Bass Coast Business Awards finalists announced
We spoke to businesses around Bass Coast about their secrets to success. Find out what they said.
Bass Coast News
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The finalists for the Bass Coast Business Awards have been announced and businesses are excited to be recognised for their efforts.
Awards will be announced at the upcoming presentation dinner on at Silverwater Resort in San Remo.
This year the community’s participation in voting for their favourite local businesses was one of the highest it has been in the awards history with 1190 votes cast in the People’s Choice category.
There was also an increase in the number of businesses applying for the Judged Categories.
We asked the finalists what their secret to success was.
Here is what they said.
Outback Chef/Rhyll Wild Food Farm — Access, Equity and Inclusion, and Leadership
Outback Chef was created in 2005 by Jude Mayall and expanded to the Rhyll Wild Food Farm in 2020.
Outback Chef is now one of Australia’s leading suppliers of native herbs, spices, fruits and berries to the hospitality industry and home cooks.
The Rhyll Wild Food Farm is a homestead cafe that showcases the wonderful products Outback Chef sources.
Ms Mayall said it was a “great honour” to be a finalist in this years awards.
“We have an interesting business and it is a business of the moment,” she said.
“More and more people are interested in eating food from their land and being sustainable.”
Opening the food farm just before the first lockdown has meant Ms Mayall and her team have had to be “creative” from the beginning.
“The only thing that is for sure is that nothing is for sure,” she said.
“We just had to think about how we can change to survive.”
She said “determination and discipline” got her over the line during Covid but she will “keep the boxing gloves on” to keep fighting for her business.
Phillip Island Ten Pin Bowling — Access, Equity and Inclusion
Phillip Island Ten Pin Bowling and Entertainment Centre offers all abilities bowling, laser tag, table tennis, arcade games and a free toddlers play area.
They host bowling clubs and competitions and are a popular spot for local birthday parties and functions.
They are a finalist in the Access, Equity and Inclusion section and managing director Jeremy Westaway said the business had been successful at inclusion and accessibility since it opened its doors 17 years ago.
“Everything we do is to be inclusive,” he said.
They recently built a brand new, wheelchair friendly laser tag zone and have added new lanes for bowling to ensure everyone can have a go.
“We really strive to be accessible, no matter your age or ability,” Mr Westaway said.
“We are pretty proud that that’s our strength.”
Brinnie T Design — Access, Equity and Inclusion
Brinnie T Design was born from owner Jo Viney’s love of art, design and all things beautiful, especially her children Brina and Thomas who the business is named after.
She believes “your home should be a reflection of your personality and lifestyle and above all should be functional as well as beautiful”.
Brinnie T Design is based on Phillip Island and specialises in creating individual designs for homes, holiday rentals and business premises.
She is passionate about accessibility, having a disability herself and two children with aspersers.
“I am hoping I can use this as a platform to advocate for better accessibility,” she said.
She said people often forget disabled people have their own styles and aesthetics that deserved to be catered for.
“People think disability and they think of the person in the wheelchair but they don’t think of the whole person,” she said.
She believes Bass Coast has plenty of room to improve when it comes to accessibility and hopes she can drive real change.
Balance Health Phillip Island — Resilience and People’s Choice Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle
Balance Health Phillip Island are a health centre who provide physiotherapy, osteopathy, myotherapy and clinical pilates located in Cowes.
They said they are “so proud of how resilient Balance Health has been over the past year”.
“Congratulations to us and to our fellow finalists,” they said.
My 24/7 Gym — Resilience
My 24/7 Gym is a 24-hour gym in San Remo owned by Paul Cooper.
They are a small independent family owned facility who “have a great relationship with local members who are in turn are very supportive of the gym”, Mr Cooper said.
Gyms were hit hard over Covid and Mr Cooper has managed to keep his business not only running but thriving throughout.
“We‘re so excited to have been announced as a finalist for the Resilience Award at the 2022 Bass Coast Business Awards,” he said.
Mr Cooper also said he wanted to congratulate all the other finalists.
“We look forward to celebrating with you all at the Award Presentation Night,” he said.
VORTEX Surf Skate Snow — Resilience
VORTEX Surf, Skate and Snow is a shop in Wonthaggi.
They sell custom surfboards, clothing, hardware and accessories for riding.
VORTEX run an online store with free delivery to local areas which has seen them operate throughout Covid and its lockdowns.
“We are stoked to be selected as a finalist in the Bass Coast Business awards,” Owner, Steve Cousins said.
“The onset of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns from early 2020 brought about worrying and uncertain times for many local businesses, including ours.”
But he said with the support of locals and staff they were able to push through.
“With the amazing support of our local customers, great staff, and smart business strategy, we were not only able to survive but thrive and strengthen our business during these times.
To be nominated for the Bass Coast Business resilience award is an honour and we would like to thank our local community for their recognition and incredible ongoing support,” he said.
Bass Strait Direct — Environmental Sustainability, Business Innovation and People’s Choice Retail and Services
Bass Strait Direct‘s fish hits the shop directly from the boat via the San Remo pier.
They pride themselves on providing the best quality seafood from Flathead and Gummy flake to scallops and squid.
Their shop is located on Boys Home Road in Newhaven and is opened Tuesday-Sunday at differing hours.
They have recently undergone renovations as they continue to grow their business.
“We are Stoked to be a Finalist once again, it lets us know we are not losing our touch,” they said.
“To be nominated for both Innovation and Environment and Sustainability reiterates that we are putting our best foot forward in sustainability and making conscious decisions about the welfare of our environment.”
They said to once again be nominated for People’s Choice “meant the world” to them.
“We are so appreciative of the support of our community and love sharing our passion of seafood with everyone.”
“A Strong Team, Long Days, Dedicated hard work and a true Passion for quality Australian Seafood is what drives us to be successful.”
“We are so grateful to be able to continue to be a service to the community and in turn make connections and friendships with our long time customers.”
French Island Cottage — Environmental Sustainability
French Island Cottage offers “sustainable luxury” with two comfy queen-bed rooms, each with a private bathroom, sharing a lounge/kitchen with a cosy fire.
It is an “off-the grid adventure” and is only a short walk to the deserted beach of French Island and the national park.
French Island Cottage is located on 75 acres of diverse ecologies, which owners Alan and Mylene Pentland are “enthusiastically rejuvenating to help the environment”.
“Besides solar/battery electrics, recycling, and a small footprint approach to living on the land, our main achievement is the French Island 5000 Trees project to revegetate our land, creating a 20 hectare wildlife corridor between isolated sections of national park,” Mr Alan Pentland said.
He said they were “thrilled and honoured” to be a finalist.
“This is a milestone year as we have reached our planting target and the bio framework is in place. Our little BnB sits within this land and our visitors get to see the progress and observe the thriving wildlife, such as koalas, echidnas and diverse birds,” he said.
“Their wonderful feedback is important to us and by supporting our business they become part of the project, to improve the environment. We are all in this together.”
They were also nominated for the Bass Coast business awards in the sustainability category in 2021.
The Only Straw — Environmental Sustainability
Gurdies resident Glenn Dawson has been passionate about straws since 2013 when he owned two hotels in Indonesia.
His passion was brought to life when he opened The Only Straw in 2020.
The Only Straw is 100 per cent biodegradable and edible as it is made from tapioca flour and water.
They are vegan, gluten free and sea life friendly.
The Only Straw‘s break down in just a few days with a bit of rain and sun.
Under most elements, they will disappear in landfill.
They are also edible for all wildlife and sealife.
Mr Dawson said he was “pretty excited” to be a finalist for the environmental category of the awards.
“It’s a bit of an honour,” he said.
Now The Only Straw is stocked in multiple cafes and restaurant around the country.
Wildlife Coast Cruises — Environmental Sustainability and People’s Choice Tourism Attraction
Wildlife Coast Cruises has decades of experience operating cruises around Phillip Island, Seal Rocks, French Island, Westernport and Wilsons Promontory.
They are “proud leaders in eco-tourism” and have collected many environmental and tourism accreditations.
They said it “feels fantastic” to be nominated for a Bass Coast Business Award.
“We have been operating in the area for coming on 30 years next year and it’s always great to receive recognition for our tours,” they said.
“It‘s an amazing community to be part of and we’re alway appreciative of local support.”
They said they let the scenery and environment do a “lot of the talking” when it comes to creating “memorable experiences for passengers,” but their crew is also behind their success.
“We have a hard working and passionate crew and the company has an active focus on helping reduce our environmental impact, we hope that these things reflect in our operations and to customers that come on-board and contribute to the success of the company,” they said.
Silverwater Vineyard — Business Innovation
Hercules and Emily van der Walt bought an 18-acre property on Phillip Island after seeing it on a weekend away with their three kids.
They spent the next six years doing up the property and learning about wine and have now launched their own wine.
They said they are “thrilled to be a finalist” in the awards.
“We have worked so hard over the past eight years in order to get our business up and running,” Emily van der Walt said.
“It’s been a huge learning curve and being a finalist is very rewarding after all our hard work.”
Mrs van der Walt said she believed her families story was the key behind the businesses success.
“We offer excellent customer service and people love to hear our story. We offer a high quality product and people love they can drink wine from a vineyard that they drive past everyday,” she said.
“Everyone has been so supportive, it’s a great community that loves to support local.”
Terralab — Business Innovation
TerraLab is an Environmental and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) consultant that consults from San Remo.
The award is for their product, the STA logger.
The STA logger is a piece of electronics that is connected to tools used in the conservation, land management, public spaces and forestry fields that automatically logs data about the tools location and use, and reports it back to your desktop browser or mobile device in a web map.
It is improving ecological outcomes by providing a new type of data to decision makers and promoting the responsible use of herbicide.
It is sold all over the world and originates from the small Bass Coast town of San Remo.
Director and principal analyst Harley Schinagl said she applied for the award “on a whim” as she didn’t typically seek out recognition or awards.
“To be recognised as a finalist was both surprising, and humbling for our small team. Personally, the small bit of recognition is motivating and will help get me through those long days when I‘m still up at midnight debugging software or addressing international support requests” she said.
She recognised the work of her team and said it wouldn’t be possible without them.
“Our committed and talented employees are the engine-room,” she said.
“And we can’t forget about the expertise and quality we receive from our suppliers. Everyone is working towards the same goal, to up the technology game in ecological restoration and provide better environmental outcomes.”
Wattle Bank Farm — Business Innovation and People’s Choice Accommodation
At Wattle Bank Farm, there is an indoor growing facility for gourmet mushrooms, a dedicated area for horse riding, equine education and therapy and a farm stay available — all with access to the farm gate.
Their gourmet mushrooms, citrus and vegetable gardens are all grown using permaculture principles and the vision for the micro farm is to regenerate it and leave it better than when it began.
The owners also wish to share it with others and they do this by growing their Oyster Mushrooms and “making the farm accessible for others to come and grow, rejuvenate and heal”.
“Peter and I are thrilled and humbled at the nomination. As newcomers to the Gippsland community, we are so happy to be contributing to the region through our our agri tourism farm,” Beatrice Imbert said.
Maru Koala and Animal Park — Leadership
Maru is a family run wildlife park, min golf course, shop and cafe.
Neroli Heffer and her husband Ian run the business after they took over from Ruth Heffer, Ian’s mother.
Mrs Heffer said the pair were glowing with the acknowledgment of being a finalist.
“Being a husband and wife running a family business, it is a great feeling to be acknowledged as a finalist among so many great businesses in our Shire,” she said.
She said it was only possible because of their “dedicated team” made up of staff and volunteers.
“It is gratification for our dedicated team for their professional level of commitment that we ourselves hold in the highest esteem,” she said.
Mrs Heffer said the pandemic threw many challenges at the business but as a team they had worked together to overcome each one and come out the other side.
“Our businesses success through these past challenging years of the pandemic has been based upon staying connected with our staff, domestic market and local community and ensuring that they know just how much we value them as a key part of our future,” she said.
Sunscape Solar — Leadership and People’s Choice Trades and Services
Sunscape Solar is a family owned electrical company who specialise in solar power installation.
They are based in Grantville but have installed over 2000 systems throughout Victoria.
They pride themselves on customer service and “walk customers through it step-by-step so they don’t get overwhelmed”.
They said they were “really honoured” to once again be nominated.
“We have a great team who work hard to deliver great service to our customers, day in and day out, and to receive this kind of industry recognition is fantastic feedback for what we are doing,” they said.
“It’s great encouragement that we are on the right track, and to keep doing what we do.”
Linen House Phillip Island — Marketing and Communications and People’s Choice Retail and Services
Linen House opened their Phillip Island store just under a year ago and have been blown away by the support of the community.
Store manager Leanne Haringsma said their old fashioned focus on customer service coupled with expert knowledge was their secret to success.
“Not only do we have a fantastic product and provide styling guidance but we greet every customer with warmth and friendliness,” she said.
Ms Haringsma said the team at Linen House wanted to thank the local community for their support.
“Thank you so much to all our customers who have chosen to visit or enter our store,” she said.
“To say the least we are extremely proud.”
Bass Coast Boat and Caravan Storage — Marketing and Communications and People’s Choice Retail and Services
Bass Coast Boat and Caravan Storage are located in Glen Forbes and provide external and undercover storage space for boats and caravans.
They pride themselves on affordable prices and secure storage spots.
Director Jenni Lewandowski said being a finalist felt like a “pat on the back” after all the hard work.
“We are thrilled to be a finalist in this year’s Bass Coast Business Awards. We have been lucky enough to be nominated the past four years, which we think comes back to the genuine customer service that we provide,” she said.
“We are really looking forward to celebrating with other local businesses at the awards night too. Last year we missed out because a family member had Covid, so we will make a night this year.”
Connect2 Electrical Solutions — Marketing and Communications and People’s Choice Trades and Services
After growing up on Phillip Island, Kiah Frederiks established Connect2 Electrical Solutions in 2009.
They offer a “one-stop-shop” approach to electrical services for residential homes and commercial businesses.
Mr Frederiks said “Connect2 Electrical Solutions quickly built a solid reputation for being a dependable electrical contractor, building long term relationships with customers on the Bass Coast”.
“We‘ve been servicing the Bass Coast for 13 years, so to be acknowledged for all our efforts and work is really great! It came as a surprise for us.”
“I don’t think there is a secret behind our success, we’re always striving to deliver a great service, I think it’s just a matter of working hard and doing a good job,” he said.
NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park — People’s Choice Accommodation
NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park is “the ultimate base” to explore the best of the island.
It is located in Cowes, right on the beachfront.
Its features include beachfront cabins, beachfront powered sites and camping.
“We were stoked to hear were finalists for the Bass coast business awards,” Park Manger Daniel Rutter said.
“It means a lot to us as its the guests that get to vote for this category.”
The secret behind their success according to Mr Rutter is their team.
“Our staff are great and we know we can rely on them no matter what,” he said.
He said they also always ask themselves what they would want if they were the customer which he said helps make the experience as good as it can be for their visitors.
“We want all of our guests to leave feeling like they have had an awesome experience,” he said.
Harman Wines — People’s Choice Food and Beverage
Owners and founders of Harman Wines, David and Nicole Harman, have created “a pretty special place”.
Almost 20 years ago they set about establishing the vineyard, building the winery and cellar door, and planting an orchard and kitchen garden.
Today visitors can come along and “Meet, Eat & Drink” in a “relaxed comfortable environment surrounded by the tranquil views”.
Mrs Harman said the entire team was “thrilled” to be a finalist in the awards this year.
“We are incredibly proud to again be named as a finalist in the Bass Coast Business Awards this year,” she said.
“It‘s a wonderful acknowledgement and achievement for our business and we thank our loyal customers for supporting us and what we do at Harman Wines.”
Like other businesses Mrs Harman said their amazing staff are behind their success.
“When asked what would you say is behind our success we would have to say it’s our staff, our amazing Harman Wines crew who work together to welcome our visitors and offer them the best possible cellar door experience. We cannot thank them enough,” she said.
Hotel Phillip Island — People’s Choice Food and Beverage
Hotel Phillip Island is a part of Phillip Island’s furniture and for the past 20 years has been delivering, food, drinks and good times to locals and visitors.
They strive to bring a unique dining experience not found anywhere else on Phillip Island.
General Manager Dale Larkin said it was a shock to even be nominated for the award.
“We just focus on our four walls and when we do we achieve unbelievable results,” he said.
Mr Larkin said over the past five years Hotel has been transformed from “just another pub and nightclub” into a “nice intimate restaurant”.
“We pride ourselves on 100 percent table service inside the venue. The beer and wine here you can’t get anywhere else on the Island. We are not your old school pub,” he said.
Mr Larkin also said it has been a huge team effort over the past five years to get them to this point.
“Everyone plays a role in the running of the venue,” he said.
“The team should be super, super proud.”
He said they are looking forward to the awards night but will be happy regardless of the results.
“Just to be recognized in the top three is an achievement in itself. We are not expecting anything else to come by it, but if it does then...wow,” he said.
Hotel is launching their new asian fusion spring menu this week.
Mon Dieu — People’s Choice Food and Beverage
Mon Dieu is a cafe on Phillip Island with a focus on fresh and healthy food.
They have been in business for almost a year now and owner and head chef Gav Panesar said their focus on “farm to folk” is what makes them stand out and be worth of a finalists position.
“We buy from locals and make everything here on site,” he said.
They have their own gardens and will very shortly have a fully gluten free menu.
“We are living in 2022, you should be able to provide creative dishes for gluten free and vegan diners,” he said.
“Our menu is accommodating for everyone.”
Mr Panesar said in under a year they have already received three awards and acknowledgments and this was a credit to the wonderful team behind him.
“It is a great honour to be a finalist but it wouldn’t be possible without the whole team,” he said.
“The credit goes to them before me.”
Hair by Sarah Azzato — People’s Choice Hair and Beauty
A qualified hairdresser, who has been hairdressing for 20 years, Sarah Azzato was disappointed with the lack of affordable, truly organic hair products that were available for her customers.
This disappointment gave rise to Hair by Sarah Azzato products.
They are 100 per cent organic and chemical free, vegan, Australian-owned and made cruelty-free, and affordable.
She said it feels “amazing” for her and her team to be a finalist.
“We put everything into making the salon a place where everyone is welcome, and we are so humbled that our beautiful clients have voted for us,” she said.
Graham Lyle Insurance — People’s Choice Online, Mobile and Home Based Business
Graham Lyle began his career in insurance in 2001, working in claims at an international insurance broker.
In the last decade Mr Lyle has specialised in assisting business, farm, commercial and domestic insurance customers safeguarding their assets and risks.
He said it was “very rewarding” to be a finalist.
“We are experiencing better than expected growth and to have our clients nominate us for this popular award is a great reflection of their satisfaction with our price and service,” he said.
Mr Lyle said he believed the secret behind his success was a mixture of things.
“Our success is based on providing genuine customer service, being available locally, contactable outside of business hours including weekends, providing trusted and experienced advice. We know our clients by name and we never take our customers for granted,” he said.
Island Cookie Box — People’s Choice Online, Mobile and Home Based Business
Based on Phillip Island, Island Cookie Box is a home based, small business run by Brooke Hill.
She started her business at the beginning of the pandemic after realising she no longer wanted to work in a corporate environment.
She took a gamble opening the business but it has paid off.
“Hey, it worked,” she said.
Ms Hill said she was “very surprised” to be a finalist in the awards.
“I had no idea that was coming,” she said.
Island Cookie Box is a “unique” and “very personal” business which is what Ms Hill believes is behind its success.
“I want to get to know every customer and I love creating,” she said.
Lioness Fit — People’s Choice Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle
An all women's training community based in Cowes, Lioness Fit was founded by Kellie Talbot when she moved to the area and felt it was lacking in fitness options for women.
Lioness Fit are passionate about “helping women of all abilities reach their fullest potential” and run a wide range of classes to cater to women of all training levels and life-stages.
Ms Talbot “took a gamble” and opened her business in the middle of the pandemic — a gamble which ended up paying off.
“People couldn’t go anywhere, do anything or see friends or family so why not buy a pack of passes to get fit,” she said.
Wonthaggi Allied Health — People’s Choice Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle
Physiotherapy, dietetics, AHA, NDIS support and more is offered at Wonthaggi Allied Health.
Directors Candice and Nick Leitch said they were “so excited” to be finalists.
“Our client’s are absolutely the reason behind our success. All of our staff have such fantastic, caring relationships with all of our clients,” they said.
Wonthaggi Allied Health staff said credit should go to their bosses Nick and Candice.
“This definitely stems from our wonderful bosses, Nick and Candice Leitch who are the most supportive and kind leaders,” staff said.
Gippy Organics-People’s Choice Online, Mobile and Home Based Business
Gippy Organics is an online store, providing the convenience of fresh seasonal certified organic fruit and vegetables.
They said they were “flattered” by the nomination into the awards.
“We are very flattered by the nomination, and so humbled that our customers loved our service so much,” they said.
Gippy Organics has stopped operating since they were nominated for the award but said they were still so grateful.
“We are so sad to have had to close shop, and we really miss all of our chats with our wonderful customers, but the decision was made for personal health reasons,” they said.
“We have received so many beautiful messages from our customers since, and now with the award nomination we just feel so humbled.”
Shima Hair Salon-People’s Choice Hair and Beauty
Owner of Shima Hair Salon, Cobi Franklin, said her entire team was so proud to be finalists.
“The girls and I are so happy to be a finalist for the second year in a row, we take much pride in our work and the salon, so it‘s nice that our clients can see that and for them to nominate us,” she said.
Rotary Hydraulic Engineering, and Hair by Karra were all also finalists.
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