delicious Produce Awards 2023: Everything you need to know - Produce Awards

Jan 30, 2023

Australia's most prestigious food awards program returns in 2023.

Now in its 18th year, the annual delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards unearths and champions Australia’s best primary and artisan food producers.

Since 2006, these awards have been at the forefront of recognising the unsung heroes behind our top chefs and restaurateurs – Australia’s finest producers – and educating readers and consumers about why it’s so important to #knowyourproducer.

In 2023, the delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards is continuing to shine a brighter light on the way food producers grow, cultivate, harvest and catch the produce they supply to Australia’s leading chefs and dining establishments.

We want to discover the producers who are making waves, changing the conversation and disrupting the status quo with sustainable food production practices. We want to give recognition to the producers who are making an impact, and who stand out from the crowd for their food production, cultivation, harvest or wild-catch practices that have a focus on environmental sustainability, provenance, species diversity and preservation, as well as the local community.

In 2023, 14 trophies will be awarded:

Winners will be announced in the September issue of delicious., on sale nationally on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

INDUSTRY-NOMINATED PRODUCE CATEGORY AWARDS

Producers are nominated by Australia’s leading chefs and food industry professionals, with 2023 National Finalists determined by the 2023 State Judges, National Judges and Governing Board through a state judging process. This will be followed by a national judging process to determine the ultimate 2023 Trophy Winners.

FROM THE DAIRY, EARTH, PADDOCK & SEA

These four produce award categories celebrate Australia’s best primary producers, as determined by our expert National Judges.

In 2023, we are continuing to shine a spotlight on how our top producers grow, cultivate, harvest and catch the produce they supply to Australia’s finest chefs and dining establishments, with a focus on environmental sustainability, provenance, species diversity and preservation, as well as community collaboration.

Australian chefs and food industry professionals are invited to nominate via this link: Nominations for the 2023 delicious. Produce Awards. Nominations are now closed.

Nominations will be reviewed against award criteria, and eligible nominees will be invited to submit produce for state judging. The state judging will be held on the week commencing March 27, 2023, and will determine the 2023 National Finalists. One finalist per category (Dairy, Earth, Paddock & Sea) will be selected from each state (NSW/ACT; VIC; SA; TAS; QLD/NT; WA).

National Finalists will proceed to the national judging, which will be held in Sydney on May 31-June 1, 2023. National Judges will gather to taste samples from each National Finalist, and evaluate each finalist’s food production ethos and practices. The national judging will determine the 2023 From the Dairy, From the Earth, From the Paddock and From the Sea Trophy Winners, as well as the 2023 Producer of the Year Trophy Winner.

NON-PRODUCE CATEGORY AWARDS

These awards are nominated and determined in consultation with the 2023 Governing Board and National Judges. If you would like to put forward someone for consideration for the following awards, you can do so here.

IN THE BOTTLE (ALCOHOLIC)
This award recognises the innovative Australian drink-makers creating distinctive small-batch and handcrafted spirits, beers and ciders, made predominantly from Australian ingredients.

IN THE BOTTLE (NO-LO)
This award recognises the excellent Australian artisan drink-makers crafting innovative and delicious no and low-alcohol drinks, made predominantly from Australian ingredients.

OUTSTANDING VITICULTURIST
Showcasing the growers behind the winemakers, this award recognises leading Australian viticulturists who use regenerative cultivation methods to produce the grapes that create Australia’s top wines.

UNEARTHED PRODUCER
This award recognises Australian primary producers who are challenging the status quo and finding new ways to produce innovative, high-quality, nutritious, flavoursome food in an environmentally sustainable way.

OUTSTANDING INNOVATION
This is an award for an individual, business, group or community in the food or agriculture industry that demonstrates outstanding innovation in the production of food, and uses sustainable methods to achieve such innovation. Recipients could include artisan food producers showcasing the lost art of traditional food preparation techniques that require training, skill and time to finesse; or designers who demonstrate innovation and craftsmanship in the production of Australian-designed and made cooking and eating utensils or tableware.

OUTSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY
This is an award for an individual, business, group or community in the food or agriculture industry that demonstrates outstanding sustainability in the production of food.

OUTSTANDING NATIVE PRODUCER
This award recognises and celebrates First Nations producers who are cultivating high-quality products showcasing native ingredients.

OTHER AWARDS

OUTSTANDING FARMERS’ MARKET – READERS’ CHOICE

Once again, the delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards is giving readers the opportunity to have their say and help name Australia’s best farmers’ market.

Readers are invited to put their favourite market forward for its chance to be crowned the Outstanding Farmers’ Market Readers’ Choice 2023 winner, via delicious.com.au/readerschoice. Nominations close at 11:59pm (AEST) on May 31, 2023.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIAN FOOD

Recognising an individual who has had a significant impact on the direction, quality and recognition of Australian food and food culture.

For any questions, please contact the delicious. Produce Awards Project Manager, Lucy Allon (lucy@lucyallon.com.au).