David Pugh with Steve Moffatt on Moffat Carrot Farm holding fresh carrots

One of Queensland’s most celebrated chefs, David Pugh, has been recognised for a lifetime promoting local produce.

Executive Chef at the award winning Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), David Pugh has been selected as an #eatqld champion.

This latest accolade, along with The Courier Mail Food Awards 2019 Icon of the Year title acknowledges Pugh’s continuing advocacy and passion for the state’s finest produce and driving the use of sustainable and ethical practices in the local food industry.

Describing Pugh as ‘a world renowned chef’ Queensland’s Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner, said he was the perfect choice for the role of an #eatqld champion.

“As a former Queensland Ambassador Chef, David spent a number of years championing our local produce and developing a strong rapport with farmers and local growers and understanding the issues they faced getting their produce to market.”

The announcement was made at the third International Tropical Agriculture Conference, TropAg 2019 dinner, held last week at BCEC for which Pugh and his team created an all Queensland menu.

The menu for the dinner featured the very best of Queensland produce including spanner crab from the Fraser Coast, Moreton Bay bugs, prawns from Noosa, avocados from North Queensland, Wagyu beef from the Darling Downs and vegetables from the Scenic Rim.

Pugh, who is equally at home in the middle of a field of carrots in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, or crafting a fine dining experience showcasing local produce to thousands of national and international delegates, said being chosen as an #eatqld champion was a privilege and welcome recognition of the Centre’s strong focus on local produce.

“I’ve worked as a chef all over the world throughout my career, but nothing compares to Queensland produce. Queensland is the food bowl of Australia and I have always been proud to showcase it in my menus.”

“Right now our primary producers are doing it tough; years of drought have been compounded by flooding rains and now devastating bushfires, so every single Queensland venue needs to support our producers and buy local.”

BCEC’s food philosophy is built around the culture and practices of sourcing and showcasing locally produced and sustainable product. Pugh is living up to that philosophy as he seeks out new producers and family growers state wide, tasting and trialling farmed saltwater barramundi from the Coral Coast, a variety of fresh potatoes from the Atherton Tableland, flat mushrooms from Stapylton and triple cream brie from Woombye on the Sunshine Coast.

Direct media enquiries to:

Gail Sawyer, Marketing and Communications Manager

T: +61 7 3308 3023  M: 0439 733 509  E: gails@bcec.com.au