Community & Business
17 October, 2025
Sweet victory for FNQ dried fruit products
THE medal tally grew, as did the region’s reputation for quality fruit, when A Taste of the North celebrated a remarkable series of wins at both the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show and the Melbourne Royal Australian Food Awards.
Owned by Giovanna Avolio, the business, now based in Melbourne, was built on the legacy of the family’s dried fruit products, which began 35 years ago, when Giovanna’s father, Frank, had dried fruit under the name Mareeba Golden Dried Mangoes.
“We are thrilled to be a gold medallist, as it really confirms that all the hard work is paying off and our products really are of a high standard,” Giovanna said.
“To see our pineapple and dragon fruit take out gold, alongside silver for our mango and banana, is a proud moment for our family and for Mareeba as a local fruit-growing region.”
The awards also underscored the strength and quality of regional suppliers. Pineapples were sourced from Piñata Farms (Mareeba and south-east Queensland), dragon fruit from Northern Naturals Australia (Mareeba), premium mangoes from C&L Nastasi & Sons (Biboohra), and bananas from Tropico Farms (Tolga).
The Taste of the North products won two gold medals for dried pineapple and dried dragon fruit, and a silver for dried mango at the Sydney show.
In Melbourne, it won a gold medal for dried pineapple and three silver medals for dried mango, dragon fruit and banana.
The achievements placed A Taste of the North’s products as leaders within the Australian fine food industry, according to Sydney Royal Fine Food Show chair Lyndey Milan OAM.
“All winners were selected by a judging panel of industry specialists, who aim to select the best in Australia while nurturing the growth of producers nationally,” she said.
“Sydney Royal is committed to fostering a competitive space that assesses, promotes, and rewards Australian produce across a large number of categories.
“We’ve seen companies benefit considerably from winning a Sydney Royal medal.”
The Melbourne Royal Australian Food Awards provides producers with the opportunity to benchmark against set criteria, receive independent feedback from industry experts, and leverage the national brand seal of quality.
Customers looking to purchase the award-winning products are encouraged to visit farmers markets, select retail outlets, or online at A Taste of the North.
