Geese farmers Lucy and Herb Mackenzie can now add another award to their ever-growing collection.
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The pair, who run the Llangothlin business, won gold in the 2017 Delicious Produce Awards last week.
“We were thrilled to once again be nominated to take part initially in the state awards,” Mrs Mackenzie said.
“We were fortunate enough to be awarded as the NSW State Producer of the year for our Whole Dressed Goose, as we were in 2016.
“However, this year being a gold medallist at the nationals was very exciting and a night we will never forget.”
Winners were announced at the annual ceremony last Monday, August 7, at a VIP industry event at QT Melbourne with some of Australia’s most renowned chefs and food industry leaders in attendance.
The awards are designed to celebrate the country’s most outstanding ingredients, inspiring and sustainable producers, farmers’ markets, innovators as well as regional and emerging chefs and regions.
State winners from across the four major categories [From the Dairy, From the Earth, From the Paddock and From the Sea] were judged by the national judging panel with all state winners considered for the overall awards.
Being a gold medallist at the nationals was very exciting and a night we will never forget.
- Lucy Mackenzie
“We pride ourselves on being able to grow such an amazing product in our U Goose lines and being able to appreciate it for its seasonality and health benefits on this national stage was simply very, very humbling for us,” Mrs Mackenzie said.
She said there was a growing trend for the food industry in Australia.
“There are still so many untapped foods here in Australia which if someone was brave enough to pioneer and take sustainably to the market would see some amazing outcomes,” she said.
The only fully integrated goose farmers in the country, U Goose officially commenced in July 2014 and has since grown to include an on-site poultry process facility, which is the only one of its kind in Australia.
U Goose was also nominated as a regional finalist in the 2017 New England North West Regional Business Awards in two categories.
Winners will be announced on September 1.