The winners of the 8th annual Eat Out Zonnebloem Produce Awards were announced at the Stellenbosch Slowmarket yesterday.  The Eat Out media release states that the quality of produce was excellent this year, and that it was not easy to choose the overall winners.

Judges were Deena Naidoo, MasterChef SA Season 1 winner, Eat Out Top 10 Chef Jackie Cameron of Hartford House,  Chef Vanessa Marx of Dear Me, Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly, and Eat Out Editor-in-Chief Anelde Greeff.

We are delighted that the Oranjezicht City Farm has received recognition for its excellent work, in winning the South African Heritage Award.  Anel Potgieter’s ‘Life is a Zoo Biscuit’ won Best Local Food Blog for the second time.  Farmer Angus has been a pioneer for organic meat and egg production at Spier, and has been a previous winner too.  It is no surprise that Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants has received the ‘Outstanding Outlet’ award for the Cape area, having been the former 2013 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant judge, yet it is surprising in that the outlet is in a dive location, and the service arrogant and poor – we are still waiting for the calf’s liver we ordered more than a month ago!

The 2014 Eat Out Zonnebloem Produce Awards winners are:

Best New Product
Sorbetiere sorbet

Best Small Producer: Baked Goods
Babylonstoren

Best Small Producer: Confectionery
Ooh La La 

Best Small Producer: Dairy (Other)
Jenny’s Clotted Cream

Best Small Producer: Dairy (Hard Cheese)
Chrissie’s Country Cheese AND Fynboshoek (tied) 

Best Small Producer Dairy (Fresh Cheese)
Buffalo Ridge 

Best Small Producer: Earth
Harvest of Hope 

Best Small Producer: Grocery/Condiments
Quality Pickles 

Best Small Producer: Paddock (Cured)
Woodview Wagyu Beef

Best Small Producer: Paddock (Fresh)
Greenfields Free Range Beef 

Best Small Producer: Paddock (Poultry)
Dargle Ducks 

Best Small Producer: Seafood
Wayfarer Trout 

Innovation Award
Melfort 

South African Heritage Award
Oranjezicht City Farm

Best Free-Range/Organic Producer
Farmer Angus 

Outstanding Outlets
North: Cheese Gourmet (Johannesburg)
South: Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants (Cape Town)
East: Sprigs (Durban) 

Outstanding Markets
North: Neighbourgoods Market (Johannesburg)
South: Neighbourgoods Market (Cape Town)
East: I Heart Market (Durban)  

Best Local Food Blog
lifeisazoobiscuit.com by Anél Potgieter

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage