Three Mornington Peninsula businesses have gone head-to-head with the best producers in the country and come out on top, taking home national and state awards that put the region firmly on Australia's food and wine map.
Southern Seagreens was recently named Sustainability Trailblazer at the 2026 Melbourne Food and Wine Legends Awards, recognising its work developing Australia's emerging commercial kelp farming industry.
Its Dromana nursery is where the business cultivates young native giant kelp before transferring it to its offshore farm in the Flinders Aquaculture Fisheries Reserve. Southern Seagreens also harvests wild wakame and transforms it into a range of food products, bringing an innovative approach to seaweed production on the Peninsula.
Melbourne Food and Wine recognised Southern Seagreens for its pioneering work in regenerative aquaculture and its efforts to establish commercial kelp farming in Australia.
"What we're doing is really new for Australia. We're learning how to breed kelp and farm it at sea, which hasn't been done commercially before here," Southern Seagreens co-founder Cam Hines told Melbourne Food and Wine.
Flinders Mussels took out the From the Sea award at the 2026 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards, one of Australia's most prestigious food accolades. Founded in 1999 by local mussel farmer Michael "Harry" Harris, the family-run business grows premium blue mussels in the Flinders Aquaculture Fisheries Reserve. Renowned for their flavour and quality, the mussels have helped establish Flinders Mussels as one of Australia's most respected shellfish producers.
Elanto Vineyard in Balnarring was named Best New Winery at the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, the industry's benchmark national wine guide. Founded by experienced Mornington Peninsula vigneron Sandro Mosele, the boutique winery has gained attention for its carefully managed high-density vineyard and premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The award recognises Elanto as one of Australia's most promising emerging wine producers.
"We're a small family-run business, and caring for the land is at the heart of everything we do. Around 98 per cent of our farming practices are organic, and herbicides have never been used on the property. We're committed to producing quality wine while looking after the environment for future generations," Sandro said.
Mayor Cr Stephen Batty said these achievements reflect the quality, innovation and dedication that continue to define the region's food and wine sector.
"Their success on the national stage is a credit to the producers behind these businesses and further strengthens the Peninsula's reputation as a place where visitors can enjoy world-class food, wine and produce," Cr Batty said.
Together, these wins show the Mornington Peninsula holding its own against the country's top food and beverage producers, from regenerative aquaculture to premium cool-climate wine. It's a $1.3 billion sector spanning horticulture, grazing, poultry, cropping and artisan food production, increasingly recognised as one of Australia's standout food and wine regions.
Mornington Peninsula Shire supports this growth through its Food Economy and Agroecology Strategy 2022-2028, which helps build a resilient local food economy and strengthen the region's food and agriculture sector.
With Christmas menu planning underway, there's no better time to explore the farmgates, cellar doors and local producers behind these award-winning names. Discover fresh seasonal produce, local flavours and handcrafted products while supporting the growers, makers and producers who help define the region.
Start your journey at mpp.mornpen.vic.gov.au and explore Unearthed: The Stories Behind the Produce, celebrating the local farmers and producers behind the food on your plate.
Supporting local has never tasted so good.
Above image: Cam Hines, Southern Seagreens, photo by Richard Cornish.
Main news image: Sandro Mosele (middle). Photo by Peter Rohen
