " I think the support we have recieved from the local community has helped spread the word. "People come in for breakfast and stay for lunch." Bent on Food has been nominated in the Specialised Tourism Services category for the prestigious awards alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb.