FSAA HALL OF FAME ALUMNI
Jeff Dhu
jeff Dhu
Inducted 2022
Jeff Dhu, Fonterra Australia’s Director of Anchor™ Food Professionals, boasts a rich pedigree in the food industry forged over many years with blue chip organisations both in Australia and overseas.
Jeff joined Fonterra in 2009 and has headed the company’s Foodservice division for the past 9 years. During that time, his passion for food and innovation has driven the division toward a commitment to the growth and excellence in the Australian market.
Jeff’s commitment to Foodservice is grounded in his desire to make a difference. Unlike other, corporate dominated sectors of the food industry, Jeff maintains that Foodservice offers excellent opportunity for genuine change at every level.
Jeff has a passion for developing people to ensure the future of the foodservice industry is in safe hands. His association with Fonterra, the FSAA and the broader Foodservice industry has given him the ideal opportunity to pass on his knowledge and experience through mentoring tomorrow’s leaders of the industry.
Jeff’s commitment to the industry and passion for people spans all areas. During his time at Fonterra, Jeff has proudly overseen the transformation of the Proud to be a Chef from being merely an annual competition, to becoming the prestigious national apprenticeship mentoring program it is today.
Jeff also spent several years as a Board member of the FSAA, giving back to the industry.
Lindsay Yeomans
Lindsay Yeomans
Inducted 2022
After completing formal qualifications in 1973 with a degree in Earth Sciences, and subsequent interesting vocational positions, Lindsay launched The Armory in 1980 as a Foodservice specialist communications agency.
Over years, with his business partner Lorraine Lovelock and trusted experienced professionals, The Armory has developed with the industry it is passionate about!
The company is seen as being at the forefront of Foodservice communications, and with its integrated marketing approach, has assisted many organisations in launching new Foodservice companies, brands and products.
The Armory has launched other foodservice specific assets, such as FSR WebMag, a web-based trade publication, Hello Foodservice Video Channel and recently FoodRadio, a podcast ‘radio style’ program.
"Foodservice is an exciting business to be in - if you're not, you don't know what you are missing!"
Lindsay was a founding Board member of the FSAA and has served on the Board since 2005. He has also supported the development of a number of other industry-based organisations such as the Australian Culinary Federation in a voluntary capacity.
Harry Peters
HARRY PETERS
Inducted 2017
With more than 50 years’ experience in the seafood industry, Harry Peters is an industry veteran.
Harry began his Seafood career with South African multinational Irvin and Johnson. He moved quickly up the ladder, becoming a Director of the company within 8 years. He left in 1978 to help establish a new business, All States Frozen Foods and to focus on what was to become a lifelong passion, the development of new and innovative products.
In 1984, Harry took the bold step of start his own company and Marine Product Marketing was established. Harry has continued his goal of bringing new products to market, with the introduction of several ‘firsts’ including: Harry is also a member, and has served on many important industry bodies, amongst them: • Current Vice Chairman of the Seafood Importers Association of Australia. • Previous foundation member of the FRDC Fish Naming committee selection panel. • Member of the AQIS Imported Food Consultative committee. • Member of the AQIS Imported Food Active Surveillance working group committee. Harry was awarded member of the Order of Australia in the Honor’s List Queens Birthday 2005
Sebastian Galipo
SEBASTIAN GALIPO
Inducted 2017
Sebastian’s Father forced him to sell the family’s excess home grown vegetables from the age of 12. Unknowingly Sebastian developed sales skills which later became invaluable when starting Galipo Foods in 1983.
Sebastian embarked on his journey in foodservice from humble beginnings when he started Galipo Foods with a one tonne truck & a few domestic fridges & freezers in his home garage. At the time he didn’t know what the word foodservice meant.
However over the following 34 years he has expanded Galipo Foods into a broad range foodservice distributor employing over 130 people with 42 trucks in South Australia. Sebastian is very proud of his loyal, committed & wonderful staff. He attributes winning numerous state & national awards as recognition of their efforts including the 2014 & 2016 FSAA National Distributor of the Year.
Sebastian has served 20 years as a Director of Countrywide Australia including 7 years as the Chairman of Countrywide. Chairman of the Super Group whilst maintaining his role as Managing Director of Galipo Foods.
Bruce Robson
BRUCE ROBSON
Inducted 2017
Bruce has spent 30 years dealing with the Foodservice market in a range of positions and a variety of business sectors.
He had his own brokerage business for 7 years contracting to companies such as Nestle, Tetley Tea, Stimorol, Helene Curtis, Ballantyne and Huhtamaki across a number of market segments – Confectionary, Hair Care, Drinks, Food Ingredients and Packaging.
Bruce then spent a number of years in the Plastics and Steel industries before returning to the Foodservice sector in 2007 spending a year living in Shanghai setting up a company providing deodorising solutions to the hospitality sector.
In 2008 he took the reins of Robot Coupe Australia as Managing Director and has led it to the undisputed market leader in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian business is recognised as the number one performing business for Robot Coupe worldwide.
Since 2008 has been involved in the major industry associations as a board member, Vice President and President of NAFES ( National Association of Food Equipment Suppliers ) and board member, Treasurer and Vice Chairman of FSAA.
Terry Randall
TERRY RANDALL
Inducted 2016
Growing up in London, Terry arrived in Australia in the early 80's after being offered a sales position with FSM. He progressed to Sales Director and then in 1995 agreed on a buy out with the then owner.
Since 1995 FSM has grown it's revenue significantly and is a predominant player in the supply of food service equipment to the major food service companies in Australia.
In 2011 Terry acquired a 50% share in Harbin Australia specialising in the frozen treat market for food service operators.
He also served on the steering committee for the original ICTF (International Catering Trade Fair) in the early 90's.
In 2005 Terry was invited to be a board member at the very beginning of the FSAA's existence and served as Chairman from 2007-2011.
Pat Stobbs
PAT STOBBS
Inducted 2016
Pat’s introduction to the Food Service industry started early in life with a summer job in High School working as a delivery driver and warehouse order picker for the Canadian division of Sysco, the largest Food Wholesaler in North America.
During a career spanning 34+ years with Nestlé, with the majority of his time spent in Food Service, Pat has been fortunate to have had a career which has spanned 4 continents and has included senior roles in Marketing, Sales, Training & Development, Supply Chain and Communications.
Arriving in Australia in 2005, after spending 5 years in the global office for Nestlé in Switzerland, Pat started as Head of Marketing in Nestlé FoodService.
What was initially thought to be a 3 year assignment instead turned into an 11 year life changing role for himself and his family.
With the formation of Nestlé Professional in 2008 Pat assumed the role of Country Business Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Over the past 8 years he has continued to drive a culture of innovation, creativity and professionalism which reflect the core values of Nestlé Professional today. During this time Pat has also continued to support Nestlé Professional’s commitment to young chefs in the Food Service industry through their Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat and Toque D’Or sponsorships. Pat is also a strong supporter of the FSAA as the leading voice of the Food Service industry.
Recently Pat has assumed a regional role for Nestlé Professional in Singapore supporting the development of the Nestlé Professional business across Asia, Africa and Oceania.
William Yee
WILLIAM YEE
Inducted 2016
William started in the food industry over 35 years ago working in Epic Trading Half Case Warehouse at Haymarket. In 1982, the company formed a joint venture with Wright Heaton Ltd) where he was appointed as Sydney branch manager.
In 1984 William took over their Sydney division when they off loaded their Foodservice division to A.G. Campbell in NSW and Burleigh Marr in Qld to become today’s EWH Food Services in New South Wales.
Under his management, the company has become one of the established food service companies in NSW, spanning across 3 branches and employing over 150 people. EWH has consistently received numerous state distributor awards over the past 2 decades a testament to William’s enduring relationships with suppliers, customers and stellar leadership of the company.
His ability to balance bold vision with meticulous execution is what makes William a special leader along with his softly spoken attitude. He treats his staff like family and is well loved amongst them; with people development and talent retention central to his leadership philosophy. It is no surprise that William holds a remarkable reputation and is a well-respected member of the food service industry.
Peter Lucas
PETER LUCAS
Inducted 2012
Peter joined his family’s small company Chippy’s in 1976, distributing fresh seafood to the Sydney market. He flourished in a number of operational, sales, marketing and leadership roles, immersing himself in every aspect of the business to gain an understanding of the opportunities and challenges present in the foodservice industry.
Chippy’s received numerous state and national distributor awards due to Peter’s well-established synergy with the suppliers, customers and sales teams with whom he maintained strong working relationships. When Chippy’s was acquired by PFD in 2006 Peter continued his work for three years before pursuing new challenges with NFD until 2011.
Peter’s passion for food trends and sourcing new products has made him a well-respected and highly sought-after player in the foodservice industry.
Bill Denman
BILL DENMAN
Bill joined Four’n Twenty in 1962 and worked as a Sales Representative until 1968
In 1968 became Sales Supervisor at Wedgwood, canvassing retail outlets and food service distributors and organising direct deliveries. As a member of a two man sales team, they lifted sales to $1m within the first two years of operation, selling the first frozen pies in Australia.
Promoted to Field Sales Manager at Wedgwood in 1971, Bill was responsible for maintaining relationships with major food retailers such as Coles and Woolworths and food service retailers. He was also responsible for successes in improving sales for Dobsons Foods in both New South Wales and Queensland as well as establishing an office and warehouse for Four’n Twenty Fresh Division in NSW.
Following the success of establishing the Four’n Twenty Fresh Division, Bill was asked to become Sales Administration Manager for the division between 1982 and 1985, managing telephone order staff, sign writing staff and managing over one hundred owner drivers and their customers.
Following the acquisition of Herbert Adams Bakeries by Petersville, in 1987 Bill became National Food Service Coordinator, with a broadened job role including the liaison with other states on food promotions, stock requirements and organising advertising material.
In 1990 Bill was promoted to National Sales Manager, establishing and maintaining relationships with major food service distributors and representing the Wedgwood, Herbert Adams, Big Sister and Nanna’s Brands, as well as preparation and coordination of resources for International Catering, Food Industry Association and Distributors Trade Shows.
From 1993 up until his retirement in 2012, which marked 50 years working within the food industry, Bill was National Sales Manager at Patties Bakery, continuing to represent the company at trade shows, maintaining relationships with distributors Australia-wide and finding opportunities in new products for them to sell and all other aspects of driving Patties products and brands.
Bill has shared his detailed experience and knowledge of the industry over the years, giving back through being a member of the Food Industry Association for 34 years, including serving for two years as President and a being a respected committee member for several years. Bill was recognised for his contribution to the industry by being awarded the FIA Inaugural Food Services “Legend of the Year” in 2006.
Bill now continues to enjoy bike riding and home improvements in his retirement.
Barry Gibson
BARRY GIBSON
Barry Gibson has been in foodservice sales for 30 years, working for leading companies including Provincial Traders, Meadow Lea, Goodman Fielder and Chickadee. He is currently the Food Service Distributors Managers at Ingham Enterprises.
For many years he has been National Account Manager to major distributor groups and has earned a reputation as an honest person with a wicked sense of humour. A foundation member of NSW FIA, he has served on various roles and is the current President of that organisation. Barry also stood on the NSW Healthy Kids Board of Directors (formerly the NSW School Canteen Association) for 15 years as the Food Industry representative.
Greg Peterson
GREG PETERSON
Greg Peterson began his career working in the family business (H&M Frozen Foods) in 1981 and when on the purchase the business in partnership with his brother Michael in 1994, changing the name to Foodservice Central (FSC) and expanding through acquisition to offer a comprehensive range of foodservice products. FSC has been the recipient of various government and industry awards including FSAA's Best NSW Regional Distributor in 2009 and 2001.
Greg was a Director of IFFDA NSW, Founding Director & Chairman of the National Independent Liquor Wholesalers, Director of NAFDA from 1989 to 2009, and Chairman of NAFDA for 14 years.
Bill Stoddart
BILL STODDART
Bill Stoddart began his career as a sales representative for Comalco after completing a Bachelor of Engineering at The University of Queensland. He joined the team at Tom Stoddart Pty Ltd (trading as Stoddart Manufacturing) in 1967 and has been a director of the company since 1980. He is currently Managing Director and is responsible for management of a diverse manufacturing and distribution business which employs over 370 people around Australia. under Bill's directorship the company has grown to become one of Australia's market leaders in the manufacture and distribution of foodservice equipment.
Bill has also held a number of industry and Government appointments including: founding board members of the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association; Chairman of the National Industry Skills Council; and board member of the Australian National Association of Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers, the Queensland Manufacturing Leaders Group and Skillstech Australia.
Andrew Fechner
ANDREW FECHNER
Most people have their bad days in life. If you can survive a cyclone sitting in your eight tonne truck on Christmas day, you can probably get through most things. Which is why it takes a lot to faze Andy Fechner.
During cyclone Tracy in 1974- the worst cyclone in Australia’s recent history – which caused 66 deaths and resulted in the evacuation of most of the women and children in the largest civilian airlift yet – Andy and his family sheltered in the truck for five hours while their home and most of the city was destroyed.
Andy had transferred to Darwin at the end of 1971and spent three years in this somewhat frontier’ city with his wife, Laurel and two sons, Colin and Steven.
After the cyclone, he stayed on in Darwin to secure his company’s business interests and was reunited with his family four months later.
Small wonder that his philosophy for success has always been to accept responsibility and show the right attitude. (If you make a promise – keep it) and try to make a difference by getting involved and being honest, with yourself and others.
After finishing senior high school on the Gold Coast, he began his working life in sales with a company called Tickles, which specialised in cash van sales/distribution.
Andy became an Associate Fellow of the Catering Institute of Australia in 1976.
In 1975, Andy took an opportunity to work in the fledging foodservice industry, where he would be based in Brisbane. Over the next 11 years, he was promoted within his company, successfully completed an external university course and was a partner in his own foodservice management business for three years before returning to the corporate fold in 1986, joining Manettas in 1992.
He was the sales and marketing manager for Queensland when Bidvest bought the company in 1995 in its first foray out of South Africa.
With Ken Bielby [ex MD for Australia] Andy was a key member of the team which was responsible for the establishment and development of Bidvest in Australia.
He filled various roles in the Australian business; including national marketing and national purchasing manager before being appointed as director of purchasing and marketing in May 2005.
Andy was involved in the integration of numerous acquisitions, the largest being John Lewis & Company in 2000. His relationships with suppliers during these growth years has been pivotal in developing Bidvest into Australia’s largest foodservice wholesale distribution business.
Bruce Young
BRUCE YOUNG
Bruce commenced his career straight out of school as an “office boy” at Nestle Australia.
He worked his way through the company, in various marketing and sales roles in both Foodservice and Retail Grocery. He achieved many accolades with Nestle including being sent to business college at their world headquarters at Vevey in Switzerland.
Bruce’s final role with Nestle was as Group Marketing Manager of the Foodservice business. After twenty seven years he left to join Goodman Fielder Foodservice and that is where his dedication and commitment to the Foodservice industry was fully expressed.
Bringing together various business divisions and being strongly involved in the acquisition of Bunge Defiance, he formed the then largest Foodservice supplier business in Australia. The company had approximately 300 staff servicing both the distributor and end user channels.
Bruce served on many committees within Foodservice (ICTF and CTFA) as well as being a significant supporter of the Catering Institute of Australia and the Australian Culinary Federation, then known as ASSCA.
In 1992 Bruce was the initiator of the first and only team representing a manufacturer at the Culinary Olympics in Germany. He was also a driving force behind Goodman Fielder supporting the bid for the Sydney 200 Olympic games.
Bruce was a strong advocate for training and professional development of the people under his leadership, with many of today’s Foodservice senior managers a testament to his style.
Bruce’s wife Wendy and daughters Emma and Kate are here tonight to receive his induction. A true gentleman, he may be gone but is most definitely not forgotten.
Francis De Beaujeu
FRANCIS DE BEAUJEU
Born in Canada and educated in England, Francis arrived in Australia in 1965 spending his first months in Darwin.
Since entering the Foodservice environment in 1977 with Noyes Brothers, the concentration was on the marketing and sales of commercial foodservice equipment and systems which entailed managing showrooms for equipment in all State capitals.
Francis has enjoyed senior rolls with several leading commercial equipment companies such as Curtin, Goldstein and Comcater. Curtin was the first to introduce the very popular Zanussi brand which became a great success particularly with the development of open kitchen concepts and also in the TAFE system which was moving very actively to commercial cookery.
His association with Goldstein was more in the development of a successful dealer/distribution network and a constant improvement of the product itself.
In 1996, Francis joined Comcater to take responsibility for sales to National Accounts which included McDonalds, KFC, and other major players in that field, including supermarkets and themed restaurants.
He retired from full time work in 2011 but continued to support Comcater on the board for several years.
Through the course of his career, Francis supported many industry organisations and enjoyed the involvement.
He joined the Catering Institute of Australia in 1977, served on the committee since 1978 and was appointed vice president in 1990. In 1991 he was made a Fellow of the Association.
Francis served on the committee of the Catering Trade Fair Association from 1978 until 1991. For the many of those years he served as Treasurer of the Association and chaired several subcommittees.
In 1987 he was elected to the Associates Group of the Restaurant and Catering Association and served two terms as Vice President of the Association. He was instrumental in developing the Marketing Sub-committee which developed and organised many worthwhile functions for both the R&CA and Charity.
Francis was the first secretary of the National Association of Food Equipment Suppliers (NAFES) and also undertook the bulk of the work to broaden the early membership, organised the early seminars in NSW and worked towards the development of the CFSP training program which now forms an integral part of the Association.
Bob Peberdy
BOB PEBERDY
In 1994 Bob Peberdy, with business partner Trevor McKean purchased Queensland Frozen Foods Services (QffS), a fledgeling broad line foodservice distributor in Brisbane working from a small warehouse in Yeerongpilly.
At that time, QffS employed around forty people, which has since grown about five-fold.
As in all growing businesses, as each stage unfolds, new management and capital requirement challenges arise. Mike Peberdy, Bob’s son, joined the partnership, bringing youth, IT and business skills in 2002.
A key milestone in the development of QffS was the building, in two stages, of the Darra warehouse, first opened for Christmas in 2003, and then the second stage including a modern meat processing facility in 2009.
Trevor McKean, after playing a vital role in the development and operation retired from the business in 2007, and still has an interest in the Darra Warehouse.
QffS is a state-of-the art Foodservice business today and is highly regarded by other members of the Foodservice industry.
The over-riding beliefs Bob instilled into the business since its inception and that still apply today are a commitment to honesty and fairness. This has established a strong credibility and respect for QffS, clearly a significant “player” in the South-East Queensland Foodservice market.
QffS was a member of NAFDA from 1994 until 2014.
During that time Bob “gave back” to the industry as a director on the NAFDA board from 1997 to 2004, and again from 2007 to 2013. He was chairman of NAFDA from 2000 to 2002.
Hetty Pruis
HETTY PRUIS
Hetty started her Foodservice adventure with Peter Isaacson Publications in 1977 and worked on annuals for 3 years. These ranged from Hospital and Health, Defence, Kompass and The Hospitality yearbook.
From 1980 until 2000, she worked exclusively on Hospitality Magazine.
Starting in 2001 with AES (which was acquired by Diversified) Hetty stayed with them until her retirement in late 2008. She worked solely on the Fine Food Shows.
Returning for a small stint in 2010, Hetty focused on the Brisbane 2011 Fine Food show.
Following this she joined Specialised Events when they took on the Foodservice Australia trade show and she remains there today.
Hetty has had a strong involvement in the Foodservice industry, attending many industry events and dedicating her time to the Victorian FIA as a committee member from 1983-1988, the last two years as their first female President.
Loved by many long-standing Foodservice industry personalities, Hetty has always been one to liven a gathering with her great sense of fun and a wicked sense of humour.
In 2009 Hetty was inducted by FIA Victoria as an industry Legend.
Hetty is the FSAA’s first female Hall of Fame inductee.
Marc Edwards
MARC EDWARDS
Marc has been in the Foodservice industry for almost 40 years.
In that time he has worked in a range of sales management roles with leading food, beverage and equipment companies, including Café Bar, Taylor HPL, Berri, National Foods, Lion and Fonterra.
From 2001 Marc served on the Board of AFMA and was President from 2003-2006. He was instrumental in the transition of AFMA into the Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia where he served as Deputy Chair from 2006-2011. He played a very active role in helping establish the association as the leading National body representing suppliers to the Foodservice industry.
Kevin Wood"
KEVIN WOOD
Now the Chairman of the Comcater Board of Directors, Kevin has an extensive history in the foodservice industry, having begun his career with refrigeration company, the Luke Group. Kevin has held a number of managerial positions in which he has experienced many aspects of the industry both in Australia and overseas.
In the 1980s he was elected President of the Catering Institute of Victoria, and eventually became Senior Vice President of the Catering Institute of Australia wherein he worked to raise the standards of the profession, initiating training programs and creating awareness of health and safety issues.rs later to Sydney, as Export manager.
Kevin was instrumental in founding the National Association of Food Equipment Suppliers, establishing industry safety and employment standards. He was the first Australian to gain a Doctorate of Foodservice in 1991, and was made the first Honorary Life Member of the Institute of Hospital Catering in Australia. He is highly respected in the industry for his contributions to promoting higher standards of food production, and the education of foodservice professionals.
Bob Creighton
BOB CREIGHTON
Bob is most prominently known for his role as head of McCormick's Foodservice business over a long period, building strong relationships at both distributor and end-user level.
Initially based in Sydney with Unilever, he moved to Melbourne to take up the State Sales Manager role with McCormick's Foods in 1980. He was promoted to National sales manager in 1984.
Bob is credited with building McCormick's Foodservice into what is today a thriving business.
He is known across the industry as a true professional who loved his job and delivered that with a great sense of humour and passion!
Ted Davis
TED DAVIS
Ted started his career as an apprentice cook, gaining his qualifications at East Sydney Technical College.
After spending time in London as a cook, he returned to Australia into teaching commercial cookery, then moving to Operations Manager at the college.
From there he moved into sales roles within the commercial equipment channel. He has held senior positions with companies such as J. Goldstein & Sons, Luke Equipment, Litton Corporation, Welequip and FSM.
He was also General manager of Le Cordon Bleu Sydney.
He has been very active in a number of industry associations including being National President of CKECA, a Board member of NAFES and the HTN and still plays an active role as convenor for NAFES.
Mike Phillips
MIKE PHILLIPS
Mike is a pioneer in the Foodservice industry and is seen as a humble, fair and friendly person.
A leader in the Foodservice Distribution channel for 30 years, Mike is probably known as "Mr John Lewis"! As Managing Director of John Lewis Foodservice, he implemented many systems and programs that established the business as a genuine leader in its field, and set the standard for many other distribution businesses.
He established a strategic partnership with William Angliss Food School to help further the knowledge of his staff via an accreditation process.
In 1996 he was awarded the Foodservice Person of the Year by AFMA, after John Lewis had been Wholesaler of the Year from 1989 to 1996.
He has been Chairman of Combined Foodservices of Australia since 2001.rs.
Alan Plumb
ALAN PLUMB
Alan first came to prominence as General Manager of Menu Master Foodservice in 1979. From there he formed Chefs Pride with partner Brian Marshall.
For 25 years Alan was seen as the face of Chefs Pride, driving a prominent and premium position for the brand.
For many years he was President of the CTFA and ICTF, a Board member and President of AFMA, and served on the Board of the then Association of Professional Cooks & Chefs for 16 years. He was the first and only "non-chef" to be awarded Life membership of the association.
Rick Smith
RICK SMITH
Rick joined PFD Foodservices in 1959 as a salesman/driver. He was promoted to Sales Manager in 1968 and General Manager in 1970.
In 1975 he leads a consortium to acquire PFD from I & J Foods. Opening a new, expanded facility at Knoxfield in 1977, the warehouse doubled its capacity within three years.
He purchased the business from the other partners in 1988 while at the same time acquiring the Glacier Foods Group. This move provided a regional network for business expansion and establish a strategic platform for the future.
Over the years PFD has grown to be a leader in the Australian Foodservice market. With national reach and a large infrastructure, including more than 2,000 staff, the business is a reflection of the drive, dedication and commitment of Rick.
Rob Yeomans
ROB YEOMANS
Rob started in the Foodservice industry as an advertising representative with Peter Isaacson Publications. Peter decided to enter the Hospitality sector and Hospitality magazine appeared soon afterwards.
Whilst with Hospitality magazine, Rob joined the committee of the International catering Trade Fair where he remained for 40 years in various capacities including President.
In 1972 Rob started his own publishing business from which Open House magazine emerged. It is seen as a leading publication within the Foodservice industry.
It was Rob who initiated the process of forming an association for all suppliers to the Foodservice industry. From this came FSAANZ, which is today the FSAA.
Tom Colless
TOM COLLESS
Known affectionately among many in the foodservice industry as the “Blue Mountains Fossil “he joined his father in the food industry in 1955 (peeling potatoes & “ drawing “ chickens ).
He was the foundation Chairman of IFFDA (NSW Independent Frozen Food Distributors ) which started in 1967 and a foundation Director of NAFDA which was formed in 1989. He also led a visit to the USA in the early 1990’s forming an association with Unipro
Tom has formed many close relationships with supplier CEO’s and staff over the years & was renowned for his faxing to one & all.
In 2008 he built a state of the art distribution facility in Katoomba and has received numerous charity awards for his service to the Blue Mountains community.
In 2009 Tom was awarded the OAM for his service to the community & business groups.ry.
Maurice Kemp
MAURICE KEMP
Maurice graduated from William Angliss Food School in 1967 following a Commercial Cooking Apprenticeship at the Royal Automobile Club Victoria.
He then worked in top end restaurants & hotels, in Melbourne, Canberra, & Sydney.
In 1973 he joined the founding sales force of White Wings Food Service Division, as Product Development Chef. Over ten years, the job expanded into a sales role, together with R&D. Promoted to South Australian & NT Sales manager, he returned 3 years later to Sydney, as Export manager.
Maurice left White Wings to join the Hobart manufacturing company as Product Manager.
In his time with White Wings & Hobart, he supported the industry through Salons Culinaire at the ICTF. In 1976 he competed at Food & Hotel Asia and was successful in three classes. In 1987 he captained the Australian team to the World Culinary Arts Festival in Vancouver, Canada.
In 1991 he began his own business, importing & distributing Commercial Catering Equipment.
Maurice is a Fellow of the Catering Institute of Australia and a member of the Chefs Chapter of the CIA.
He has also been awarded a Doctorate of Food Service, for service to the industry by the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers
He was the first Certified Food Service Professional "CFSP" awarded by NAFES, a past President of the International Catering Trade Fair Association and past President of the National Australian Food Equipment Suppliers Association.
Noel Benson
NOEL BENSON
Noel was introduced to the Australian Food Service market in 1970 in the role of Sales Clerk for the Unilever margarine business based in Melbourne.
He went on to experience sales roles in Representative and Managerial positions in Victoria and Tasmania with Unilever until 1982 when he then transferred with Unilever to Queensland as State Sales Manager for their Non Grocery business, managing the Bakery, Food Service and Industrial Cleaning Business Units within the State.
Noel managed the business in Queensland until 1993 when he was transferred to Sydney in the role of National Distributor Manager.
During the period 1993 to 1998 he managed National sales teams which at one stage incorporated the Grocery and Food Service sales teams for Flora Foods.
Also during this period he participated on the committee of the Australian Foodservice Manufacturers Association, including 3 years as Vice President and 1 year as President.
Noel then spent 2 years at Top Hat Fine Foods as National Manager Food Service which involved the rebranding of this business in the market place.
In 2001 he moved into SPC and during the period until now has worked with the merger of SPC and Ardmona in 2002 and the acquisition of SPCA by Coca Cola Amatil in 2005.
During this period in National roles, the SPCA Food Service business has obtained high recognition and is regarded as a key trading partner in the industry.
Brian Esplin
Brian Esplin
Brian Esplin has this year celebrated 50 years in the Baking, Flour Milling and Foodservice industry. Beginning his career in as an apprentice baker at Good Star Woonona on the South Coast of Sydney, Brian has since held senior Sales Director roles at Allied Mills and Goodman Fielder. He has spent the past 19 years at George Weston Foods and Tip Top Foodservice where he has managed projects, brands and divisions within the foodservice business. Brian is passionate about the foodservice business and is considered a wealth of knowledge not only within Tip Top Foodservice but the wider industry.
Sissel Rosengren
SISSEL ROSENGREN
Sissel has more than 26 years of experience in marketing research, industry forecasting and strategic planning in Australia, Asia, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. For the past fifteen years Sissel has specialised in the food and beverage industry, particularly in the Asia/Pacific region.
Sissel has extensive knowledge in all aspects of marketing research and its methodologies as well as analysis, forecasting and strategy development. Apart from syndicated studies she has also been responsible for numerous privately commissioned projects in Australia, Asia and The Middle East including supply and demand modelling, detailed market sizing, brand valuation, distribution research, competitor analysis, growth prospects and tactical and strategic planning.
Sissel has been a Board member of the FSAA for 11 years, four of them as Chairman. She is passionate about the industry.
Vince Crawley
Vince Crawley
Vince started his career as an apprentice cook at QANTAS Flight Catering fifty years ago. He also taught at a leading hospitality college, has owned his own restaurant and consulted on various leading events.
Vince has held senior positions with leading companies such as QANTAS, Best Foods/Knorr, Goodman Fielder and Chefs Pride. These roles have encompassed general management, strategic development, marketing, sales, operations and technical disciplines.
He has served on a number of industry bodies and was the first Australian born and trained President of the former Association of Professional Cooks & Chefs. He led successful teams to the 1988 & 1992 Culinary Olympics in Germany.
For the past eleven years Vince has been CEO of the Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia. During Vince’s tenure the FSAA has established itself as the leading body representing suppliers in the country.
In 2018 he published a book, A Cook’s Tour. He loves his family, the Foodservice industry, cooking, baseball, meeting people and the excitement of a challenge.
Ed Mantel
Ed Mantel
Edward’s first foray into the world of food was as a youngster flipping eggs in his grandad’s restaurant “The Brass Rail” in Los Angeles. Later he moved to Yosemite National Park cooking at the Ahwahnee Hotel.
Arriving in Australia in 1981, he stopped cooking the food and started managing its sales and distribution – a journey which allowed him to travel all around this wonderful country. Starting with bakery (Tip Top Bakeries) and then dairy (Bega Dairy Co-Op) in Canberra, he later worked in Hobart, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne for a diverse series of food producers. After seven years as National Food Service Sales Manager for Bartter Enterprises, he joined Priestley’s Gourmet Delights as GM Sales & Marketing (Aus,/NZ). Under his direction Priestley’s developed into the category leader in frozen cakes and desserts with all key distributor groups.
He has served as an FSAA Board member and continues to work to promote Australia’s foodservice industry.
Tom Dean
Tom Dean
Tom started his career with Inghams Enterprises in 1990 and served many years as the State Sales Manager before moving on to the position of General Manager WA. In 2008 Tom returned to Victoria and took over the position of Group Sales Manager Food Service.
During his time in this position the Inghams team won many Food Service awards including Countrywide Supplier of the Year for every year that Tom remained in this role, FSAA Supplier of the year and NAFDA Supplier of the year. Tom also served on the board of the FSAA for three years until his retirement.
The Food Service position was one that Tom greatly enjoyed making many new friends with both distributors and suppliers and this is the time in his career that he looks back on most fondly.
Now retired Tom enjoys having more time to spend with his two children and four grandchildren, as well as playing a lot more golf. He and his wife Sue are also enjoying doing more travelling these days both in Australia and overseas.
Chairperson’s Honour Award
Andre Kropp
Andre Kropp
Employed by the Federal Group for the last 15 years as Executive Chef at The Henry Jones Art Hotel and now Wrest Point Hotel and Casino over seeing a Brigade of 70, Andre prides himself on investing his time to train and mentor young chefs in his brigade through competition, on site training and education to become sought after chefs in our industry.
Originating from Cape Town, South Africa, and with a career of over 30 years, Andre has worked extensively in Europe, Africa and now Australia and has regularly participated in international cooking competitions, including the Culinary Olympics 1996 and 2000 and Culinary World Cup 1998 representing South Africa. He was a member of the Australian National Culinary Team, winning gold and silver medals at the 2008 and 2012 Culinary Olympics in Germany, as well as the Singapore Culinary Challenge 2010. Andre was also selected to represent Australia at the international final of the MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge, where his team placed third in the world.
Andre Has recently represented Tourism Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government in Shanghai , cooking his menu at the SAVOUR CHINA Gala dinner at the Peninsula Hotel Shanghai for 350 guests.
Andre was the founding President of the Australian Culinary Federation – Tasmanian Chapter and in 2015 was elected to the position of National Vice President of the Australian Culinary Federation with the primary role of heading up the Culinary Committee, and overseeing all competition criteria for Regional and National competitions in Australia.
Inducted 2022
After completing formal qualifications in 1973 with a degree in Earth Sciences, and subsequent interesting vocational positions, Lindsay launched The Armory in 1980 as a Foodservice specialist communications agency.
Over years, with his business partner Lorraine Lovelock and trusted experienced professionals, The Armory has developed with the industry it is passionate about!
The company is seen as being at the forefront of Foodservice communications, and with its integrated marketing approach, has assisted many organisations in launching new Foodservice companies, brands and products.
The Armory has launched other foodservice specific assets, such as FSR WebMag, a web-based trade publication, Hello Foodservice Video Channel and recently FoodRadio, a podcast ‘radio style’ program.
"Foodservice is an exciting business to be in - if you're not, you don't know what you are missing!"
Lindsay was a founding Board member of the FSAA and has served on the Board since 2005. He has also supported the development of a number of other industry-based organisations such as the Australian Culinary Federation in a voluntary capacity.
Inducted 2017
With more than 50 years’ experience in the seafood industry, Harry Peters is an industry veteran.
Harry began his Seafood career with South African multinational Irvin and Johnson. He moved quickly up the ladder, becoming a Director of the company within 8 years. He left in 1978 to help establish a new business, All States Frozen Foods and to focus on what was to become a lifelong passion, the development of new and innovative products.
In 1984, Harry took the bold step of start his own company and Marine Product Marketing was established. Harry has continued his goal of bringing new products to market, with the introduction of several ‘firsts’ including: Harry is also a member, and has served on many important industry bodies, amongst them: • Current Vice Chairman of the Seafood Importers Association of Australia. • Previous foundation member of the FRDC Fish Naming committee selection panel. • Member of the AQIS Imported Food Consultative committee. • Member of the AQIS Imported Food Active Surveillance working group committee. Harry was awarded member of the Order of Australia in the Honor’s List Queens Birthday 2005
Inducted 2017
Sebastian’s Father forced him to sell the family’s excess home grown vegetables from the age of 12. Unknowingly Sebastian developed sales skills which later became invaluable when starting Galipo Foods in 1983.
Sebastian embarked on his journey in foodservice from humble beginnings when he started Galipo Foods with a one tonne truck & a few domestic fridges & freezers in his home garage. At the time he didn’t know what the word foodservice meant.
However over the following 34 years he has expanded Galipo Foods into a broad range foodservice distributor employing over 130 people with 42 trucks in South Australia. Sebastian is very proud of his loyal, committed & wonderful staff. He attributes winning numerous state & national awards as recognition of their efforts including the 2014 & 2016 FSAA National Distributor of the Year.
Sebastian has served 20 years as a Director of Countrywide Australia including 7 years as the Chairman of Countrywide. Chairman of the Super Group whilst maintaining his role as Managing Director of Galipo Foods.
Inducted 2017
Bruce has spent 30 years dealing with the Foodservice market in a range of positions and a variety of business sectors.
He had his own brokerage business for 7 years contracting to companies such as Nestle, Tetley Tea, Stimorol, Helene Curtis, Ballantyne and Huhtamaki across a number of market segments – Confectionary, Hair Care, Drinks, Food Ingredients and Packaging.
Bruce then spent a number of years in the Plastics and Steel industries before returning to the Foodservice sector in 2007 spending a year living in Shanghai setting up a company providing deodorising solutions to the hospitality sector.
In 2008 he took the reins of Robot Coupe Australia as Managing Director and has led it to the undisputed market leader in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian business is recognised as the number one performing business for Robot Coupe worldwide.
Since 2008 has been involved in the major industry associations as a board member, Vice President and President of NAFES ( National Association of Food Equipment Suppliers ) and board member, Treasurer and Vice Chairman of FSAA.
Inducted 2016
Growing up in London, Terry arrived in Australia in the early 80's after being offered a sales position with FSM. He progressed to Sales Director and then in 1995 agreed on a buy out with the then owner.
Since 1995 FSM has grown it's revenue significantly and is a predominant player in the supply of food service equipment to the major food service companies in Australia.
In 2011 Terry acquired a 50% share in Harbin Australia specialising in the frozen treat market for food service operators.
He also served on the steering committee for the original ICTF (International Catering Trade Fair) in the early 90's.
In 2005 Terry was invited to be a board member at the very beginning of the FSAA's existence and served as Chairman from 2007-2011.