2021 Awards Finalists
There’s no doubt it has been a challenging year for many businesses throughout the region, but nothing stops determination and talent, two characteristics that shone bright in every entry submitted for the 2021 Gippsland Food and Fibre Awards.
The awards attracted 111 entries from businesses spread throughout each of the six Local Government areas across Gippsland, with impressive submissions for each of the nine categories.
If the calibre of people vying for the Young Leader award is anything to go by, the future of the food and fibre sector is in good hands. The finalists are Chris Gascoigne from Dennison Foods, Rachel Sangailo from East Gippsland Coffee Roasters, Matt Vaux from Rosedale Butchers and Sam Ruzicka from the Wild Food Farm.
The prize for this prestigious award is the opportunity to complete a TRAIL Emerging Leaders Leadership program, run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
In the Female Leader category, the finalists are Alexandra Keith from Bulmer Farms, Laura Eddington from Little Bumble Wraps, Shelley Walker from South Gippsland Dairy and Jude Mayall from the Wild Food Farm. The winner will be invited to take part in the Women’s Leadership Program, run by Leadership Victoria.
Innovation plays a vital role in business growth and the 2021 finalists in the Driving Innovation category are Flooding Creek Fungi, Gurney’s Cider, Macalister Demonstration Farm and Wild Food Farm.
Gippsland’s food and drink manufacturing industry is creating award winning products distributed and loved locally, nationally and for some, even internationally. This category is split into businesses with less than 10 employees and separately those with more than 10 employees. The finalists in the under 10 employees category include Burra Brewing Company, Eaglehawk Farm Produce, East Gippsland Coffee Roasters and Tone Made, and in the second category for over 10 employees , finalists are Burra Foods, Pure Harvest and Dennison Foods.
Whether it’s addressing climate change impact, adopting new methods, practices and techniques, the commitment to sustainability shown by Burra Foods, Flooding Creek Fungi, Just Add Trees, Gurneys Cider and the Prom Coast Food Collective has earned in their businesses a finalist place in the Sustainability, Land Use and Water Award.
Burra Brewing Co., Gurneys Cider, Flooding Creek Fungi and Prom Coast Food Collective are finalists in the Building Capability award.
Exporting has been tough in a global pandemic, but Little Bumble, Pure Harvest, South Gippsland Dairy and Victoria Valley Meats have all continued to drive success in this part of their business, with their efforts recognised as finalists in the Exporting Award.
And in the Fibre Industry Award, finalists are Just Add Trees, Little Bumble, Great Alpine Flowers and Alberton Timber.
Every finalist is in contention to take home the coveted Gippsland Agribusiness of the Year Award, which in 2021 includes a $5,000 cash prize, as well as an Agri-food consulting opportunity with category sponsor partner KPMG Australia.
Winners will be announced online via the Food & Fibre Gippsland website and social media channels on the evening of Friday 19th of November.
The Awards program is made possible thanks to a diverse group of organisations passionate about the continued growth of Gippsland’s $7B food and fibre sector. 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.
