Food and beverage businesses are being connected with buyers and consumers across the Kimberley with the release of a new online guide for the region at today’s Kimberley Economic Forum in Kununurra.
The Kimberley Food and Beverage Capability Guide is a new interactive tool to connect food and beverage suppliers with retailers, buyers, wholesalers, chefs, caterers, tourism operators, regional events and consumers to promote local business.
Developed through a collaboration between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Kimberley Development Commission, the guide includes details about individual businesses including their product range, sales information, awards and certifications.
It is divided into categories covering beverages, bakery and grain, bush foods, fresh and value added horticulture, meat as well as seafood and aquaculture, making it easy for users to find what they are looking for.
The Kimberley guide showcases, fresh and value-added horticultural products such as preserves and sauces, baked goods, barramundi, chickpeas, pasta, coffee, distilleries, beef, honey and an array of bushfoods.
DPIRD development officer Nikki Poulish said the food and beverage guide was a fantastic tool for local businesses and consumers to explore the array of fresh and value-added produce in their own backyard, and to find out how they could source it.
"Buying high-quality produce that remains fresher for longer benefits the business by helping to build connections within communities, as well as boost regional economies,” Mrs Poulish said.
"The Kimberley guide supports our Agrifood Tourism sector which plays an increasingly important role in attracting more visitors to our regions.
“It lists a number of local farmers markets and gourmet events, and also tells the provenance story of each business."
Guides are already available for the Mid-West and the Great Southern, and the department is working with partners in the Peel, Wheatbelt, Goldfields-Esperance, Gascoyne and the South West to produce similar publications.
The complete set of guides will provide a comprehensive overview of the diverse range of food and beverage products manufactured in regional Western Australia.
For copies of the Kimberley, Great Southern and Mid-West Food guides visit https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/capability-guides
Image caption: The Kimberley Food and Beverage Capability Guide will connect buyers and consumers across the region.
