Food and beverage producers from Ballarat and the surrounding region shared big picture thinking and ideas for future industry growth at a workshop on Monday.
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Eighteen food and beverage businesses from the Ballarat region attended the design thinking workshop held at the Ballarat Tech School along with 13 businesses visiting from Western Australia.
The conversation focussed on how food and beverage producers could unlock opportunities in a global market through collaboration and competition and the barriers that may currently exist.
Our desire is for Ballarat to be recognised as a culinary capital for producers and venue operators.
- Kate Davis, Plate Up Ballarat, Eat, Drink, West
City of Ballarat Economic Development Sector Specialist Kelli Moran said the city was approached by a delegation from Western Australia who were interested in coming to Ballarat to learn more about the region's producers.
"This workshop is beginning conversations and ideas... If businesses continued working together after today that would be a great outcome for us," she said during the workshop.
Questions posed at the workshop included 'how might we work together better to potentially expand into global markets?', 'how might we access better workforce skills for our industries?', and 'how might we access better funding to allow our various businesses to expand and grow?'.
Salt Kitchen Charcuterie director Mick Nunn attended the workshop. He said accessing a skilled workforce was a topic of conversation that applied to his business.
"The skillset we need to produce our product is not readily available. We are balanced in between employing chefs and employing butchers," he said.
"Figuring out a way we can up-skill people so they are more ready when they come to us to hit the ground running would be amazing. For example we could get curriculum put in where information is given to young chefs or young butchers during their apprenticeship."
Plate Up Ballarat and Eat, Drink, West director Kate Davis also attended the workshop. She said high quality skilled service staff was the crucial piece underpinning the region's food and beverage industry.
"If we don't have that high level of service serving the high quality produce, that will be where we fall down. How do we ensure there are enough skilled staff?," she said.
Ms Davis and Mr Nunn were also focused on how we can tell the story of our region's produce around Australia and across the world.
"One great example of an industry that has done that is wine. They promote the region really well," Mr Nunn said.
"I think food can take a lot from that in terms of collaborating with other food producers within your region to have a reputation for great meat, whatever it might be, to try to build on it together rather than individual."
While there is potential to continue to grow Ballarat's food and beverage industry in the context of Victoria and Australia, the long-term goal is to expand to global markets.
"Australian produce has a great reputation already overseas. We hear about markets in Asia that are keen for more Australian produce," Ms Moran said.
"City of Ballarat is supportive of this initiative for people to come together and think about how we can really showcase our produce to the world, because we know the opportunities are there."
City of Ballarat is sponsoring Mr Nunn and Ms Davis sponsor to attend the Global Table event in Melbourne from September 3 to 5.
"Our desire is for Ballarat to be recognised as a culinary capital for producers and venue operators," Ms Davis said.
Representatives from City of Ballarat, Moorabool Shire Council, Regional Development Victoria, AgVic, Global Table and the Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development were also in attendance.
The event was run as part of Global Table, a Victorian Government initiative to showcase Victoria's produce to the world, with a focus on Australia producers being able to expand into rapidly growing Asian markets.
Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
