Six Champions, one medal

The 2010 President’s Medal is shaping up as a great event and a unique celebration of Sydney Royal champions and gold medal winners from the recent Sydney Royal Wine, Cheese & Dairy and Fine Food shows.

As Chair of the Fine Food Show, I’ve been heavily involved in the planning of the event - including testing the menu and the wines! I’m delighted that one of my favourite people, Justin North (Owner and Executive Chef of Becasse and Etch restaurants) has co-designed the menu, featuring the six finalists:

Bulla Dairy Foods
Australian family company, Bulla Dairy Foods are a second time finalist. Bulla has been making quality dairy products in country Victoria since 1910. The commitment of Bulla's traditional values is built into both their products and their dealings with customers and suppliers. Bulla Dairy Foods was awarded Champion Cream or Dairy Dessert for their Light Sour Cream at the 2010 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show.

Holy Goat Cheese
Committed to sustainable farming, Holy Goat Cheese is about honouring the soil, pasture and a beautiful goat herd that produces high quality 100% certified organic cheeses that reflect the Sutton Grange region in Victoria. Holy Goat Cheese La Luna Goat Cheese was awarded Champion Sheep, Goat and Buffalo Milk Product at the 2010 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show.


Yalumba Wine Company
Established in 1849, Yalumba Wine Company is Australia's oldest family-owned wine company. With more than 160 years of winemaking experience Yalumba has remained independent and progressive across six generations of the Hill Smith family. Yalumba was awarded the The Rudy Komon Memorial Perpetual trophy for best Shiraz Viognier for their 2008 Yalumba Hand Picked Shiraz Viognier and The Jones, Steains and Waller Perpetual Trophy for highest number of points in the Varietal Wine Classes at the 2010 Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show.

Peter Lehmann Wines
During the 1970s Peter Lehmann refused his employer’s instruction to renege on his customary handshake agreement with independent grape growers when there was an over-supply of fruit. Starting his own business and offering to pay after the wine was made, he saved then from ffinancial ruin. Now as an unlisted public company, loyalty, hard work, talent, patience, teamwork and recognition of other people's talents are the values which permeate their workforce. Peter Lehmann Wines was awarded the Douglas Lamb Perpetual Trophy for best riesling for their 2006 Wigan Eden Valley Riesling at the 2010 Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show.

Huon Aquaculture
Founded in 1988 at Hideaway Bay in Tasmania, Huon Aquaculture began as a diversification to the family cattle and sheep business and soon grew into a highly successful business. Preserving and protecting the marine environment, Huon follows world's best environmental management practices. Huon Aquaculture was awarded Champion Salmon Product for their Banquet Slice Tasmanian Smoked Salmon at the 2010 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.

T&R Pastoral
T&R Pastoral of South Australia has grown to become Australia's largest small stock processor. Recently acquiring plants in Queensland and New South Wales they now supply three states and export to over 80 countries. T&R Pastoral was awarded the Grand Champion Lamb Exhibit for their Murraylands Premium Lamb at the 2010 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.

The President’s Medal
Awarded by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW to promote and reward profitable and sustainable Australian primary industries, it is the only award where Champion producers from the wine, dairy and fine food industries are judged on a multifaceted basis. Simon Marnie of 702 ABC Local Radio and Scott Davenport of Industry & Investment NSW judge in the field on environmental, economic and social sustainability. Then the products are assessed by Annette Karantoni from Woolworths and Justin North on marketability.

The event
Always a fun night, with videos made by the finalists and the one and only HG Nelson as Roving Reporter, The President’s Medal will be awarded at a celebratory dinner on and with extraordinary food and wine it is a dinner not to be missed. The menu will feature the six finalists’ products plus other Sydney Royal medal winners. As mentioned above, the menu was designed by consulting chef Justin North in conjunction with our own very talented executive chef from Sydney Showground, Tim Browne and the banqueting team at Four Seasons Sydney.

More information and ticket bookings
Click here or email Mahalia Hicks, RAS Wine, Dairy & Fine Food Co-ordinator.

Australia Day in the Hastings Region

This post is a little late, however I wanted to share with you my special Australia Day experience at Port Macquarie and the Hastings Region.

The Australia Day Ambassador program has been running for 21 years and, briefly, allows for Australians from diverse backgrounds to be involved in local community celebrations and share their experiences and national pride around the country. This year there were over 320 Ambassadors nationally and 165 in NSW from various backgrounds such as sport, medical research, music, the arts and, of course, food and wine!

Some of this year’s Ambassadors

I am very proud to have been involved with this program as an Ambassador for the past eight years and this year was lucky to be welcomed by the kind and generous people of Port Macquarie and the Hastings Region. My two day visit was packed with activities, including: delivering my own Australia Day address, participating in emotionally moving citizenship ceremonies, helping make community awards and getting to know the area. Made that much more special as I have a very special god-daughter who lives there.

I had a fantastic time and fell in love all over again with the great produce from the Hastings, especially Ricardo’s tomatoes and strawberries. But as I said in my address regionalism is not only about the produce in an area, but about the people who live there, and what they do in their communities.

Well RED (and FED) in Port Macquarie – Ricardo’s tomatoes and strawberries

When I was in Port Macquarie as an Australia Day Ambassador I dropped in to Ricardo’s – around 10 minutes drive from town and just down the road from Cassegrain Winery where I attended Oysters in the Vines.

Anthony Sarks and his tomatoes

The farm, farm-gate produce shop and adjoining Café Red are run by brothers Anthony and Richard (‘Ricardo’) Sarks, who planted their first crop of tomatoes back in 2002 and now produce over one million annually.

Farmed hydroponically, the varieties include: Conchita cocktail tomato, Flavorino mini roma style and full size Tradiros. Obscenely red, sweet yet sharp and incredibly juicy, Ricardo’s award winning tomatoes are among the best you’ll ever taste.