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[title]Do you know of an inspiring person or forward-thinking organisation that is dedicated to helping shape the future of our great city? Are you that person making a difference? Then you need to apply or put forward a candidate for the 2022 Melbourne Awards.
Now in its 20th year, the Melbourne Awards are considered the City of Melbourne’s highest accolade. They are free to enter, and there are eight key categories: Sustainability, Arts and Events, Hospitality, Knowledge and Innovation, LGBTIQ+, Aboriginal Melbourne – ganbu gunjil, Urban Design and Community. These classifications have been curated to accurately reflect the many ways in which talented Melburnians are successfully contributing to the community.
Last year’s winners included Farmer’s Daughters (in the Hospitality category) and Little Dreamers Australia (in the Community category), while Peggy O’Neal AO – president of the Richmond Football Club – took out the 2021 Melburnian of the Year Award.
Farmer’s Daughters is a three-level diner at the 80 Collins Street precinct that honours Victoria’s great food bowl: Gippsland. With a paddock-to-plate ethos, it celebrates the region’s farmers, growers and makers via a menu that is entirely dedicated to showing off fresh Gippsland produce.
On winning the Hospitality award in 2021, executive chef and owner Alejandro Saravia says it was “very special” for Farmer’s Daughters to be recognised by the City of Melbourne.
“When we set about creating the concept for Farmer’s Daughters as a true farm-to-table venue, we knew that it had to be in the heart of the Melbourne CBD,” he explains.
“Having opened in the midst of a global pandemic, we couldn’t be more grateful to the Melbourne community that have embraced our love for the region of Gippsland and its produce and people that we bring to life in our venue every day.”
Saravia is also quick to acknowledge the new (and very welcome) opportunities that have popped up since the award win.
“Winning the award has provided us with an additional opportunity to engage closely with the broader Melbourne CBD community, as well as other winners and entrants. It also provides a talking point and point of difference for both customers and new staff when we are hiring across our kitchen and front of house roles,” he says.
Feeling inspired yet? Applications for the 2022 Melbourne Awards are open now, and you are strongly encouraged to nominate yourself, an individual or group that deserves recognition for creating and facilitating positive change in the city.
The winners will be announced in November at a gala event to be held at the Melbourne Town Hall. For more information and to register a nomination, head to the website. Applications close on June 30.