SA Food Industry Awards

Willa Wauchope, Young Leader of the Year, with Premier Mike Rann

A producer of premium quality fresh and value added figs has been named Young Leader of the Year at the prestigious 2003 Premier's Food Awards.

Premier Mike Rann presented the award to Willa Wauchope, the Director of Willabrand, at a gala ceremony at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel last night.

"The food industry is one of the keys to South Australia’s future," says Mr Rann.

"These awards not only recognise the hard work of our food producers and processors, they also give finalists and winners high level exposure to help them enter new interstate and overseas markets."

South Australia's food industry contributed $8.9 billion to the State's economy this year.

Willa Wauchope's contribution stems from his passion for figs. He started his business in 1997 at the family's Glen Ewin property in the Adelaide Hills where he resurrected the property’s existing fig orchards and planted additional trees.

His company Willabrand began supplying figs to Adelaide restaurants and fruit shops. It now also produces a range of value added products including glac� and chocolate-coated figs and a fig and nut loaf to local and interstate markets.

"I would like to become recognised nationally and internationally as Australia's largest premium fig producer," Willa said.

Fourteen other awards for excellence were presented at the 6th Premier's Food Awards. This year’s theme was "To Market", celebrating the many markets both nationally and internationally that South Australia’s food industry supplies.