Article by: taste.com.au
Pull out the party hats and light the birthday candles – it’s time to celebrate ten years of the delicious. Produce Awards! It’s been a decade of unearthing some of Australia’s most innovative produce and celebrating the growers, farmers, chefs, farmers’ markets and food stores that all play their part in bringing it to our tables and driving our industry forward. This year’s winners are innovating in a way that focuses on regular everyday products (chicken, cheddar and milk) done really, really well, with a few new products thrown in the mix.”We’re so lucky in this country, every year we have more new products, and return entrants are just getting better and better,” says national judge Matt Moran. “We are the lucky country when it comes to produce.” Fellow judge Guillaume Brahimi agrees: “We all live in different states but we have got one thing in common and that is a passion for discovering the great produce in Australia.”
So as we wave good-bye to our judges after another successful year, the buzz still lingers. “I love the constant surprises you get; the more we encourage people, the more fantastic experiences we have around the judging table,” says Maggie with her trademark beaming smile. “This is what it’s about: encouraging small and medium producers to be benchmarked. It does so much for the Australian food scene, it’s so exciting and its one of the best things that’s ever happened.” We wholeheartedly agree.
Produce Awards 2015 Winners
FROM THE SEA
Austral Fisheries, Skull Island tiger prawns, NT (Primary)
Yarra Valley Caviar, Hand-milked salmon caviar, Vic (Artisan)
FROM THE EARTH
Kurrawong Organics, Organic beetroot & broccoli, NSW (Primary)
Wellington Apiary, Prickly box honey, Tas (Artisan)
FROM THE PADDOCK
Milking Yard Farm, Sommerlad breed whole chicken, Vic (Primary)
Backfatters Heritage Breed Free Range Pig Farm, German bacon, Qld (Artisan)
FROM THE DAIRY
Mungalli Creek Dairy, Biodynamic organic full cream milk, Qld AND
Schulz Organic Dairy, Organic full cream milk, Vic (Primary)
Pyengana Dairy Company, Tasty cheddar (12+ months), Tas (Artisan)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Pyengana Dairy Company, Tasty cheddar (12+ months), Tas
BEST NEW PRODUCT
The Fermentary, Milk kefir, Vic
OUTSTANDING FARMERS’ MARKET
SAGE Farmers Market, Moruya, NSW
OUTSTANDING REGION
Margaret River, WA
OUTSTANDING REGIONAL CHEF – PRESENTED BY HARVEY NORMAN
James Viles, Biota Dining, Bowral, NSW
OUTSTANDING INNOVATION
Sommerlads’ Poultry, NSW
OUTSTANDING FOOD STORE
Sourced Grocer, Brisbane, Qld
UNEARTHED NEXT GEN CHEF
Troy Rhoades-Brown, Muse Restaurant, Hunter Valley, NSW
MAGGIE BEER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIAN FOOD – PRESENTED BY SPICERS RETREATS
Peter Gilmore, NSW
HALL OF FAME – PRESENTED BY YOU’RE BETTER ON BEEF
Blackmore Wagyu Beef, Vic
Holy Goat Cheese La Luna, Vic
Mondo White Rocks Veal, WA
Produce Awards 2015 Medallists
FROM THE SEA (PRIMARY)
Austral Fisheries, Glacier 51 toothfish, WA
Clean Seas, Hiramasa yellowtail kingfish, SA
Kinkawooka Shellfish, Petit Bouchot mussels, SA
Marine Produce Australia, Cone Bay ocean barramundi, WA
Natural Oysters, Angasi oysters, SA
Pacific Reef Fisheries, North Queensland cobia, Qld
Shark Bay Seafoods, Amaebi prawns, WA
Tathra Oysters, Bistro grade oysters, NSW
Walker Seafoods Australia, Line-caught swordfish, Qld
FROM THE SEA (ARTISAN)
Brilliant Food, Smoked ocean trout, NSW
Salumi Australia, Bottarga, NSW
Yarra Valley Caviar, Hand-milked brook trout caviar, Vic
FROM THE EARTH (PRIMARY)
Angelica Organic Farm, Organic Turban-style Rocambole garlic, Vic
Barham Avocados, Reed avocados, Vic
Burnside Organic Farm, Organic capers, WA
Burrum Biodynamics, Biodynamic soup mix, Vic
Glasshouse Gourmet Snails, Fresh live snails, Qld
Highland Gourmet Potatoes, Various potato varieties, NSW
Kindred Organics, Organic wholemeal buckwheat flour, Tas
Moonacres Farm, Organic rhubarb, NSW
FROM THE EARTH (ARTISAN)
ALTO Olives, Misto table olives, NSW
Hazelbrae Hazelnuts, Roasted hazelnuts, Tas
Murray River Gourmet Salt, Pink salt flakes, Vic
FROM THE PADDOCK (PRIMARY)
Burrawong Gaian, Pasture-raised chemical-free poussin, NSW
Melanda Park, Free-range suckling pig, NSW
Mirrool Creek Lamb, Mirrool Creek lamb, NSW
Papanui Open Range Eggs, Papanui open-range eggs, NSW
Saskia Beer’s Farm Produce, Saskia Beer’s Free Range Barossa Chook, SA
SchuAm Pork, Berkshire pork, SA
Sher Wagyu, Black Label F1 ribeye, Vic
FROM THE PADDOCK (ARTISAN)
Greenvale Farm, Capocollo, Vic
Piper Street Food Company, Pork rillettes, Vic
FROM THE DAIRY (PRIMARY)
Drysdale Cheeses, Goat’s milk yoghurt, Vic
The Butter Factory Myrtleford, Cultured buttermilk, Vic
The Fermentary, Milk kefir, Vic
FROM THE DAIRY (ARTISAN)
Casa Motta, Buffalo mozzarella, Qld
Cedar Street Cheeserie, A Love Supreme, Qld
Locheilan Farmhouse Cheese, Locheilan Triple, Vic
