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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-11-27 Daily Xml
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Premier's Food and Beverage Industry Awards

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:21): Friday night was a great night to celebrate what South Australia does so well. We had the 2024 SA food and beverage industry awards. Some great South Australian businesses, individuals and exporters were on show on the night, and it really did highlight their dedication as world-class food producers and manufacturers.

A couple of notable businesses were on show on the night, one of which was one of my local constituents, Nippy's. They were a finalist in the Consumer Choice Award, voted on by the public. It has been an iconic South Australian brand and family business, with roots firmly in the Riverland. I was joined by Jeff and Ben Knispel on the evening. The packing house base and processing facility at Waikerie is a great staple of the area, as is their Moorook production facility where they package a lot of long-life products, both juice and milk, which are distributed all over the globe. It really is a credit to the dedication of the Knispel family. They also have major facilities at Regency Park here in Adelaide as the only fresh juice company manufacturing facility in South Australia, and it really is a testament to their contribution.

One of the export award winners was the Macro Group. They are family owned and operated, supplying the world with quality kangaroo meat products for over 30 years. They have also just opened up their new Summit laboratories, and they are doing an outstanding job within the food sector. Congratulations to Ray Borda, his family and his beautiful wife, Narelle, who is by his side at every opportunity.

Another export award finalist was Ashton Valley Fresh, another great juice and beverage producer. The fresh fruit up in the Adelaide Hills is second to none. The Yoghurt Shop was again on the winner's list. They recently won the Agribusiness Food and Beverages export awards as South Australia's business and export winner, and they really were on show. Fleurieu Milk Company seemed to be the company of the evening. They took out a number of awards for their great initiative. Obviously, the re-usable glass bottles is bringing back some history, and that really is a great marketing tool of that company.

Congratulations to the 29 winners and all the finalists who were on show on the night, and I must say congratulations to Food SA. The newly appointed CEO, Victoria Dixon-Whittle, is leading that organisation in great strides. Congratulations to Victoria and to the board on a great initiative.

A local issue I want to talk about was the opening of the Ricca Terra cellar door. That is another great South Australian product. Ashley Ratcliff has been a stalwart within the wine industry, but he has spread his wings with a lot of the alternative wine varieties. He is celebrating the opening of this cellar door with a new flair in Renmark right on the riverfront, which I think is an absolute game changer for the wine industry.

As I understand it, it is the only winery on the river that is of a cellar door style. We have Whistling Kite, Bassham, 919 Wines and some other boutique wineries, but Ricca Terra is a cellar door with a difference. It is in a heritage building, as I said, on the foreshore of the river. It opened just in time for Ricca Terra's 21st birthday. It has been a long time in the making, and it is creating a real sense of vibe around Renmark. It is also becoming a destination for people coming to the Riverland. If you do not want to drink wine, go to the Woolshed Brewery. If you do not want to drink beer, go to the 23rd Street Distillery. They are all great institutions and destinations.

Also late last week was the Renmark Riverfront Wharf opening, just across the road from the Ricca Terra cellar door. Did you know 1,200 cubic metres of concrete, 2,620 metres of piles and 100 tonnes of reinforced steel have made a beautiful entrance and gateway to the Riverland via the river? As you come out of Victoria, it really is a treat to behold. Congratulations to the Renmark Paringa Council on the waterfront wharf. They have done an outstanding job, and it really does highlight the beauty the Riverland has to offer to everyone in this place.

The SPEAKER: I agree, member for Chaffey. It is a fantastic spot up there, particularly that brewery that I had the pleasure of opening a few years ago. It must be about the 10th anniversary. I think you were there. Tom and Sarah; is that right?

Mr Whetstone: Yes.

The SPEAKER: Very good people.

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