Local Aussie food news: August highlights

Making local Aussie food news in August…

In a raw deal for local cheesemakers, a dozen UK raw milk cheeses have been approved for export to Australia. Social media trends spark unprecedented demand for a lesser known locally grown fruit. The winners of the 2022 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards have been revealed and food festivals continue their comeback following life in lockdown. Beer lovers will soon be able to trace their favourite drink from paddock to pint, Canberra gears up for an exciting new dining precinct and Worms of Willunga has been awarded a $15,000 local farmer’s grant.

From the farm gate

A dozen raw milk cheeses from the UK will soon be available in Australia following a new deal approving their export. Currently only two local cheesemakers in Australia can legally sell raw milk cheese. While the deal is a win for UK cheesemakers, some local artisans aren’t happy.

Thanks to social media, lesser-known fresh produce that looks “pretty” is rising in popularity. The latest to take centre stage is dragon fruit, which has been grown in Australia since the 1970s. Demand has boomed so much that an industry association has been formed to launch a recruitment drive to encourage more growers of this native central and South American fruit.

Australia’s last remaining major salmon producer has been snapped up by a foreign buyer. Canadian aquaculture company Cooke successfully increased its offer for locally-owned Tassal, in a deal valuing the Tasmanian company at $1.1billion. It’s the fourth bid the private Canadian company has made for Tassal.

Global demand for cheaper cuts of beef is expected to increase in the year ahead as rampant inflation and slowing economic growth see consumers trade down. A Rabobank report says Australia is expected to be among the best-positioned countries to benefit. Cheaper cuts, or beef trimmings are typically used in the production of ground or minced beef.

Also making local Aussie food news in August, Coles has locked the price of over 1000 products in an effort to help households tackle rising inflation. Some of the most popular items on the list include free-range eggs, cheese, mince, canned tomatoes, and tuna. The supermarket giant says it will keep prices locked until the new year.

And the winner is…

The winners of the 2022 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards have been revealed with the Central Coast’s growing reputation as a gourmet foodie destination, resulting in it being named ‘Outstanding Region’. Adelaide Farmer’s Market took out the reader’s choice award for ‘Outstanding Farmers’ Market’.

Australia’s largest and oldest dairy co-operative Norco has again taken home a top gong. At this year’s EatWell ‘Yummies Awards’ Norco Natural Elbo Style Cheese was voted as ‘Best Dairy’ by more than 17,000 Australian Wellbeing consumers. The cheddar-style cheese made its way to the top of the list because of its delicate and mild taste, reduced salt content, acidophilus cultures for good gut health and no animal rennet, making it suitable for vegetarians.

Barossa Valley Chocolates has won the John W Rothwell Trophy for Champion Chocolate at the 2022 SA Dairy Awards. The top earner was its Tequila Me Softly Praline, with its Orange & Almond Block and new Davidson Plum Praline also winning Gold. The chocolate maker took home 18 Silver Medals too!

Also making local Aussie food news in August, Worms of Willunga has been awarded the Willunga Farmers Market Farmers Scholarship for 2022. Developed in 2014 in response to the declining number of farmers in the industry nationwide, the $15,000 Scholarship aims to help the future of farming on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Worms of Willunga plans to use the funds to divert local organic matter into top quality vermicompost that can be shared with the local community to create healthy soils and grow healthy food.

What’s on?

Sample Food Festival, a taste of Northern NSW takes place on Saturday September 3^rd at Bangalow Showgrounds. The festival runs from 8am to 4pm with $5 and $10 tasting plates from the region’s top restaurants. The 2022 event will be the festival’s 10th Anniversary.

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Southern Highlands Food & Wine Festival. The annual event will be held at the Moss Vale Showgrounds and will showcase the best food and drinks from the region. It will kick off on Friday October 28^th with the annual Wine Awards night at Southern Highlands Winery, then continue over the weekend.

Sunday September 4^th is Macadamia Nut Day and in celebration, gourmet chef Darren Robertson and Three Blue Ducks will release an exclusive limited-edition Macadamia Miso & Chocolate Palmier, in partnership with Australian Macadamias. The sweet treat will be available for purchase at Sample Food Festival in Bangalow, at The Farm Byron Bay and Three Blue Ducks restaurants on September 3^rd and 4^th. Macadamias have a long local history, having first evolved in the rainforests on the east coast of Australia over 60 million years ago.

What’s new?

Beer lovers will soon be able to scan a QR code to trace the origin of the grain used to make their drinks. It comes as ten local barley growers in South Australia get set to take part in a pilot project which will be tracing their grain from paddock to pint.

The Canberra Centre is set to welcome an exciting new one-of-a-kind dining precinct later this year with celebrated Australian chef Shaun Presland at the helm. Tiger Lane is inspired by the hawker centres of Asia and will feature 12 dining outlets and bars configured into different sections reflective of their cuisine and country of origin.

Also making local Aussie food news in August, chicken brand Lenard’s has partnered with Metcash to supply its chicken products to hundreds of independent supermarkets Australia-wide. Offering 10 deli lines and 15 meat lines, the two categories will service traditional shoppers who prefer purchasing items individually from behind a deli-style counter and a more “grab-and-go” style consumer.

New research from the University of Wollongong has found nuts may provide up to 26 per cent fewer kilojoules than previously thought, highlighting a flaw in the kilojoules count currently used for Australian food labelling. 

The findings revealed that when it comes to nuts, due to their crunchy texture, a portion of the fat remains locked within their fibrous cell walls and cannot be absorbed by our bodies. 

Also in local Aussie food this month…

In August, EATIVITY found out more about the health benefits of a new milk that can slash more than 400 teaspoons of sugar from your diet every year. We looked at some of the most popular Asian vegetables in season in Australia right now. We uncovered the secret to new food band success and shared three nutty Father’s Day recipes to make dad’s day. We also shone the spotlight on Pialligo Estate a haven for ACT local food and wine lovers and the best of the taste of Canberra, all rolled into one spectacular location.

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