Feature
Issue No. 36 - August/September 2007
More than laves and fish for SA Food Awards
by Pamela Brombal
The Tenth Annual South Australian Premier's Food Awards are set to be the biggest yet. The South Australian Food Industry is a major contributor to the states economy and over the past decade it has contributed more than $10.1 billion to our State's economy.
The majority of South Australian food industry businesses are small to medium operators and employ one in five working South Australians. The industry has contributed 9% to the combined gross value of the Australian food exports, equating to $1.8 billion for 2005-2006. Last year alone, the food and wine industry accounted for more than half our exports and employed more than 136,000 people in the SA food industry, including jobs in primary production, manufacturing, wholesale, retail and food service.
There is no disputing the wide array and high quality of our State's food and beverage industry. Niche and gourmet foods can be found all around our State and all over the world at local farmers' markets, on the shelves of retail giants, in five star hotels, in the finest restaurants and on the plates of gastronomic gurus.
Winner of the 2006 Young Leader Award and Export Award, Steven Marafiote, MD of Australian Quality Plus runs a South Australian based food export company, with a strong presence in the Middle East food service and retail market, says the Food Awards recognise the strong commitment of the businesses in the industry.
“Our company success in the premier's food awar...
