2016 AUSTRALIAN FOOD AWARDS TROPHY WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The World Loves Melbourne had a fabulous evening at the 2016 Australian Food Awards at the Masterchef kitchen set. A celebration of Australia's best produce was a great occasion. Thirteen Champion Trophies were presented to some of Australia’s finest producers at a presentation dinner for the inaugural 2016 Australian Food Awards (AFA).
Conducted annually by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), the AFA is Australia’s leading national food awards program celebrating excellence and recognisomg the best producers of premium food in Australia. RASV CEO, Mark O’Sullivan said the AFA judging panel were in awe of the exceptional talent and high quality products that were entered in the awards this year. “The calibre of entrants in this year’s AFA is why we at RASV are so passionate and committed to this world-class program. We are proud to recognise and reward home-grown Australian producers and provide opportunities for them to leverage their success locally and internationally through AFA’s national brand seal of excellence.
“RASV congratulates all the AFA entrants, medal winners and trophy winners, and thank our esteemed panel of judges for their contribution in determining this year’s champions,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
Terra Preta Truffles took out the prestigious Champion Australian Product/Produce award and also claimed the trophy for Champion Fresh Produce – Truffles with French Black Truffles grown on their family farm in Braidwood, New South Wales.
Victorian producers Plough to Plate Fine Foods, Dooley’s Ice Cream and Brunetti took out the Champion Small, Medium and Large Producer trophies respectively, while the award for Champion Organic Product/Produce went to Schulz Organic Dairy for its Pure Cream.
Emma Dean foodie and media identity extraordinaire was a superb host for the evening.
The highly contested trophy for Champion Australian Dairy went to Prom Country Cheese in Moyarra/Bena, Victoria for its Venus Blue cheese. Champion Australian trophy for Grains and Pulses was awarded to The Honey Thief Bakery for their Seeded Sourdough, Champion Pantry Goods to Cunliffe & Waters and Champion Convenience Food to John McEwan’s Kanodia Nominees for their Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup.
Needless to say the dinner was sensational, working with best produce, with Ôter Head Chef Flo Gerardin.
Selection of award-winning breads, butter, oil and salt. Assiette de charcuteries. A highlight in themselves.
A stunning presentation on the table!
Chicken salad was stunning and how chicken should taste!
Kingfish tartare, black walnut, trout caviar.
Braised beef cheek, capers, anchovy. Exceptional.
Confit lamb shoulder, black olives, oregano. Melt in your mouth!
Mousse au chocolat and a selection of petit fours from award-winning produce.
Australian International Coffee Awards medal-winning espresso from Grouch & Co Specialty Coffee.
A selection of soft and hard cheeses, accompanied with fruit loaf, lavosh and quince paste (petit fours in background).
The Mastechef kitchen set is stunning.
Woodward Food Australia won the Champion Australian Meat trophy for its Prime Lamb, while Milking Yard farm took out the prize for Champion Australian Poultry, and Salvatore’s Smokehouse in New South Wales was awarded Champion Australian Seafood for its smoked oysters.
With the AFA building on the success of the RASV’s Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards (RMFFA) program, there were also some Champion Trophies presented for the 2016 RMFFA program, which was judged in April 2016.
Awards for Champion Chocolate Bar and Block, Single Variety Chocolate and Easter Chocolate went to Australian Chocolate, Bracegirdle’s House of Fine Chocolate and Bibelot respectively. Tasmanian producer Tasmanian Gourmet Garlic was also awarded the Champion Fresh Produce- Garlic trophy for its Dunganski garlic. See below for full list of winners.
For more information on the Australian Food Awards, please visit http://food.rasv.com.au
2016 AUSTRALIAN FOOD AWARDS CHAMPION TROPHY WINNERS
Presented by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, Victorian Chamber of Commerce, Majors Group
CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT/PRODUCE Entry Name – Terra Preta Truffles Exhibitor – Terra Preta Truffles Location – Braidwood,
NSW CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN ORGANIC PRODUCT/PRODUCE Entry Name – Schulz Organic Dairy Pure Cream Exhibitor – Schulz Organic Dairy Location – Timboon,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN SMALL PRODUCER/MANUFACTURER Exhibitor - Plough to Plate Fine Foods Location – Thomastown,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN MEDIUM PRODUCER/MANUFACTURER Exhibitor – Dooley’s Ice Cream Location – Geelong,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN LARGE PRODUCER/MANUFACTURER Exhibitor Name: Brunetti Location – Carlton,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN DAIRY Entry Name - Venus Blue Exhibitor - Prom Country Cheese Location – Moyarra/Bena,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN FRESH PRODUCE – TRUFFLES Entry Name -Terra Preta Truffles Exhibitor - Terra Preta Truffles Location – Braidwood,
NSW CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN GRAINS AND PULSES Entry Name - Seeded Sourdough Exhibitor - The Honey Thief Bakery Location – Blackburn,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN MEAT Entry Name - Prime Lamb Exhibitor - Woodward Foods Australia Location – Swan Hill,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN PANTRY GOODS Entry Name: Mandarin Marmalade Exhibitor - Cunliffe & Waters Location – Coldstream,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN POULTRY Entry Name - Sommerlad 100 Day Cockerel Exhibitor - Milking Yard Farm Location – Trentham,
VIC CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN SEAFOOD Entry Name - Salvatore's Smokehouse Australian Smoked Oysters Exhibitor - Salvatore's Smokehouse Location – Earlwood,
NSW CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN CONVENIENCE FOOD Entry Name - Love Life by John McEwan - Chicken, Kale & Quinoa Soup Exhibitor - Kanodia Nominees Location – Melbourne,
VIC TROPHIES AWARDED FROM 2016 ROYAL MELBOURNE FINE FOOD AWARDS (RMFFA) CHAMPION CHOCOLATE BAR AND BLOCK Entry Name - Charley's Chocolate Mt Edna 70% Cocoa Exhibitor - Australian Chocolate Location – Mission Beach,
QLD CHAMPION SINGLE VARIETY CHOCOLATE Entry Name - Chilli Mango Exhibitor Name - Bracegirdle's House of Fine Chocolate Location – Adelaide,
SA CHAMPION EASTER CHOCOLATE Entry Name - "The Collection" Exhibitor – Bibelot Location – South Melbourne,
VIC CHAMPION FRESH PRODUCE - GARLIC Entry Name - Dunganski Exhibitor - Tasmanian Gourmet Garlic Location – Middleton, TAS