The Royal Tasmanian (formerly Royal Hobart) Fine Food Awards will proceed in 2021 after being cancelled last year due to COVID-19.
The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania rebadged the Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards with the broader Tasmanian name last year to take into account the state-wide and national importance of the event in the Australian food calendar. However, COVID-19 put an end to actually mounting the awards in 2020.
This year the awards – a quarter of a century old – will proceed in five sections over five months, instead of the previous format which concentrated on one major judging event.
“The new format allows for more seasonality of entries, closer attention to individual categories, and a more COVID safe approach, compared to one big event as the Awards were previously configured,” said Scott Gadd, CEO of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania.
The name change also reflects a greater directional change led by the organising committee, industry partners, producers and feedback from sponsors. The awards are a significant food industry event.
In any year, entries will come from every part of Tasmania, and from far away as well. Previous years have seen entries from as far afield as Blackheath in the Blue Mountains; Robe in South Australia; the Sydney Markets; Denmark in WA; Mudgee in NSW; Wollongong, Maitland, Nerang, and Byron Bay, to name just a few.
Each year, entries in the Awards represent a Who’s Who of Australian food producers across a range of categories.
New concepts for the Awards moving ahead are also under investigation, such as food preparation workshops, degustation evenings, and industry related workshops.
If you are a food manufacture, producer or brand owner, check out the website for the timing of category judging and the all important dates for entries.
See https://www.hobartshowground.com.au/royal-tasmanian-fine-food-awards
Judging dates by categories-
19/20 May: Bakery and Preserves categories
11/12 June: Dairy, Other Products, and Plant Based/Vegan
Entries open: 16 April
18/19 June: Beverages and Sweet / Spicy
Entries open: 23 April
20 August: Seafood and Delicatessen
Entries open: 2 July
3/4 Sept: Olive Oil and Major Awards
Entries open: July 21
