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South Australian Food Industry Award winners announced

The 2017 South Australian Food Industry Award winners were announced tonight at the largest food and beverage industry gathering in Australia and overall, the big winner is South Australia, according to Food South Australia CEO Catherine Sayer.

The winners were announced to an audience of more than 700 at the Adelaide Convention Centre at what has become known as the industry’s ‘night of nights’, hosted this year by Matt Preston.

“This year’s winners typify the diverse range of food and beverage products we manufacture in this state, ranging from on-trend functional foods to traditional family favourites,” Ms Sayer said.

“Our state is home to highly skilled entrepreneurs and to businesses of all sizes who are contributing significantly, and consistently, to South Australia’s economic growth,” she said.

“The joint winners of the Duncan MacGillivray Entrepreneur Award, Tom Robinson and Roger Edwards, are fantastic examples of how South Australia is benefiting from successful entrepreneurship in the food and beverage industry.

“Tom and Roger have led the way to transform an industry, turning pipis from a low value fishing bait into a premium gourmet –and strongly South Australian – product, now beloved by top chefs.

“Tonight’s inductee into the San Remo Hall of Fame, Nippy’s, is a great example of the contribution our industry makes to regional employment, while Ceravolo Orchards, winners of the 2017 Thomas Foods Primary Producer and Peats Soil and Garden Supplies’ Sustainability Awards, is a family business in the Adelaide Hills strategically managing every aspect of their business to add value and reduce waste.

“It is critical to recognise and build on best practice, and this is something our industry does well, partly through these Awards. The South Australian Food Industry Awards program, hosted by Food South Australia and supported each year by Primary Industries and Regions SA, has become a benchmark for industry excellence,” she said.

“Over the last 19 years, these Awards have become an important springboard to help South Australian businesses grow. For example, we have found that finalists and winners have been able to use their success as a hallmark of quality and to successfully break into important new markets.”

“Our industry has to keep working hard to be globally competitive, but programs like the South Australian Food Industry Awards also give us a rare opportunity for industry to come together, and to step outside individual businesses to look at how we work as an industry to maximise collaborative opportunities. Everyone involved in these Awards, and every South Australian, should be proud of these achievements and the contribution our food and beverage industry makes to our great state,” Ms Sayer said.

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