Award Winners !
From 111 entries across nine categories, the winners of the 2021 Gippsland Food and Fibre Awards represent an impressive cross section of the region’s dynamic $7B industry.
Gurneys Cider claimed the prestigious title of the 2021 KPMG Gippsland Agribusiness of the Year, receiving a $5,000 cash prize as well as the opportunity to connect with the KPMG Agrifood Tech team next year.
Gurneys also won the Building Capability award for a number of initiatives including fostering a local food culture where trusted provenance is at the forefront of everything they do.
In a competitive field, Shelley Walker from South Gippsland Dairy was named the Female Agribusiness Leader of the Year and will have the opportunity to participate in the Women’s Leadership Program with Leadership Victoria in 2022.
For his business courage, foresight and contribution to the industry and the region, Matt Vaux from Rosedale Butchers has won the Young Agribusiness Leader award, the prize for which is a place in the TRAIL Emerging Leaders Leadership Program with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
The Driving Innovation Award went to Flooding Creek Fungi, recognizing the efforts of Josef Sestokas and his family to create an urban mushroom farm that is supplying high quality gourmet mushrooms to restaurants locally and in Melbourne, as well as keeping home cooks stocked with their premium produce.
The Prom Coast Food Collective, who reached almost $1 million in sales last year has been rewarded for their commitment to sustainability and adaption to change, winning the Sustainability Award.
Gippsland’s food and drink manufacturing industry features a broad range of large and small businesses, so this category has two awards to reflect that. The winner of the Small Food and Drink Manufacturing award is the Burra Brewing company, an iconic destination brewery in Korumburra, whilst Burra Foods, an Australian dairy ingredient processor also from Korumburra, has been recognised for their achievements in manufacturing excellence – named the Large Food and Drink Manufacturer winner for 2021.
Even amongst a global pandemic, Gippsland businesses have still been able to pursue their export goals and tap into new markets. Victoria Valley Meats from Trafalgar got the nod from the judges for their efforts in these challenging times and are very worthy winners of the Export Award.
The Fibre Award went to Just Add Trees; well deserved recognition for their project management and consultancy services that are helping small and large-scale farms integrate trees into their planning to improve their productivity and resilience.
A surprise award was incorporated into the 2021 lineup to recognise and reward resilience. Myles Nichols from Great Alpine Flowers was the inaugural recipient, acknowledging how he has been able to pivot after the devastating black summer bushfires in East Gippsland and create a new business model in COVID-19 impacted times that benefits not just his business, but a cohort of other local businesses along the way.
Minister for Agriculture Honorable Mary Anne Thomas MP congratulated all the winners and praised the region for its productivity and innovation.
“Gippsland is home to a number of Victoria’s large-scale producers and processors, a growing number of small to medium enterprises, along with creators of artisan brands and products that are all collectively putting the region on the map. It’s pleasing to see such a diverse group of businesses all driving innovation and success in their own way.”
The Awards program is made possible thanks to a diverse group of organisations passionate about the continued growth of Gippsland. This includes founding partners KPMG Australia, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and Leadership Victoria, Gold Partners National Australia Bank, Southern Rural Water, TAFE Gippsland and Gipps Dairy as well as Silver Partners Commonwealth Bank, Bega Cheese, Dyers Transport, nbn Local, VicForests and Federation University.
Local Government support comes from every LGA in the region; Bass Coast Shire Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, East Gippsland Shire Council, Latrobe City Council, South Gippsland Shire Council and Wellington Shire Council, with further industry and government partner support from Agriculture Victoria, Regional Development Australia, Food Innovation Australia Limited and Latrobe Valley Authority.
Announced online on November 19, the awards presentation was hosted by award winning Food writer Richard Cornish and can be viewed anytime here - it’s a journey across the Gippsland countryside as Richard reveals each of the winners.
