delicious. gold medallists announced

25th August 2020 | Eativity editors

delicious. has revealed the full list of the 2020 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards Gold Medallists, with 67 producers receiving medals across Dairy, Paddock, Sea and Earth categories and three National Finalists in the Outstanding Farmers’ Market category.

Given the COVID-19 crisis, the state winners’ produce from the Earth, Dairy, Paddock and Sea categories were tasted in isolation over a three-week period by the national judging panel to decide the ultimate 2020 gold medal winners.

“Judging our delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards Gold Medallists may have looked a little different this year, but it definitely didn’t affect the spirits of the judges, who were as excited as ever about the outstanding produce,” says delicious. Editorial Director Kerrie McCallum. “Normally our judges would all be sitting around a table to taste the country’s best produce, but the Coronavirus pandemic challenged us to come up with a new plan.”

The best of the best – such as Black Barley Australia – were judged by leading Australian food identities.

McCallum says she is grateful to the state winners, who did everything they could to get their award-winning produce to the Sydney-based judging panel, including Neil Perry, Matt Moran, Peter Gilmore, Danielle Alvarez, Colin Fassnidge and Guillaume Brahimi – who all judged the produce solo and in isolation.

“Every judge said they missed being able to sit around the table and share opinions, but postponing the process was never an option,” McCallum says. “For many producers, this year has been tougher than ever, following drought, bushfires and flood, then scaling back production due to COVID-19, so we were determined to find a way to continue because there’s never been a more important time to support our producers.

“Congratulations to this year’s Gold Medallists. The produce they delivered during a time of unprecedented change showed just how hard Australian farmers, fishermen and artisans work at their craft.”

Producers like The Colony Concept worked hard to get their delicious produce to the judges.

National judge Matt Moran says while he “absolutely adores” every part of judging the awards, this year, he definitely missed being around the table with all of the other national judges: “Especially Alla Wolf-Tasker [chef and delicious. Produce Awards national judge] – we have a lot of heated moments and a lot of laughs!” Moran says.

“This year, I think I tasted the best pear I’ve ever eaten and the most amazing potatoes. And I loved the dried figs; they were a standout for me. It all makes me so excited.”

The 2020 National Trophy Winners will be revealed in October, including Producer of the Year; Best New Product; In the Bottle; Outstanding Viticulturist; Outstanding Region; Outstanding Farmers’ Market; Outstanding Innovation; the Maggie Beer Award for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Food; the Unearthed Next-Gen Chef Award; Outstanding Native Producer; Outstanding Artisan; and Unearthed Next-Gen Producer.

Milawa Cheese’s King River Gold, from Victoria.

2020 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards Gold Medallists and National Finalists

FROM THE DAIRY:

• Bruny Island Cheese Company – George, TAS
• Dellendale Creamery – Nullaki, WA
• Elgaar Farm – organic fresh cream, TAS
• Gelato Messina – Gelato Messina Jersey milk, VIC
• High Valley Cheese Co – feta, NSW
Holy Goat Cheese – Brigid’s Well, VIC
• Jardin Estate – salted butter, WA
• Maleny Dairies – Maleny Dairies real cream, QLD
Milawa Cheese Company – King River Gold, VIC
• Mungalli Creek Dairy – Mungalli Creek biodynamic quark, QLD
Pecora Dairy – Curly Red, NSW
• Shaw River Buffalo Cheese – Shaw River buffalo yoghurt, VIC
• The Dairyman Barossa – artisan farm cream, SA
• The Pines – Pearl, NSW

Bundarra Berkshires’ free range pork, from NSW.

FROM THE PADDOCK:

• Arundel Farm – lamb, TAS
• Bendele Farm Organic Poultry – organic spatchcock, QLD
• Bundarra Berkshires – free-range pork, NSW
• Extraordinary Pork – pasture raised free-range pork, NSW
• Fair Game Wild Venison – wild venison, NSW
• Futari Wagyu – wagyu, WA
• Hamlet Pork – pastured Berkshire pork, WA
• Highfield Farm & Woodland – grass-fed Dorper lamb, NSW
• Mayura Station – Mayura Station Signature Series, SA
• McIvor Farm Foods – McIvor Farm Berkshire free-range pork, VIC
• Mottainai Lamb – lamb, WA
• Nomad Farms – Nomadic pastured heritage chook, SA
• Sher Wagyu – Sher Wagyu F1 Black Label beef, VIC
• Warialda Belted Galloway Beef – 100% grass-fed heritage beef, VIC

Otway Mushroom’s fresh walnut kernels, from Victoria.

FROM THE EARTH:

• Black Barley Australia – black barley, WA
• Bloomfield Vanilla – premium natural vanilla beans, QLD
• Boon Luck Farm – tiger-striped peanuts, NSW
• Eladnelle Farm – saffron, TAS
• Felds Farm – seasonal annual vegetables, TAS
• Fruit Forest Farm – seasonal tropical fruit, QLD
• Garry Kadwell – Andean Sunrise potatoes, NSW
• Jema McCabe at Burnside Organic Farm –  seasonal organic produce, WA
• Kindred Organics – certified organic wholemeal spelt flour, TAS
• King Oyster Mushrooms – snowflake mushroom, VIC
• Malfroy’s Gold – Blue Mountains World Heritage Post–Brood Polyflora Wild Honey, NSW
• Mountain Yuzu – fresh yuzu, VIC
• Newcastle Greens – Calvin Lamborn pea varietals, NSW
• Ngeringa Produce – Ngeringa biodynamic salad greens, SA
• Otway Mushrooms – fresh walnut kernels, VIC
• Piccolo Farm – purple oxalis, Japanese turnips, NSW
• Singing Magpie Produce – Black Genoa semi sun-dried figs, SA
• Tellurian Fruit Gardens – certified organic fruit, VIC
• The Colony Concept – Southern Forests Jarrah honey, WA
• The Food Philosophy by Stix Farm – seasonal fresh produce, NSW
• Urban Green Sydney – microgreens (broad bean shoots, micro anise hyssop, melon leaf, micro red shiso), NSW
• Tucker Bush Fresh Botanicals – native thyme, WA

Cape Moreton scarlet prawns, from Queensland.

FROM THE SEA:

• ABLP – hard shell Bay lobster, QLD
• Ausab – Yumbah Greenlip abalone (whole in shell), SA
• Australia’s Oyster Coast – Appellation Oysters Wagonga, NSW
• Bruce Collis – seasonal wild catch, VIC
• Cape Moreton Scarlet Prawns – scarlet prawns, QLD
• Chris Bolton Fishing – seasonal wild catch (garfish), QLD
• Collison Reef Fish – seasonal wild catch (coral trout), QLD
• FV Bowithick – double iki jime dhufish, WA
• Goolwa Pipi Co – live and fresh, de–sanded and ready to cook pipis, SA
• Kinkawooka Mussels – mussels, SA
• Mimosa Rock Oysters – The Boxer, NSW
• Rocky Point Aquaculture – cobia, QLD
• Shark Bay Seafoods – wild scampi caviar, WA
• Tathra Oysters – 5-year-old bistro grade oysters, NSW
• Two Gulfs Crab – blue swimmer crab meat, SA
• Wapengo Rocks Wild Organic Oysters – premium grade Wapengo rock oyster, NSW
• West Coast Octopus – octopus, WA

The Dairyman Barossa produce, from South Australia.

OUTSTANDING FARMERS’ MARKET – NATIONAL FINALISTS:

• Alphington Farmers’ Market, VIC
• Kiama Farmers’ Market, NSW
• Mullumbimby Farmers’ Market, NSW