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2008 AUSTRALIAN GRAND DAIRY AWARDS JUDGES - PROFILES
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Neil Willman
Cheese Consultant and Educator
Chief Judge, Australian Grand Dairy Awards
Dairy and Cheese expert, Neil Willman, is a former lecturer at Gilbert Chandler College and now conducts cheese courses and training programs across Australia.
He specialises in Cheese Technology, providing advice on cheesemaking, recipe formulation, product appraisals, storage and maturation advice, cheese grading and sensory evaluation. He also offers expert training for cheesemakers and production staff, cheese sensory analysis and grading and advice for troubleshooting, factory design, and the setting up of farmhouse and specialty cheese plants.
Neil judges dairy products at competitions across the country, including Royal Melbourne Dairy Produce Awards, Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Awards., Dairy Industry Association Australia competitions, and the Australian Specialist Cheesemaker Awards. Neil has been the Chief Judge of the Australian Grand Dairy Awards for the past 8 years and has also judged several times at International competitions such as the World Cheese Championship Contest, USA.
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Russell Smith
Cheese Consultant and Educator
Deputy Chief Judge, Australian Grand Dairy Awards
Russell Smith provides cheese training and education for retailers and consumers. Through his role as owner/operator of Mart Delicatessen in Canberra for over 8 years, Russell’s experience of cheese and dairy products offered the local community greater depth of knowledge in Australian cheese appreciation. He is a regular contributor to the Canberra Times on dairy and cheese information and has judged in various cheese competitions across Australia – for the Royal Agricultural Societies and the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Awards. Currently a consultant to the National Food Industry Strategy, Russell also conducts cheese appreciation courses for Flavours Culinary Centre in Canberra and has been the Deputy Judge for the Australian Grand Dairy Awards for four years.
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Robyn Gray
Dairy Technologist
Robyn Gray is a dairy technologist with 18 years technical experience in ice cream and cheese manufacture. At Unilever Australia, she was involved in technical research and development, quality assurance and packaging at Unilever Australia for the ice cream division. She also has worked in stabiliser technology for Germantown International, in cheese applications for Danisco International and is currently at Quest International – Flavours and Frangrances, as Business Manager focussing on new product development for food clients, including the dairy industry.
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Sam Cutri
Industry Trainer - National Centre Dairy Education Australia (Werribee)
Sam Cutri is a technical dairy expert, trainer and currently the Coordinator of Certificate IV in Foods Science and Technology. Sam also teaches Microbiology Quality Assurance, HACCP, Ice Cream Production, Food Safety, and Dairy Industry Curriculum development. Sam has been involved with the dairy processing industry for 20 years and regularly judges ice cream and dairy products for the Royal Melbourne Show, Dairy Industry Association of Australia and has been a judge for the Australian Grand Dairy Awards since its inception in 1999.
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Bill Tzimas
Owner/manager, Bill’s Farm
With a background as a secondary school teacher, Bill Tzimas followed his love of Melbourne’s passion for fine food to open Bill’s Farm, a fine food store at the Queen Victoria Market. Sixteen years later, Bill’s Farm is one of the most acclaimed fine food stores in Melbourne and serves as an avenue for Australia’s up and coming new cheesemakers to showcase their products. Bill’s Farm has also evolved into a substantial cheese distribution business to cater for the demand for cheese in its best eating condition within the foodservice industry. Bill is a qualified cheese grader and his knowledge and passion for cheese quality is well-utilised in his role as a cheese judge for the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Awards and Adelaide Cheese Fest 2006.
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Don Sandman
Manager, Tasmanian Dairy Industry Authority
Don Sandman is the Manager of the Tasmanian Dairy Industry Authority (TDIA) and has been a member of the Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) for over 20 years. He holds a B. App. Sc (Dairy Technology) and has extensive experience in the dairy industry, having been a cheesemaker prior to joining the TDIA. Don has managed a cultured foods factory and brings to the 2007 AGDA considerable knowledge of dairy food assessment and manufacture. He is a stalwart of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania, having been a judge in the dairy section for the past 7 years and was a guest judge at this year’s Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Awards.
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Joanna Savill
Journalist and TV presenter
Joanna Savill is a journalist and TV presenter (The Food Lovers' Guide to Australia, SBS TV/Lifestyle Channel) with a particular interest in food cultures, food production and the stories and people behind our food. A borderline-obsessive food traveller, she spent many years living and working around the world before concentrating on her Australian explorations. Aside from authoring ten editions of the SBS Eating Guide to Sydney, a guide to eating out and food shopping in dozens of different nationalities, she is a regular contributor and reviewer with the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Living section and Australian Gourmet Traveller, among others. She is also a popular MC, convenor of industry forums and events, and a trained judge of both olive oil and cheese.
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Leanne Bennett-Jones
Food Consultant
Leanne Bennett-Jones has over twenty years experience in the food industry as a food consultant, food stylist, cooking presenter and event manager. Her specialist skills extend across recipe development, food presentation for print and tv, cookbook production and exhibition management. Leanne owned her own cooking school and cookware business, Cuisine Collection, for six years before managing and marketing the Gabriel Gate Cooking School for a two year period. She has coordinated various fine food event and exhibitions, including the Home Beautiful Kitchen and Cooking Show, the Melbourne Home Ideas Show and Fine Food & Wine by the Bay. In 2003, Leanne took on the role of Executive Officer of the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Association for two years and also coordinated production of the Australian Cheese Please booklet and the 2006 Australian Grand Dairy Awards event for Dairy Australia.
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Jeremy Menezes
Business Manager - Deli, Woolworths
Jeremy Menezes has a passion for the retail, with over 18 years in the supermarket retail business. Following experience with various independent retailers, he moved to Woolworths and is now Business Manager – Deli for Woolworths nationally. His portfolio consists of 3,000 SKU’s in the deli category and he is responsible for business relationships with over 90 vendors. In his role, he has developed close associations with many of Australia’s specialty cheese suppliers and exposure to a vast range of retail cheese varieties.
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