For those that came along to the Food Q Showcase event it was a good night enjoyed by all.  It was a really great opportunity to see and taste some great locally produced products.

It was unfortunate that Brisbane was struck by bad weather for the evening as this no doubt affected the numbers.  However as an inaugral event it was a great start.

Here's some snaps I took on the night.

Broken Nose Vanilla grows pure Australian vanilla beans and processes them into gourmet products in Tropical North Queensland.Farmers Fiona George and Matt Allen subscribe to a strong ethic of sustainability,carried through their energy and water use, their organic farming system, tosupporting and sourcing local products and companies to develop the Broken Noseproducts, and using re-useable and recycled packaging.Vanilla grown in the pure rainforest mulch on the Broken Nose plantation has unique fruity, citrus flavour tones and strong aroma, untainted by fertilisers or pesticides. “The aroma is sweet and unctuous, Overall, it’s brighter and fruitier than traditional Madagascar-grown planifolia. They smell really fantastic. Inside, the beans are surprisingly wet with a rich red/brown oil. The caviar is extremely oily…”

Melinda’s Gluten-Free Goodies is the only Australian food producer providing gluten free savoury premixes for the foodservice market.  Melinda’s premix products can be frozen once prepared, for up to 6 months and can be adapted to suit dairy free and/or egg free diets. Additional flavours can be added to suit customer tastes and requirements.

At Stella May Fine Foods, the tradition continues. Proprietor, Alison Sheehan, started the business two (2) years ago in NSW before relocating to Brisbane. Growing up on a property in rural NSW, she enjoyed fresh seasonal home-grown produce. Consequently, Alison is passionate about the quality and integrity of each product she now makes for her growing number of customers.  Portable, even-tempered and long-lived – pates, terrines and rillettes make the perfect,elegant starter or light lunch served with a simple side salad, hearty picnic fare when matched with crusty bread and condiments or as a centre-piece to a party platter with crackers, cheese and pickles. Terrines take time to mature; pates and parfaits are delicate; rillettes are slow cooking at its best; premium results are paramount. Stella May Fine Foods won’t compromise on quality so that you can enjoy one of life’s ‘necessary luxuries’.

Veitablu is a manufacturer of quality Health Foods that cater for people on specialized diets, and for those who are Health conscious. They use no artificial colors, flavors or MSG in their products. THey have a unique range of products that a wide range of people can enjoy from Chick Pea Nibbles, to Bush Lime Dukkah and Nulla, a wattle seed base coffee alternative.  Plus many more.

Tastes from Tomarata are a family owned and operated business based on the Sunshine and Fraser Coasts. They are passionate about Australian lychees and would like to see them on tables all year round!  The delicious range of Queensland grown, gluten and preservative free conserves, condiments and award winning liqueurs includes: Lychee, Peach and Sundowner (nectarine and honey) liqueurs ? Sweet Lychee Chilli Sauce ? Lychee Balsamic Vinegar ? Lychee Dessert Sauce ? Zucchini Pickles ? Nectarine Chutney ? Rosella Balsamic Vinegar ? Rosella Jam ? Peach Conserve ? Orchard Honey ? Nectarine and Peach Dessert Sauces.  

They were thrilled with their successes at the Australian Fruit Wine Awards and RNA this year: Australian Fruit Wine Awards 2011 - Lychee Liqueur – Best Fruit Wine in Show and Best Liqueur. RNA 2011 - Lychee Liqueur First Fruit Liqueur and Trophy Best Fortified Wine - Peach Liqueur – Second Fruit Liqueur - Sundowner Liqueur – Third Fruit Liqueur

And some of the other products on show were:

Freestyle Tout , Freestyle Escape & Jamie's Gourmet Produce