Review – Foodservice Australia 2018

Foodservice Australia – May 2018 – Sydney

Words and Images by Lucy Collins

Additional Images Courtesy of Foodservice Australia 2018/Specialised Events

Fruit juices, along with organic, gluten-free sauces, family-owned businesses and professional competitions were the order of the day at Foodservice Australia 2018. 

Here’s our wrap-up:

Fruit and Veg

With a load of fresh new ideas on offer, what struck us were the healthy food options that were available, especially for catering to large numbers. The unusually named Hrvst St produce sublimely flavoured cold-pressed, preservative-free juices that include watermelon and pear, beetroot and apple, and a kale-y green spirulina and cucumber. I was not the only food lover smitten with the ‘Ruby Tuesday’ watermelon and pear juice! 

Fruchilla-T offer a blended fruit juice and iced tea beverage free of artificial flavours, that they see as a perfect fit for cafes, health and sports clubs. Varieties include orange/mango and apple/blackcurrant.  

Ozganics is a northern NSW based company who produce gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free, soy free and vegan sauces. Vegan products include Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken sauces; organic products include Tomato Basil and Provincial Bolognaise sauces. They also have a new, all-natural range of Pete Evans simmer sauces, which Sherralee from Ozganics was keen to inform us about. 

Meat and Dairy 

Meredith Dairy is a third generation, family owned and run sheep and goat dairy – the exhibitors were passionate about their cheese, their goats, and their family-run business. They use milk from their own farm and process it into cheese within 12 hours of milking. New products include a tasty pepper berry chèvre, and a smooth and easy-to-drink cultured goat milk.The marinated goat cheese available for sampling disappeared as quickly it was prepared. It was just too good not to go back for seconds! 

Vili’s gave Meredith Dairy a run for its money in terms of passion for their product, and when I bit into a Vili’s brekky pie I could see why. This South Australian family owned bakery produce REAL pies using puff pastry instead of the more common shortcrust pastry. They also take pride in the quality of ingredients – their meat pies are devoid of soy (or other) fillers, and when you taste one you know it’s good. I can also vouch for the steak and green peppercorn pie, while other samplers looked pretty happy with the chicken pie. I can think of many social gatherings and work parties that could have made good use of a Vili’s Pie Cart.  

Goose on the Loose was excited to share their cured meats and sausages. This Richmond-based business brought an interesting range of products including Duck Salami with juniper berry; Pork and truffle; Venison salami with cranberry and pink peppercorn; Wild Boar with fennel; Kangaroo with Chilli; and Chorizo. Chorizo was my personal spicy favourite, however they were all good. 

Professional Competitions 

Professional competitions at the event included Australian Professional Chef of the Year, Patissier of the Year and the Australia Pizza Championships. Round 2 of the Australian Professional Chef of the Year was underway at the time of this visit – Jason Martin from Locavore went on to win this round against stiff competition, after serving up a pork and scallop dish. The chefs were mesmerising to watch. (Jack Lee went on to win Australian Professional Chef of the Year – see News article).

Other Attention Grabbers

Sustainable food packaging and earthy looking tableware also gained plenty of attention – BioPak displayed their compostable food packaging, and Glenn Tebble had their attractive restaurant-grade pottery on display, which is produced in Bendigo.  

We were all too happy to stop by the Messina cart to sample their luscious caramel and chocolate gelato at the end of our visit. This little cart was a crowd favourite as visitors made their way around the 300+ exhibitor stands, and we happily made our way out of the exhibition centre – dizzy with heads full of information about terrific products – with Messina ice-cream cups in hand. 

**Title Photo Courtesy of Foodservice Australia 2018 – Specialised Events (Jibi Little – Latté Artist & Barista with @moninau)

Connie Lambeth

The Australia Times News

Editor GOURMET – Food/Wine/Events

theaustraliatimes.com/news

literallyconnie@bigpond.com

connie.lambeth@theaustraliatimes.com.au

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