Show steward John Attwood said the show only attracted 19 oils, but all except two reached the standard for a medal.

“The show went really well,” he said. “It was quite a successful show although entry list was low.”

The show is in its 10th year and the most they have had entered previously was 60.

Mr Attwood said the average season was the main reason entries were down from local growers, although the show attracted entries from all over NSW and Victoria.

He said in the past they had entries from all mainland states, but he didn’t know why this wasn’t the case this year.

Mr Attwood said it was not a great season around the region with a few of the groves hit with a hail storm just as fruit was setting.

Moonbi’s David and Justine George from Tanglewood won The Best Oil by a Local Exhibitor, the Lang Martin Memorial Award, and scored a silver medal with their oil.

The Best In Show was won by Vara Podio Gold that scored a gold medal and hailed from Baronga.

Tamworth Regional Council mayor Col Murray presented the certificates to all medal winners.

Mr Attwood said the region, including Moree, had a good name for producing olive oil.

“Gwydir Oils out at Moree have quite an extensive grove and do quite well and are quite busy promoting their oil,” he said.

“Around Tamworth there are quite a few small groves, but it is very much a boutique industry around here.”

Hand-picked freshness the key 

FRESHNESS is the good oil from Moonbi olive grower Justine George.

Mrs George and her husband, David, picked up The Best Oil by a Local Exhibitor at the 10th NSW Northern Olive Oil Show on Saturday night.

“We’re fully hands-on from the moment that we pick the olives, we take pride in making sure everything is fresh and there are no damaged olives and we get it to the processors straight away,” she said.

“Freshness is the key. To have the best local oil, I was ecstatic.”

The olive oil Tanglewood produces is truly a local product, grown in Moonbi and processed in Limbri.

It’s also very much a family affair.

“My family and I handpick the olives and I have my kids and my parents picking, so it’s the whole family involved,” she said.

The family have owned the property for five years and have been winning awards for their oils over the past three years.

Their oil also won silver and bronze medals at the show.