Food & Drink Victoria, the organisation behind the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, announced the winners of its Legend and Trailblazer awards at a ceremony held at Chris Lucas’s CBD restaurant Society this evening.

One Legend and one Trailblazer each were chosen across six different categories: Food Producer, Retailer, Advocate; Communicator, Educator; Drink Producer, Retailer, Advocate; Chef, Restaurateur, Hospitality Professional; Local Hero; Sustainability Champions.

Among the winners of the Legend award were chef Dan Hunter of Brae, baker Natalie Paull of Beatrix and winemaker Mac Forbes of Mac Forbes Wines.

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Trailblazers include chef and juice aficionado Tom Sarafian, cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura, Imogen Hayes and Christina Trabucco of non-alcoholic drinks brand TINA and chef John Rivera who was recognised for Filipino ice-cream parlour Kariton Sorbetes.

The 2024 Legend award winners join past recipients, including Stephanie Alexander, Dan Murphy, Jacques Reymond and Jung Eun Chae in the Melbourne Food & Wine Legends Hall of Fame, which began in 1993.

Nominations for the awards were made by the Hall of Fame’s more than 150 existing members. This year’s winners were selected by a panel comprised of journalists Michael Harden and Wendy Hargreaves, Broadsheet features editor Michael Harry, Melbourne Food & Wine director of programs Jade Mayhew and Melbourne Food & Wine creative director Pat Nourse.

2024 Melbourne Food & Wine Legends and Trailblazers award-winners

Food Producer/Retailer/Advocate
Legend – Judy Croagh of Western Plains Pork
Trailblazer – John Rivera of Kariton Sorbetes

Communicator/Educator
Legend – Natalie Paull of Beatrix Bakes
Trailblazer – Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Drink Producer/Retailer/Advocate
Legend – Mac Forbes of Mac Forbes Wines
Trailblazers – Imogen Hayes and Christina Trabucco of TINA

Chef/Restaurateur/Hospitality Professional
Legend – Dan Hunter of Brae
Trailblazer – Tom Sarafian of Sarafian

Local Hero
Legend – Gerald Diffey of Gerald’s Bar
Trailblazers – Chayse and Blayne Bertoncello of O.My

Sustainability Champions
Legends – Duncan and Jan Thompson of Murray River Salt
Trailblazer – Ninna Larssen of Reground