Wild Mother Tasmania was awarded a Champion Medal for its Raspberry Shrub in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show today, a national competition for Australia’s fine food producers.
The company won 10 medals all up – 1 champion, 2 gold ( Raspberry Shrub & Black Cherry Vincotto), 2 silver and 5 bronze with every product entered winning a medal.
“We are proud to be part of the Tasmanian artisan community who continue to punch above their weight on the national stage,” said founder and vinegar maker Dr Tim Jones said. “These show results, so early in the life of our business, help to cement that reputation.”
Wild Mother Tasmania is a startup making small batch vinegars, tonics and barrel aged condiments from quality cool climate fruits in Tasmania’s Huon Valley.
Jones was one of Australia’s most awarded cider makers while at Willie Smith’s Tasmanian Cider before leaving to fulfill his long-held dream of establishing a dedicated vinegar business.
After a short break and pivoting out of alcohol, he is now striving in a different but related field. For the uninitiated, vinegars are created by the over-fermentation of alcohol.
The company’s champion Raspberry Shrub is a zero-alcohol aperitif syrup which combines the flavours of Derwent Valley raspberries, white tea and organic apple cider vinegar. It can be mixed with still or sparkling water or added to cocktails for ‘a burst of raspberry intensity.
The Black Cherry Vincotto – literally Italian for ‘cooked wine’ – is a sticky, rich condiment made solely from fresh black cherries. They are pressed and cooked, black cherry vinegar with live mother is added, and then the concoction is aged for 16 months.
“Having worked in alcohol I was inspired to move to something more genuinely nourishing that improves people’s health and wellness,” said Jones.
“Our vinegars are unfiltered and unpasteurised, no colouring, preservatives or imported concentrates are added, and they are bottled without dilution. This simple approach maintains the flavour profiles, and health-giving properties of the fruit.”
“It’s a new world expression of the traditions and deliciousness of the old-world vinegars and condiments of France and Italy.”
An essential element of the business is repurposing food destined for the waste stream and transforming it into premium quality product.
“Hundreds of tonnes of high quality, cool climate Tasmanian fruit goes to waste each year because of some type of ‘imperfection or its distance from market,” Jones explained.
“We are passionate about reducing food waste and have structured our business to utilise this fruit wherever we can. Being based in the heart of the Huon valley, where everything is so close, means we can process apples, cherries and berries when they are super fresh, shortly after being picked and graded. This way we maximise the health benefits and flavours while contributing to a circular economy.”
The Black Cherry Vincotto is an example of a premium product made using fruit that would otherwise be binned.
Wild Mother’s products are already being used in high end restaurants such as Faro and Aloft in Tasmania and Nomad in Sydney and Melbourne, and are available through certain specialty grocers and online retailers.
