VICTORIA is well represented in the finals of this year's Produce Awards for Australia's best primary producers.
Presented by ABC delicious magazine, the awards' winners will be announced on Monday night at Circa, in St Kilda's The Prince hotel complex, the Herald Sun reports.
The main categories are From the Earth, From the Dairy, From the Sea and From the Paddock. And there are plenty of chances From Victoria.
We are known as the Garden State, and representing us in From the Earth are Daylesford Organics (fruit and vegetables) , SunSalt (Murray River salt), Garlic 'n' More (garlic), Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens (certified organic fruit), Moondarra Blueberries (organic blueberries), and Angelica Organic Farm (garlic).
Among the cream of the crop in From the Dairy are Meredith Dairy (fromage frais), Milawa Blue Cheese (cheese), Yarra Valley Dairy (marinated chevre), and Holy Goat (organic goat’s cheese).
In the wide open field of From the Paddock, we have Seven Hills - Tallarook (goat meat and smallgoods), Western Plains Free Range Pork (pork), Sher Wagyu (wagyu), Fernliegh Farms (pork, chorizo), Wurrook Superfine Prime (lamb), Warialda Belted Galloway (100% grass fed, rare breed, bresaola), Blackmore (wagyu) - I've been lucky enough to try these guys' wagyu at Rockpool and it gets my vote - and Isola Chianina (grass-fed beef).
From the Sea, we have Oss Eels (eels) - have you tried their smoked eel? - and Yarra Valley Caviar (caviar).
Other accolades are a Regional Award, Best Farmers’ Market, Use of Regional Produce by a Chef, Best Supplier/Providore, Producer Of The Year, The Slow Food Award for Sustainability and Heritage, Best New Product, and Consistently Excellent Product.
Representing Victoria in the state judging were Matt Wilkinson, of Circa, and Paul Wilson, from Mr Wilson Consulting.
The guys on the national judging panel, who had to "suffer" tasting all of this preminent produce, are Matt Moran (ARIA Restaurant, NSW and QLD), Philip Johnson (E’cco Bistro, QLD), Cheong Liew (ex The Grange, SA), Alla Wolf-Tasker (The Lake House, Victoria), and Neil Perry (Rockpool, NSW and Victoria).
The evening is being hosted by Masterchef's Matt Preston.
Read more on the Herald Sun.
