Emma Pritchard

Plenty of community spirit was served to over 2500 people who attended the traditional free breakfast in Market Square on Jacaranda Thursday.

Hosted by 2GF and the Clarence Valley Independent, the event attracted a long line of hungry diners who started arriving from 6:30am on November 3.

As the barbeques were fired up, many began licking their lips when the mouth-watering smell of sizzling sausages, fried eggs and fresh bread filled the air.

Fruit platters, cold drinks, bottles of sauce, and extra serviettes were quickly prepared and handed out as the crowd continued to build through the morning, with many people returning for a second, third, fourth, and fifth helping.

“The sausages were so good,” said eight-year-old Lennox O’Shea.

“I ate four, and I just wanted to keep eating them.

“I’m really happy I made my mum get up early so we could come because I really love the free breakfast.”

After the Covid-19 pandemic severely restricted the number of attendees last year, the free breakfast welcomed what has been described as a record crowd in 2022.

Geoff Jones from Holiday Coast Meats, who generously donates several large eskies of sausages for the event each year, was absolutely stoked to see such an impressive turnout.

“The whole place felt alive, and everyone was happy and having a good time,” he said.

• The free breakfast was made possible thanks to the generous donations of local businesses including Holiday Coast Meats, Farmer Lous, Norco, Woolworths Grafton, Mid Coast Eggs, Grafton Hire, ELGAS and Tip Top Bakeries.