The winners of the ABC Delicious Produce Awards 2014 were announced at a VIP industry event at Kitchen By Mike in Sydney.

Some of Australia’s most renowned chefs and food industry leaders joined the Delicious team at this annual ceremony. 

The awards are designed to celebrate the country’s most outstanding ingredients, inspiring small and sustainable producers, farmers’ markets, innovators, regional chefs and more.

While the local oyster season is in hiatus over winter, Tathra’s multi-award-winning produce has again been singled out by judges for its superior quality.

Tathra Oysters was named a medallist in the From the Sea category – the only NSW producer to be awarded for its seafood.

Tathra Oysters won the From the Sea category in 2012 with its bistro grade oysters, then narrowly missed out on back-to-back titles in 2013.

This year, the From the Sea category was won by Coorong Wild Seafood of South Australia for its Coorong yellow-eye mullet.

In another coup for the South Coast, the SAGE Farmers Market in Moruya won the Delicious Produce Award’s Outstanding Farmers’ Market category.

Gary Rodely of Tathra Oysters said Monday night’s ABC Delicious Produce Awards event was of greater benefit than just the prizes awarded.

Tathra Oysters’ bistro grade oysters received a gold medal in the From the Sea category of the prestigious annual awards, a category the local producer won in 2012.

However, Mr Rodely was more impressed by the “who’s who of the food industry” in attendance for the  announcement of award winners.

At a gala event at Kitchen By Mike in Sydney, judges including Maggie Beer and Shannon Bennett, celebrity TV chefs such as Matt Preston and Matt Moran, and top international chefs like Guillaume Brahimi mingled with producers from around the country.

“The guy from the Moruya farmers market was there and during his speech [SAGE Moruya won the most outstanding farmers market category] he said ‘walking in here is like walking in to my cookbooks!’” Mr Rodely said.

“We made beelines for all these people.

“The nice thing about that is they all said ‘I love your product’ – it was great to have that recognition.”

Mr Rodely said another nice element to the night was the theme of “producers as the rock stars, not the celebrity TV chefs”.

“Matt Preston made a nice speech to open the night.

“He said ‘move over celebrity chefs, you people here tonight allow us to be stars, you are the ones who make our job so easy’.

“Matt Moran was on TV Tuesday morning also acknowledging producers, saying they needed more recognition.”