The annual Foodservice Suppliers Association of Australia (FSAA) awards night was held on 13 September, as part of the hospitality industry's largest tradeshow, Fine Food Australia.
Taking place at the Grand Hyatt, the event saw a record 400 attendees come together to recognise leading suppliers in the foodservice sector.
Three well regarded and long standing industry members were inducted into the association's Hall of Fame:
- Nestle Professional's Pat Stobbs, who's worked with the company for more than 34 years and is now based in Singapore, supporting the development of the Nestle Professional business across Asia, Africa and Oceania.
- Terry Randall, managing director of FSM (Food Service Machinery); and
- William Yee, managing director at EWH Food Services
The FSAA Business Management Scholarship was presented to Mark Sweeting from Comcater, who will now take part in a six day live-in management program at Mt Eliza Executive Education College in Victoria, valued at over $10,000. Fellow finalists for this year's scholarship were Lena Pye, national distributor manager, Mauri ANZ George Weston Foods, and Emerald le Fleming, regional distributor manager – Victoria, Fonterra.
The state Foodservice Distributor winners are:
- NSW Metro: EWH Food Services
- NSW Regional: PDF Wollongong
- VIC Metro: Bidvest Melbourne
- VIC Regional: Cadell Trading Food Services
- QLD Metro: Quality Food Services
- QLD Regional: Max Stocks Wholesale Foodservice
- SA Metro: Galipo Food Company
- SA Regional: Asian United Food Service
- WA Metro: Sealanes
- WA Regional: The Luscombe Syndicate
- TAS: Tasfresh Foodservice
The National Supplier of the Year winners are:
- Food: Unilever Food Solutions
- Beverage: Schweppes Australia
- Commercial Equipment: Robot Coupe
- Commercial Equipment Distribution: Reward Distribution
- Tabletop and Packaging: Clorox
- Services: Australian Culinary Federation
- Innovation: Countrywide Food Service