Top award goes to Ormond citrus growers

SUPREME WINNERS: Ormond citrus growers Jason and Hannah Galloway (centre) won the top award at the recent Freshies, awards that recognise the district's top citrus growers. They are flanked by MC and guest speaker Al Brown (left) and First Fresh managing director Ian Albers. Picture by Strike Photography

The Galloways of Ormond won the supreme honour on top of two category titles at the “Freshies” growers awards for 2020.

For the second year running, the NZ Fruits packhouse was transformed into a space worthy of celebrating success as fruit marketer First Fresh hosted its annual grower awards evening, also known as the Freshies.

Now in their sixth year, the awards celebrate the achievements of all grower suppliers over the previous 12 months and reward those who achieved the most outstanding performance across citrus, kiwifruit and persimmons.

“We have an amazing bunch of dedicated loyal growers who we love working with,” said First Fresh managing director Ian Albers.

“This event is our way of saying thank you.”

Ormond citrus growers Jason and Hannah Galloway were the supreme award winners for the 2020 season.

They were presented with the Freshies trophy by MC and guest speaker Al Brown, celebrity chef and restaurant owner.

“The Galloways had already picked up category awards for their Encore mandarins and Meyer lemons earlier in the evening, and thoroughly deserved their win,” Mr Albers said.

“In addition to delivering high-quality fruit, they have been active in the citrus industry and have regularly featured in some of our marketing material that has gone out to customers around the world.”

Mr Albers said 2020 was a challenging year and it was heartening to see the camaraderie and support that existed between growers.

“Al greeted everyone at the door when they arrived and later joined me on stage to hand out the awards.

“He went on to entertain the audience about the origins of his passion for food, what defines New Zealand cuisine and some tales ‘from the road' during his career.

“He highlighted the importance of the quality, freshness and provenance of New Zealand's fresh produce,” Mr Albers said.

“This truly resonated with the crowd, leaving no uncertainty that their hard work during the year is hugely appreciated by domestic and global consumers.”