Leading hospitality suppliers recognised at FSAA Awards 2023

The people and companies that keep the nation’s hospitality sector humming celebrated their highest achievers on Tuesday night, at the 2023 Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia (FSAA) National Awards of Excellence.

Now in their 15th year, the awards were held at the stylish Doltone House at Jones Bay Wharf in Sydney, and attended by 450 foodservice distributors, manufacturers, suppliers and industry luminaries, all ready to celebrate after a busy year rebounding from a challenging time of pandemic and supply chain disruptions.

South Australia’s Galipo Food Company won the National Distributor of the Year award; Queensland-based Priestley’s Gourmet Delights was named National Food Supplier of the Year; and Sanitarium Health Food Company took the National Beverage Supplier of the Year award.

Peercore won the Foodservice Innovation award for its mOrderApp, while Envirochoice was named Packaging Supplier of the Year and Unox Australia won Commercial Equipment Supplier of the Year.

Adam Moore and Marilyn Jones were inducted into the FSAA Hall of Fame, while Silvia Smarrelli was named as the recipient of the 2023 FSAA Scholarship, a highly sought-after professional development program valued at $20,000. Chef and media personality Lyndey Milan OAM was the event’s MC, and guests kicked up their heels after the awards to the beats of high-energy live band the Sweet Chilli All-Stars.

“This night is all about celebrating the strength of our industry, and recognising the outstanding businesses – large and small – that produce and deliver food every day for Australians eating away from home,” says FSAA Chief Executive Officer Minnie Constan. “I congratulate all the winners and finalists for their incredible achievements this year.”

Ms Constan says she was delighted by the number of FSAA members participating in this year’s awards, with 676 votes cast across 175 distributor organisations for the Distributor of the Year Awards. Criteria for these awards were communication, manufacturer cooperation, staff and site professionalism, administration, end user relationships and marketing commitment.

The Supplier awards were voted on across five criteria – communication, business cooperation, staff professionalism, administration and marketing commitment.

Ms Constan adds, “FSAA has an active and engaged membership and we strive to be the leading foodservice industry organisation in Australia, enhancing and driving the food supply chain industry forward.”

Go to fsaa.org.au for winner profiles and photos from the awards ceremony. 

WINNERS:

State Foodservice Distributor of the Year Awards:

• NSW Metro - Bidfood Botany
• NSW Regional & ACT V&C - Food Distributors
• Victorian Metro - Bidfood Dandenong
• Victorian Regional - PFD Lara
• Queensland Metro - MOCO Food Services
• Queensland Regional - Bidfood Gold Coast
• SA Metro - Galipo Food Company
• SA Regional & NT - Bidfood Darwin
• WA Metro - New West Foods
• WA Regional - Bidfood Bunbury Tasmania Tasfresh Foodservice

National Awards:

• Foodservice Distributor of the Year - Galipo Food Company
• Food Supplier of the Year - Priestly’s Gourmet Delights
• Beverage Supplier of the Year - Sanitarium Health Food Company
• Tabletop/Packaging Supplier of the Year - Envirochoice
• Commercial Equipment Supplier of the Year - Unox Australia
• Foodservice Innovation of the Year - Peercore for AI ordering solution mOrderApp

Personal Recognition:

• FSAA Scholarship Recipient - Silvia Smarrelli, Bega Cheese
• Hall Of Fame Inductees - Adam Moore Marilyn Jones, Priestley’s Gourmet Delights

FSAA, 12^th September 2023