Submissions closing for Eat Easy Awards

Australian farmers and producers have until Friday 30 April to submit their produce to the Eat Easy Awards.

The intention of the competition, this year led by head judge Mark Best (ex-Marque), is to improve Australia’s eating environment through celebrating and encouraging good, sustainable food, and to recognise the chefs, producers and farmers who contribute to the Australian food landscape.

The Eat Easy Awards are separated into five judging categories:

• Red Meat, which is sub-categorised into Environmental Stewardship, Animal Welfare, Community and Product Eating Quality;
• Grown, which covers any produce in its natural state;
• Wild Harvested, which is any produce caught or harvested from the ocean;
• Made, natural produce that has been intervened for an alternative purpose, such as cheese or baked goods; and
• Bred, produce that has been bred for consumption.

Alongside Mark Best, this year’s judges will include Alyx Gorman (The Guardian), Daniel Motlop (Something Wild), Jared Ingersoll (ex-Danks Street Depot), John Lethlean (The Australian), Karena Armstrong (The Salopian Inn) and Richard Gunner (ex-Feast! Fine Foods).

The judges’ decisions within the five categories of the Eat Easy Awards will be guided by the criteria of Impact on Community, Impact on Environment, Food Quality and Service Quality. At the end of the day, it aims to celebrate restaurants, chefs, producers and farmers who are making a difference through good food and responsible practice.

“Our farmers are essential and we should do everything we can to support them as they support us,” says Best. “As a restaurateur and chef, the relationships we forge with our partners on the land are symbiotic and form the backbone of our industry.

“Producers and farmers need to enter so that we can direct our support to the people that give our industry its unique and fundamental character in the culinary landscape.”

Submissions to the Eat Easy Awards are free and open to all Australian producers and eateries. Judging will take place on 14 May, with the winners to be announced at an awards party on 8 October.

Photography by Pablo Martin.