South West-based Challenge Australian Dairy, which owns the Capel brand, has won two awards at this year's Westpac Food and Beverage industry awards.
South West-based Challenge Australian Dairy, which owns the Capel brand, has won two awards at this year's Westpac Food and Beverage industry awards.
The announcement is below:
One of Western Australia's youngest integrated dairy companies, partially owned by 50% of WA's dairy farmer, Challenge Australian Dairy, was tonight (Sep 4) announced as the overall winner of the annual Westpac Food and Beverage Industry Awards, organised by the Food Industry Association of WA (FIA).
Challenge Australian Dairy a South West based joint venture between Challenge Dairy Cooperative (WA's only Dairy Farmer Cooperative) and QAF Ltd Singapore, one of Asia's most successful diversified food manufacturing companies became with in the last four years one of WA's most integrated and innovative dairy companies. The companies strategic focus in developing value added dairy products and ingredients for Australian and overseas.
Over this time, Challenge Australian Dairy's revenue base has increased from $35M to approximately $100M year, which is a reflection of their success in growing the business sustainably. The company launched a new retail brand of Capel cheeses and a range of dairy products for the national market, and entered successfully into exports of fresh dairy ingredients across South East Asia.
Challenge Australian Dairy also won the Category Excellence in Supply Chain for their new A2 Milk (one of the 8 award categories) at the gala presentation dinner attended by 450 guests, and addressed by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Terry Redman at the Burswood Convention Centre.
The FIA award followed another success for the company with Challenge Australian Dairy also being one of the successful grants recipient of the Federal Government's Regional Food Producer Innovation Grant announced mid last month.
HARVEST FRESH CUTS PTY, who have recently opened a state of the art packing facility in Bibra Lake, supplying all major retailers with locally grown fresh produce won the best retail product category for their 'ready to heat' baby potatoes with parsley and butter.
The Innovation category winner is THE CHIA COMPANY for establishing the Chia seed industry in WA. Since the company's establishment in 2005 and the evaluation of first trials of growing Chia seeds in the Kimberley Region, The Chia Company is now the world largest producer of Chia with bulk exports to the US, NZ and South Korea. Chia is an ancient grain, one of the new superfoods, high in Omega 3 suitable for a range of applications in the food and drink industry.
THE VILLAGE KITCHEN, a family owned Perth businesses, producing more than 40,000 portion controlled desserts to cater to the specific dietary requirements needed for WA's major hospitals each week, won the Best Food Service Category. Village Kitchen is the only Australian company to produce a single portion dessert range according to the dietary requirements each patient.
The Environment and Sustainability category winner was WA based ALBA EDIBLE OILS, a family owned oil refinery involved in processing and marketing edible oils, supplying customers nationally and overseas. Alba Edible Oil's focus on sustainability and commitment to better environmental practices has proven to benefit the community, without sacrificing long-term company viability and profitability.
WR CARPENTER PTY, a premium supplier of beef products into the Asian markets, won the Export category for their achievements in exporting WAGYU BEEF to markets in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore.
In the Best Service to Industry Category, the award went to TSW ANALYTICAL PTY LTD, a commercial scientific arm of the University of Western Australia, for their contribution to the WA pork industry to achieve full traceability.
IGA, THE INDEPENDENT GROCER ASSOCIATION, supporting WA's independently owned IGA supermarkets for their support for local WA growers and food manufactures in their WA growers and producers campaign won the Best Marketing Campaign award for this campaign.
The Excellence in supply chain Category winner was also CHALLENGE AUSTRALIAN DAIRY for the development of new fresh milk, the A2 milk with added nutritional benefits, recently launched at major supermarkets.
In addition to the major sponsor Westpac, this year's Food and Beverage Industry award categories were proudly sponsored by IGA, Rabobank, Australia Post, Alinta, Burswood, the Australian Society of Supply Chain Professionals, the National Credit Insurance (Brokers) Pty Ltd and the Department of Agriculture and Food.
FIA Chief Executive Officer Andrea Berteit said the Association had been overwhelmed by the number of companies which nominated for these major industry awards.
"We received over 100 entries from almost 50 companies operating in WA ranging from large multinationals to regional companies supplying niche products and services. The nominations demonstrated the industry's increasing integration from farm to market and its ability to innovate and compete on a national and international level.
"The achievements of these companies is indicative of just what our WA industry can offer to consumers and the WA community, and the importance of creating value beyond the farm gate," she said.
"We are delighted with the success of the awards program which will be held on an annual basis," said Ms Berteit.
The Association, which was launched in November last 2007 and is the State's peak food and beverage industry body, is dedicated to helping the State's 950-plus food and beverage manufacturers increase their sales over the next decade beyond the current level of $5.5 billion.
