SA staple veggie grower joins food industry hall of fame
A company that grows more than 100,000 tonnes of potatoes every year has won a coveted spot in the food industry’s hall of fame.
A major supplier of Australian staple vegetables was inducted into the Food and Beverage Industry Hall of Fame on Friday.
Zerella Fresh, which mostly grows potatoes, carrots and onions, was started in 1936 by the Zerella family, and was bought by the Pye family in 2009, and is a major exporting business.
Its history also stretches back to 1990, when the Pyes took their farming and agriculture strengths to the Mallee region in SA where Zerella Fresh Managing Director Mark Pye established Parilla Premium Potatoes.
He started with 250 hectares and by 1992 the land had expanded to beyond 2,000 hectares.
By this time, Parilla was supplying 8,000 tonnes of processing potatoes to McCain Foods, growing 50 hectares of fresh market potatoes and had expanded into carrot production, supplying both the fresh and international juice markets.
Now Virginia-based Zerella continues to expand its export business. It has more than 18,000 hectares of fresh growing land and an annual production in excess of 100,000 tonnes of potatoes, 40,000 tonnes of carrots and 30,000 tonnes of onions, making Zerella one of the major producers and suppliers of fresh produce in Australia.
Other major names in SA foods were also recognised at the 2026 South Australian Premier’s Food and Beverage Industry Awards gala dinner on Friday night at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
This included drinks company Bickford’s Australia, which won the Business Excellence Award, while Vili’s and Kytons Bakery were named the Foodland Consumer Choice Award winners following a public vote.
Food SA CEO Tori Dixon-Whittle said the winners reflected the ambition behind SA’s international food reputation.
“Our winners are continually lifting the benchmark — innovating, reaching new markets and building on South Australia’s reputation for quality, provenance and innovation,” Dixon-Whittle said.
“They share the ambition to be among the best in the world and give consumers every reason to discover and enjoy South Australian food and beverages.”
2026 Award Winners
Hall of Fame – Sponsored by San Remo
2026 Inductee: Zerella Fresh
Business Excellence Award
Winner: Bickford’s Australia
Business Improvement Award – Sponsored by VISY
Winners:
• The Family Cook
You might like
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Tucker’s Natural
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
EatDrink Local SA Award – Sponsored by SA Produce Market
Winners:
• Prancing Pony Brewery (Regional Winner)
• Coopers Brewery Visitor Centre, Restaurant and Taproom (Metro Winner)
Emerging Business Award – Sponsored by La Casa Del Formaggio
Winner:
• Señor Mexican
Export Award – Supported by the Department of State Development
Winners:
• Continental Taralli Biscuits
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Bickford’s Australia
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
Innovation Award
Winners:
• Mayfair Bakery and Patisserie
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Harris Smokehouse
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
Marketing Impact Award
Winners:
• Continental Taralli Biscuits
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Barossa Fine Foods
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
New Product Award – Sponsored by Foodland Supermarkets
Winners:
• Little Eaters – Artisan Pasta Range
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• La Casa Del Formaggio – Mozzarella Stretchy String Sticks
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
Stay informed, daily
People & Culture Award – Sponsored by Adelaide University
Winners:
• The Family Cook
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Maggie Beer Products
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
Primary Producer Award – Sponsored by Thomas Foods International
Winners:
• @Lenswood Pick Your Own
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Endersby Group
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
Service Provider Award – Sponsored by MBL
Winners:
• Fridge It Logistics SA
(Businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Cold Logic
(Businesses with more than 15FTEs)
State Contribution Award – Sponsored by Ingham’s Australia
Winner:
• Safcol Australia
Sustainability Award
Winners:
• Prancing Pony Brewery
(Businesses with less than 15 FTEs)
• Comfresh
(Businesses with more than 15 FTEs)
Leader Award – Sponsored by Bickford’s Group
Winner: Sam Tucker (Tucker’s Natural)
Next Generation Award – Sponsored by Macro Group Australia
Winner: Joseph Skara (Skara Smallgoods)
Consumer Choice Award – Sponsored by Foodland Supermarkets
Winners:
• Kytons Bakery
(For businesses with less than 15FTEs)
• Vili’s Family Bakery
(For businesses with more than 15FTEs)
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
