Japan celebrates JAEPA with a Taste of Australia
Austrade’s Taste of Australia promotion came to a spectacular conclusion, when the five winners of the premium Australian menu competition were announced at a gala event at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo on 20 April.
Taste of Australia, supported by Wine Australia, aimed to increase awareness of premium Australian food and wine in Japan and draw attention to the reduced tariffs that these products receive under the Japan Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA). JAEPA is helping contribute to growing exports to Japan; in the last year, they grew by 10 per cent to $45 million. The value of wine exported above $10 per litre increased by 34 per cent to $8.3 million and exports in the $7.50–9.99 segment increased by 46 per cent to $5.3 million.
Wine Australia Head of Market Asia Pacific, Hiro Tejima, said the competition was one of many ways that Wine Australia works with partners across the world to promote fine Australian wine in our key markets.
‘We were delighted to work with Austrade on the Taste of Australia promotion to highlight the benefits that JAEPA has delivered, and see premium Australian food and wine showcased by talented Japanese chefs and sommeliers in this exciting competition.’
Throughout the competition, premium Australian food and wine featured on the menus of 44 leading Japanese hotels and restaurants, culminating in a cook-off where 5 winners were selected.
The competition attracted significant media attention in Japan and the winners were determined by a panel of high-profile judges: Hiroyuki Sakai, the original Iron Chef; Kenichi Ohashi MW, Japan’s first Master of Wine; and Haruyuki Yamashita, a renowned fusion chef and Director of the HAL restaurant chain.
The winning chefs and sommeliers from the competition will travel to Australia later this year on a five-day program, organised by Austrade and Taste of Australia partners, to enhance their knowledge and application of premium Australian food and wine.
The five winners were: RIHGA Royal Hotel Restaurant Chambord, Osaka (best of the best); the Prince Park Tower Tokyo Brise Verte (best of Australia); RUBY JACK’s Steakhouse Bar, Tokyo (best innovation and presentation); Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel (best beef or lamb dish); and Resort Trust XIV Kyoto Yase Rikyu (best food and wine matching).
The Taste of Australia promotion was organised by Austrade, with sponsorship support from Meat & Livestock Australia, Wine Australia, Tourism Australia, Qantas Airways and the Australian Embassy in Tokyo.