We did it! Narooma Rocks and the Narooma Oyster Festival scooped the win at the prestigious Sydney Fish Market Seafood Excellence Awards 2024!
The biennial awards recognise the seafood industry’s best retailers, suppliers, restaurateurs, and businesses and in our case, our community’s efforts to promote and celebrate the Rock Oyster, a culinary treasure of New South Wales.
Festival chair Cath Peachey said “The festival last year had a media reach of about four billion and we just consistently promoted the Rock Oyster in particular, and we were, I guess, awarded for our excellence in doing that,” Mrs Peachey said.
“Winning this award brings recognition to the tireless efforts of our committee and the whole community. Our festival has grown into southern New South Wales’ biggest food and wine event, and a bucket-list destination for food lovers far and wide.”
“Congratulations to to the Professional Fishers Association who were highly commended in the promotion category for their Taste of Seafood Festivals.”
Attracting about 10,000 visitors and dishing out around 70,000 oysters, the festival is a significant economic boost, injecting a whopping $3.4 million into our local economy.
“It’s fantastic to see our celebration of the rock oyster and its incredible journey from tide to table resonating so widely,” added Peachey.
The festival’s not just about eating great oysters, though that’s a big part! There’s gastronomical experiences like the new Champagne & Oyster Masterclass complimenting fine dining experiences, live music on two stages, Yuin Culture and enterprise, producers and crafty beverage creators.
It’s a rare opportunity to discover the merroir of Rock Oyster Country in Oyster Farmers Alley, oyster masterclasses and also celebrating the farmers in the nail-biting Australian Oyster Shucking Championships and Australia’s Biggest Oyster.
Next stop after the festival on May 3 & 4, is the National Seafood Awards, we will keep you posted!
You can read more about the Sydney Fish Market Excellence in Seafood Awards here.
