Proud to be named the 2025 Be.Bendigo Gastronomy Award winners!
A few months ago, we received the exciting news that we’d been nominated in the Gastronomy category of the Bendigo Bank & Be.Bendigo Business Excellence Awards. To our surprise, we were also named as a finalist in the Climate Leader category - something that means a great deal to us given our commitment to sustainability and circular practices.
The application process was no small task, but it gave us the chance to reflect on just how many weird and wonderful things we do - not only within our own business, but also for the wider community. We were thrilled to be named finalists alongside Bendigo Brittle, Collins Honey, and Ms Batterhams (MacKenzie Quarters).
As part of the process, we sat down for interviews where we all had the opportunity to share our stories and highlight how our work contributes to Bendigo’s identity as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
When the big night arrived, we were genuinely shocked to hear our name announced as the 2025 winners. To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. Being recognised alongside such talented producers and hospitality operators was an honour in itself—taking home the award was something we’ll never forget.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the people around us. Our daughter Liv has been a constant source of inspiration (and, if you’ve been to a local event, you’ve probably met her enthusiastically helping out!). A huge thank you also to Kris’ mum, whose support at home has made it possible for us to travel interstate and grow our brand.
We’re so grateful to Be.Bendigo for creating such a thoughtful and inspiring awards program, and to the City of Greater Bendigo for sponsoring the Gastronomy Award and championing the region’s food and drink culture.
We also want to acknowledge our small but mighty team - Jess, who manages our bottle shop Alcohol By Victoria and has become an integral part of everything we do, and Issy at Seriously Socials, who not only nominated us but continues to keep us on our toes with new ideas.
Finally, to our fellow finalists and friends - thank you for the work you do and for helping Bendigo continue to shine on the world stage as a City of Gastronomy. And while we were honoured to win the Gastronomy Award, we’re equally proud to have been recognised as a finalist in the Climate Leader category. For us, it’s not just about flavour - it’s about doing right by our community, our land, and our future. That’s why Kristin’s PhD research into applying circular economy principles to craft distilling is so important to us, and why we’ll keep pushing to prove that doing good and drinking well can go hand in hand.
Kris & Dan 🥃