From jalapeño candy to beef chill cheesesteak sausages, meet the Australian producers celebrated at this year’s Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards
Producers from across the nation have been put in the spotlight tonight with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) announcing the champion winners of its prestigious Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
Judged throughout the month of August, 1,657 entries were assessed across 72 classes and seven unique competitions: Aquaculture, Branded Meats, Oils & Olives, Professional Bakery, Pasta, Smallgoods & Charcuterie, and Specialty Foods.
Over 81 hours of judging were conducted with the help of 110 expert judges, and tonight, thirty-seven champion medals were awarded.
“Tonight was a fantastic celebration of Australian producers who are at the top of their game and who are consistently producing outstanding products made from home-grown Australian ingredients,” said Sydney Royal Fine Food Chair, Michael Bullen.
“This year’s competition saw over 1,600 entries, which is a 15% increase on 2024, with exhibits undergoing blind-judging by some of our country’s best manufacturers, food scientists, chefs, and more. From that judging, we have awarded an array of deserving gold, silver, and bronze medals, and of course, crowned our champion products.”
All products entered into the Sydney Royal competitions must be made from at least 85% Australian ingredients, with the aim of celebrating Australian produce and agriculture.
Champions crowned tonight include Edible Alchemy, which took home Champion Chocolate or Confectionery for its Cowboy Candy, a confectionery product of jalapeño soaked in sugar syrup, and Champion Sweet Preserve for its Kimchi Honey Syrup.
In the professional bakery competition, Slowbreads Roseville was awarded Champion Sourdough for the second time, this year with its Fig, Cranberry and Walnut sourdough, while Champion Pie went to the PIEFATHER for its MICKTACO pie.
Mandolé Orchard also retained its title in 2025, winning Champion Plant-Based Product for the second year, this time with its Honey Almond Butter.
In the meat categories, Stockyard Beef reigned supreme once again, winning The Dick Stone Perpetual Trophy for Grand Champion Beef Exhibit with its Stockyard Black, and Millin’s Free Range Butcher has your next barbecue sorted with its Beef Philly Cheesesteak Sausages claiming The Champion Fresh Sausage Perpetual Trophy.
For the coffee lovers, Australian-grown coffee supplier Coffee Mentality took out Champion Coffee thanks to its “Auditory” Blend 200g, and Champion Drink went to Rice Culture for its Rice Culture Organic Black Koji Amazake.
“It has been fascinating to watch the evolution and innovation of our fine food industry over the years, and I think consumers will find some truly unique products among the winners celebrated here tonight, and from those awarded medals.
“I congratulate all of our winners on their success and encourage consumers to explore the results and give them a try – there are some world-class products on the market right now, and many are readily available.”
In total, the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show awarded 312 Gold medals, 549 Silver and 434 Bronze medals.
