More and more people are eating away from home each year, some due to convenience or recreation and others due to necessity. Fresh produce providores are an integral link in the supply chain, supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to fine dining restaurants, cafes, airlines, cruise lines, pubs, clubs, hospitals, hotels, aged care, caterer, government institutions and facilities.
The Sydney Markets, Fresh Awards Providore of the Year Award will recognise a fresh fruit and vegetable providore that demonstrates a high degree of competence across a wide criterion that includes product quality, business presentation and operations, product knowledge, customer service, communications, branding and marketing and has a passion for being the best in the business.
The recipient of the Providore of the Year Award* will operate a wholesale providoring business in NSW or ACT and buy fresh produce from Sydney Markets regularly. They will implement best practice for work health and safety, environmental sustainability, customer service and be held in high regard by both Sydney Markets wholesalers, growers and foodservice businesses.
* Definition - A providore is a business that primarily specialises in wholesaling fresh fruit and veg to foodservice. For the purpose of this competition a providore is not a greengrocer/retailer with a shop front that also wholesales to foodservice..
Entering and subsequently winning the Providore of the Year Awards makes a business shine and sets it apart from your competition. You may not go looking for awards but winning them can help your business.
Nominations can be made by chefs, food and beverage managers, business owners or managers who utilise a providores services. Providores staff can also nominate a providore for consideration as an entrant in the Award. If you are utilising a providore and want to give them a bit of recognition that this is your change to nominate them. Only one nomination from each food service business will be permitted.
Providores are also eligible to self-nominate.
All providores must be based in NSW or ACT and buy fresh, fruit, vegetables and herbs from Sydney Markets on a regular basis.
All nominated providores nominated for the 2021 Providore of the Year Award will be assessed by four industry sectors (Sydney Markets Limited, a Food Safety & Compliance Consultants, Sydney Market Wholesalers & Growers and the Food Service Sector) across the following criteria
| Sydney Markets | Food Safety & Compliance Consultant | Sydney Market Wholesalers & Growers | Food Service Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation in Business | Food Safety Accreditation and Management | Business Accountability | Produce Quality |
| Value Added Services | Meets WHS requirements | Communications Skills | Communications Skills |
| Business Accountability | Environmental Sustainability | Timeliness of Payments | Fairness in Pricing |
| Branding and Marketing Initiatives | Reputation | Customer Service | |
| Social Media Communications | Innovation | ||
| Sydney Markets Credit Coop Membership | Product Knowledge | ||
| Marketing Initiatives | |||
| Timeliness of Deliveries | |||
| Weighting 30% | Weighting 30% | Weighting 20% | Weighting 20% |
Nominate a business. The nomination can be from chefs, catering managers, business owner or buyer that procures fresh produce for fine dining restaurants, cafes, airlines, pubs, hospitals and clubs, hotels, cruise ships or catering companies and institutions. Providores can also self-nominate.
All nominated providores will be required to accept the nomination and agree to participate in the judging process to be eligible. This will include a site visit, inspection and interview.
Sydney Market Limited (SML) will assess all nominated providores based on the judging criteria’s. The six highest scoring providores will be named as semi-finalists. Each semi-finalist will be required to support their nomination by providing SML with contact details for 3 of their customers.
Each of the customers will be contacted, notified that the providore is a semi-finalist in the Fresh Awards Providore of the Year Award and asked to complete an assessment.
All information will be gathered and scores tallied to determine the top four scoring providores. Customers will be contacted and encouraged to participate in the providores evaluation by completing and online assessment.
Buyers scores will be collated together with SML's to determine the ultimate winner. The winner will be announced at the 2021 Fresh Awards event.
The winner of the Providore Award will receive -
Total prize value = $6,400
| Nominations Open | 17 February 2021 |
| Nominations Close | 18 March 2021 |
| Semi-Finalists Announced | 9 April 2021 |
| Foodservice Surveys Closed | 25 April 2021 |
| Tickets for the Fresh Award on Sale | 17 May 2021 |
| Grower and Wholesalers Survey Distributed | 5 June 2021 |
| Grower and Wholesalers Survey Closed. | 13 June 2021 |
| Finalists Announced on Website | 13 June 2021 |
| 2021 Fresh Awards Event | 21 July 2021 |
For more information contact Uptown Communications, Managers of the Fresh Awards / info@uptowncomms.com or (02) 8502 2272
