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Food-e-News, March 2010

  1. Consumer focussed SA Food Strategy released
  2. Value Chain DVD launched
  3. SA Food Centre helping grow businesses
  4. Ulli Spranz awarded Rural Woman of the Year
  5. Discover Australia's 7th state
  6. Kytons wins national hot cross bun competition
  7. The Home Grown Gala Dinner
  8. New PIRSA food director
  9. Woolworths commitment to farming
  10. Vale Ale awarded in beer competition
  11. Regional forums on Culinary Tourism
  12. Think Food, Think SA

Consumer focussed SA Food Strategy released

The five year South Australian Food Strategy 2010-2015 designed to boost the industry’s international competitiveness and growth has been released. The Strategy embraces the entire food industry – from producers and processors right through to retailers - with consumer demands being at its heart. It sets new targets for the SA food industry to generate $16 billion revenue by 2015, increase its contribution to the wellbeing of South Australians and reduce its impact on the environment. The operational plan continues to be developed around the six priorities of the Strategy with programs which will assist industry face the challenges of competitive markets and sophisticated consumers who are seeking quality, nutrition, enjoyment, security and safety from the food they choose.

South Australian Food Strategy 2010-2015 (pdf, 1.09mb)

Want to know more?

Vicki Mavrakis
PIRSA
p +61 8226 1744
e vicki.mavrakis@sa.gov.au

Value Chain DVD launched

A DVD of Professor Andrew Fearne discussing the fundamentals of value chain thinking was launched recently at the AARES Conference dinner. The DVD is a great legacy of Andrew’s time as an Adelaide Thinker in Residence and is a very user friendly 101 on value chains: who are customers and consumers, why businesses should use value chain thinking, success factors, common mistakes and the role of supermarkets. The DVD was made in conjunction with DTED and AARES and can be viewed at www.pir.sa.gov.au/valuechains/value_chain_toolkit website or on YouTube.

Want to know more?

Annabel Mugford
PIRSA
p +61 8226 0185
e annabel.mugford@sa.gov.au

SA Food Centre helping grow businesses

Over 50 food businesses recently took the opportunity through the SA Food Centre and partners Innovate SA and UniSA to participate in a growth series workshop or food innovation showcase. The growth series topic of 'Profit Growth through Business Excellence' attracted over 40 attendees to hear international expert Peter Hines present ideas and examples on ways to improve business efficiency and profitability. Alister Haigh and Peter Millard from Haigh’s Chocolates also presented a local case study on how they have engaged their employees in process improvement. The Food Innovation Showcase saw 16 local businesses visit Beerenberg to learn about their branding strategies and product innovation. The visit highlighted Beerenberg’s involvement in new product development and the evolving technology with Facebook, Twitter and Flickr websites being used to communicate directly with consumers.

For further details

Richard Heyneman
SA Food Centre
p +61 8 8348 2489
e richard.heyneman@sa.gov.au

Ulli Spranz awarded Rural Woman of the Year

Dairy farmer Ulli Spranz from Paris Creek in the Adelaide Hills has been awarded this year’s Rural Industries and Research Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award. PIRSA is a major sponsor of the award which recognises the vital role women play in contributing to rural South Australia. Award recipients receive a bursary of $10,000 and gentry for the national award announced at a dinner in Canberra in May. Ulli and her husband run B.-d. Farm Paris Creek a biodynamic dairy farm manufacturing milk, yogurt and cheese products.

For further enquiries

Ulli Spranz
B.-d. Farm Paris Creek
p +61 8 8388 3339
e admin@bdfarmpariscreek.com.au

Discover Australia's 7th state

New Zealand is often referred to as the 7th state of Australia, and so with that in mind Flavour SA has organised a market awareness visit for food producers to coincide with the first Fine Food New Zealand. The visit to Auckland from 13 to 15 June 2010 provides the opportunity to visit Fine Food New Zealand as well as learn about and explore the marketplace. Food business development and culinary tourism will be key focuses of the market awareness visit.

Flavour SA New Zealand Market Awareness Flyer (pdf, 295kb)

Want to attend?

Catherine Barnett
Flavour SA
p +61 8 8431 7131
e contact@flavoursa.com.au

Kytons wins national hot cross bun competition

Easter is fast approaching and here in South Australia you can buy the best hot cross buns in the country! Kyton’s Bakery was just awarded first prize at the prestigious EOI & Oostra Spices Easter in the Fruit Bowl National Championships. Open to all bakeries in Australia, this is the second year in a row a South Australian bakery has won the competition. And what made Kytons Hot Cross Bun the best? All the fruit and flour used is Australian grown guaranteeing freshness and flavour, the fruit is direct from growers and like all of Kytons products the buns are baked using a time proven recipe with lots of care.

For more information

Kytons Bakery
p +61 8 8177 0156
w www.kytonsbakery.com.au

The Home Grown Gala Dinner

Take a food and wine journey through South Australia at the Home Grown Gala Dinner on Thursday 29 April 2010 at Hilton Adelaide. Styled by Simon Bryant along with the state's best producers you can celebrate home grown with special guests including Peter Cundall AM, Stephanie Alexander, Maggie Beer and Ian Parmenter. All proceeds will aid the visionary Kitchen Garden to be developed in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The garden will show how easy it is to enrich our lives through the growing, harvesting and cooking of fresh seasonal produce and much more. Tickets for the gala dinner start from $200 per person or $2,000 for a table of ten.

Want to attend?

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Foundation Inc
p +61 8 8222 9347
e events@abgf.org
w www.abgf.org/events/special-events/the-home-grown-gala-dinner

New PIRSA food director

PIRSA has a new director for food with Maggie Dowling joining the team on 1 March 2010. The role of Director, Food & Strategy will work to enhance ties with industry and help grow the multi billion dollar food industry. In particular the role will oversee the PIRSA industry development teams of livestock, grains, horticulture and seafood, as well as the new SA Food Strategy. Maggie brings extensive agribusiness experience with previous roles as General Manager, CRC Care Pty Ltd as well as Executive Management at ABB Grain and a deep understanding of the broader food sector, industry policy development and value chain management. Maggie will be working under leadership of Executive Director Kris Roberts within PIRSA Industry Development and Renewal.

Want to know more?

Maggie Dowling
p +61 8 8226 0531
e maggie.dowling@sa.gov.au

Woolworths commitment to farming

Woolworths has increased its investment in Australia’s rural future with the launch of a $3.25 million Fresh Food Farming program. The program will focus on the two key areas of sustainable farming and creating future leaders and draw together a number of initiatives. Fresh Food Farming has been created as the debate around long term food availability and affordability intensifies and the need for all organisations involved in the food supply chain to adopt a leadership position and help safeguard Australia’s future food security. Higher input costs, a rising population and climate change all have the potential to impact the food we eat, which is why industry and Woolworths need to assist farmers to adapt and thrive.

For further details

Woolworths Press Office
p +61 2 8885 1032
w www.woolworths.com.au

Vale Ale awarded in beer competition

Vale Ale, the premium pale ale from artisans at McLaren Vale Beer Company and The Salopian Inn has collected two Silver Medals in the pale ale class at the 2010 Sydney Royal Beer Competition. McLaren Vale Beer Company was launched in May 2008 and has since acquired South Australian icon The Salopian Inn. The awards build on the medals won last year at the Australian International Beer Awards and the International Beer Challenge in London.

For further enquiries

McLaren Vale Beer Company
p 1300 MV BEER
e cheers@mvbeer
w www.mvbeer.com

Regional forums on Culinary Tourism

Erik Wolf is recognised internationally as the founder of the culinary tourism industry and will be leading the two Culinary Tourism Forums in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Presented by the Winemakers Federation of Australia, PIRSA and the South Australian Tourism Commission these highly informative sessions will provide SA food and wine tourism stakeholders with tangible tools to develop a culinary tourism offering that competes globally. Erik who has more that 20 years of experience in travel marketing and has worked with many countries and regions to develop their culinary tourism strategies will provide information on areas such as culinary tourism and branding your destination, creating your culinary tourism community and the world’s best (& worst) practices in culinary tourism.

Culinary Tourism Forum Flyer - Barossa (160kb ,pdf)

To find out more

Angela Ruddenklau
p +61 414 332 239
w ruddenklau@activ8.net.au

Think Food, Think SA

Over 40 South Australian food producers exhibited and met buyers at the first ever Think Food, a South Australian Food Trade Show held last Tuesday. Supported by PIRSA Market Development and organised by Flavour SA the event was a great success with businesses showcasing and promoting their products to trade guests locally and nationally including buyers, chefs and purchasing managers. A delegation of prominent interstate food distributors for retail and food service attended with guest Franca Arcadi from Bellco Marketing speaking to the audience and highlighting that the majority of products they distribute are sourced from SA.

For more information

Mary Ferguson
Flavour SA
p +61 412 420 856
w mferguson@chariot.net.au