Food & Beverages

Neil Amor. Ten years ago, the Nimbin community came together to ensure the continued growth of an organic, sustainable food culture ... with the financial support of the community and the hard work of a legion of volunteers, despite some tough times getting things up and running, the Nimbin Organic Food Co-op has grown to supply the local need and has become a thriving business.

Interested business are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to participate in any of five key trade exhibitions to be held in Asia and the Middle East in 2025. Food, beverage and hospitality events have proven to be a great avenue for WA businesses to showcase their products and establish trade relationships.

Honestly, I’m stumped, and I say this as someone who once worked for a Minister for Agriculture and “Food.” In all my years in government, I don’t recall anyone requesting a sit-down with the Minister for Food ... If a food giant like Kraft Heinz or Mars Wrigley came sniffing around WA, do you think they’d trawl through the yellow pages for the Minister for Food?

A new local bakery set to open its doors to the public next month will bring about 15 new job opportunities in various roles to Naracoorte. Craig’s Bakehouse & Café ... Proprietor Craig McCallum bought the business from the owners of the former Morris Bakery after it went into administration last February and was subsequently put on the market.

Boutique Chaperon Wines, made in small batches to the highest quality, are now available at the Golden Nugget Restaurant in Maldon. The exclusive wines are produced entirely by hand at Grangehill Vineyard from varietals including shiraz, grenache and mourvedre ... Russell studied wine-making at TAFE, worked at other wineries and learned under mentors...

Lynne Mowbray. The scaffolding on Maclean’s historic Argyle Hotel is about to be removed, as the long-awaited opening is finally here. Hotel owner ‘Dhugal’ said that the unofficial opening will take place ... “It will be a bar and restaurant dining, with a beer garden,” said Dhugal.

With good friends, there are no limits to where life can lead. This is certainly true for Lisa Headon and Iona Lilburne. The dynamic ladies behind Foodie Friends are faces which most Hay people would know. The story behind their inception and rise from strength to strength is a fascinating one.

Pioneering Adelaide Hills cheese producer, Udder Delights, has released a special cheese to help fundraise for the health and wellbeing of farmers and advancement of the agricultural industry. Stocked in Coles and selected independants nationally, 20 cents of the specially labelled Udder Delights Double Cream Brie is donated to the National Centre for Farmer Health...

While overall headline inflation eased in the latest quarter, the annual rate of food price inflation held fast at 3.3 per cent, the latest quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, has shown. The September 2024 quarter data … saw overall annual food price inflation – comparing prices with the September 2023 quarter…

A community-owned Riverland hotel’s restaurant was cemented among the best culinary destinations in the state at a recent major industry award event. Hotel Renmark’s Temperance restaurant last week won the best country restaurant award at the 2024 Australian Hotels Association SA Awards for Excellence, with executive chef Hugh Hazelwood also being named Chef of the Year.

There’s many elements that go into creating a good wine and it’s the winemaker’s job to blend them together to create the perfect drop.   WA’s Rosenthal Wines’ winemakers are themselves a special blend because they’re not just winemakers and business partners - they’re also best friends. Coby Ladwig and Luke Eckersley first met 25 years ago when they were at Uni.  

Norco Co-operative, Australia’s largest and oldest dairy co-operative has been recognised for its vital role in driving economic growth, creating jobs and contributing to the overall wellbeing of the Northern Rivers Region at the 2024 Northern Rivers Business Awards. Previously winning the Excellence in Large Business Award for three consecutive years, this year Norco, for the first time, received the prestigious Business of the Year accolade…

Denise and Owen Whitney, owners of Mountain Top Coffee, travelled to Sydney with manager and roaster Bernard Rooney ... to receive a champion trophy for the Nimbin Blend line of roasted coffee at the Sydney Royal Fine Foods Festival. This is the second champion trophy they have received, the earlier being the Microlot in 2021.

Among the canefields of Woodburn, a new, nutritious industry is blooming. The Sea02 Nanno Agriculture is a biotechnology company that is growing algae.

The second Cohuna Chilli Festival was held on Friday night and organisers say it was a huge success. Held on the public holiday of the AFL grand final weekend, it drew visitors from across the state. With weather to wow, food to feast on, and an atmosphere to applaud, the chilli festival had something for everyone and kept patrons entertained into the night.

Yamba Distilling Co took on the titans of the brewing and distilling industry at the Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show last month taking out the title of Champion Traditional Gin award for their Duke Dry Gin. The inaugural 2024 Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show, which is destined to be an annual showcase of some of the best spirits across Australia, is hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.

Anthony and Christian were thrilled to be awarded Champion, at the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show, for their Wolfe Rock Gin. The RAS of NSW has been judging Australian produce annually for an amazing 202 years! “This was an incredible accolade to receive, really putting Lord Howe Island Distilling Co on the map as a leader in Australian spirits, with our unique endemic botanicals.”

Skyrocketing cocoa prices are putting strong pressure on chocolate producers around the globe, who will likely pass on the burden to consumers, according to a new international report by food and agribusiness banking specialist, Rabobank. In the report Soaring Cocoa prices: The worst is yet to come, the bank says the main impact of the cocoa crisis still lies ahead, as companies hedge prices and supply contracts up to a year in advance.

The Minns NSW Labor Government slammed the door on Norco being reinstated as a supplier to NSW Health on the North and Mid-North Coast in parliament last week, despite a previous NSW government decision to dump the 100 per cent farmer owned co-operative being reversed. When the issue was raised in parliament last Wednesday night, a public interest debate erupted where a motion was put forward by the NSW Nationals calling on the Minns Government to reverse its decision.

Jens Roestel. Australia imports roughly 8,800 tonnes of honey per year ... When tested in a recent study about 18 per cent of honey found on Australian supermarket shelves showed signs of alterations ... companies spend a lot of time and effort to produce fake honey.