By Hollie Harris
Foodies gathered together on Tuesday for an Australian first to be awarded “Snail of Approval.”
Peter Kuruvita’s Noosa Beach House was brimming with many of our region’s finest food producers, food artisans, restaurant owners, chefs, restaurants and food outlets who are leading the way in the Slow Food philosophy of good, clean and fair.
The Slow Food program (with its snail logo) was launched to inspire food businesses to use ingredients from our local area.
Each business which had been given the tick from Slow Food was presented with an award from Mayor Tony Wellington and given a sticker to display at the front of their business to announce that they had the Snail of Approval and encourage consumers to support better food practices.
Among the recipients was local chef and the past president of Slow Food Noosa, Matt Golinski who was awarded the first Honorary Snail of Approval, being a champion of local produce and his ongoing commitment to the values of Slow Food.
“The Snail of Approval is a great way to know who the true champions are of local food in the region and it’s great to reward the people who are taking the time and effort to use or grow good, clean and fair,” Matt said.
“I’ve seen Slow Food grow so much over the last 12 years. It actually means something now and having that sticker on your door means that comes with responsibility of maintaining that integrity. If you say you use local produce, then use local produce, don’t just talk about it,” Matt said.
“The people here today are the real thing,” he said.
With almost 50 recipients of the award, each business receives global recognition through Slow Food’s membership and the Slow Food Planet app to demonstrate their focus on supporting sustainable produce, ethical farming practices and local business.
Just a few of the recipients who will proudly fly the Slow Food flag are Locale, Ricky’s, Noosa Reds, Piggie in the Middle, Wasabi, Coconut Head, Wtf? Pizza, El Capitano, Cafe Le Monde, Voodoo Bacon, Embassy XO, 32 East, aromas Noosa, Noosa Cleanse and Juno Kombucha and Noosa Boathouse … the list goes on. Keep an eye out for the Snail of Approval when dining out or buying your produce and support local, sustainable, ethical food.
Applications for round two close on 30 August and are open to farmers, producers, food artisans, chefs, restaurants, market stalls from the Sunshine Coast to the Cooloola Coast. Find out more at www.slowfoodnoosa.com.
