In a testament to her dedication and passion for cooking and sustainable farming, local, Amanda Giason has received a series of prestigious medals at the 2024 Melbourne Royal Australian Fine Food Awards.
Ms Giason’s culinary skills as both a cook and a qualified commercial chef shone through after being awarded a gold, silver, and two bronze medals at the awards event held on July 17.
The talented Rutherglen chef received medals for her homemade preserves which included her famous Chilli Jam, Apple Chilli Jelly, Beetroot Ketchup, and Blackberry Jam.
Ms Giason’s, along with her husband Aaron and their children, operate ‘Yarramanda’, known as a small but highly productive two-and-a-half acre ‘micro farm’ which is cultivated using natural farming practices.
The farm boasts a beautiful lush orchard, an organic vegetable garden, several raised garden beds teeming with herbs and a flock of thirty egg-laying chickens.
Ms Giason was very touched by the outpouring of support, saying, “These awards mean the world to us”.
“As farmers, we pour our hearts into growing the best produce and transforming it into delicious, small-batch preserves made the old-fashioned way by hand, without any artificial additives.
“It’s an honour to see our hard work being recognised and celebrated on such a prestigious stage,” she said.
Her recent haul of medals adds to an ever-growing list of achievements, following her win at the 2024 ‘Urana Flame n Feast Food Festival’, where her apple mint jelly stole the show in a culinary demonstration by renowned chef, Mr Grant Neal who is described as Australia’s barbecue king, a best-selling author and barbecue pit-master at ‘Skinnymixers’.
Ms Giason’s success began with a silver medal at the Melbourne Royal Food Awards in 2023, catapulting her tomato chilli jam into the nation's TV screens on last season's MasterChef Australia. MasterChef aired an episode of their road trip through the Murray River Region, known as Australia’s food bowl.
One of the Northeast’s most prominent wineries, All Saints Estate in Wahgunyah, was the first stop for filming. Local produce was sourced for contestants, one of them being Ms Giason’s tomato-chilli jam, featuring in contestant, Theo Loizou’s, winning dish.
The panel of judges was heard remarking on how well the tomato-chilli jam complimented the pork chop and called the dish a complete “standout.”
Beyond her impressive achievements in the culinary world, Ms Giason’s dedication to education and her community must also be acknowledged.
Having been formally recognised as a ‘Vocational student of the year’ at Wodonga TAFE and recipient of a 2024 ‘Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Scholarship’, Amanda shares her passion by teaching cooking skills to children with disabilities and hosting workshops on preserving, cooking, and pasta making at her farm.
"I have been focused on achieving my food dream and honing my craft," Ms Giason’s remarked.
Her commitment to quality is evident with her small-batch preserves, crafted meticulously free of thickeners, gels, or unnatural preservatives.
The journey to sustainability at Yarramanda Farm is equally impressive. Transitioning to raised beds has tripled their produce yield while a Wi-Fi operated watering system ensures efficient water usage, and the construction of a greenhouse has enabled the Giason family to grow super-hot chillies year-round.
Sustainability isn't just a word for the Giason’s family, it's a way of life. They meticulously manage their chemical-free garden, manually tending to each plant and employing natural methods to ward off pests.
An example being they remove caterpillars off all plants by hand and use them to feed their chickens. These practices also extend to recycling and upcycling as seen in the repurposed corrugated iron beds and composted animal manure that enriches their soil.
Yarramanda Farm's produce isn't confined to their kitchen, locals can also enjoy their products at local hotels, farmers' markets, and food festivals, or they can be ordered online.
As Ms Giason and her family look toward the future, they have made plans to expand workshops, invite more food enthusiasts to Yarramanda Farm to engage in the journey of sustainable living and cooking.
"Making preserves in small-batches is a slow and careful process, and it takes many hours of cooking to get it just right,“ Ms Giason said.
Ms Giason thanked all of her loyal customers for their continued support.
Her dedication to producing and cooking quality food, sustainable farming, and community engagement continues to set Ms Giason apart as one of Rutherglen's finest chefs and an environmentally conscious farmer.
For futher information and online orders, visit the Yarramanda Farm website.