A family-owned dairy company in Dubbo, Little Big Dairy, officially makes one of the best creams in Australia and it is also in the running for this year's coveted Rhino Awards.
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"We're really excited and it means so much to us," Campbell Chesworth, a sixth generation of the dairy farming Duncan-Chesworth family said of the nomination they recently received.
The Dubbo Chamber of Business and Industry has opened at least 18 coveted categories for the 2022 Rhino Awards sponsored by the chamber and SJ Shooter Real Estate.
On top of the accolades it received, Little Big Dairy has been awarded this year's Champion Cream by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and the Dairy Industry Association of Australia.
In between assisting his sister Emma Elliott run the dairy farm and milk processing factory at Rawsonville, Mr Chesworth had dashed to Sydney to receive both awards on the family's behalf last week.
The company won two of the DIAA awards, the Ecolab Award for Champion Cream as well as the BVAQ Champion Award for dip, cream and dessert category.
From among the cheese and dairy entries at the 2022 Sydney Royal Show attended by Princess Anne, RAS has awarded the Champion Cream to Little Big Dairy's single-source double cream.
The family's company makes a range of popular dairy products at its processing site on the farm such as milk, flavoured milk, and cream mainly, and are sold at Harris Farms stores in NSW and ACT and other retailers, as well as cafes and coffee shops.
Over the years, Little Big Dairy has been garnering awards at agricultural shows and exhibitions but the prestigious RAS and DIAA awards have made the brand well known in Australia's dairy and food industries.
"We've really had a good couple of weeks. It means so much to us because it's validating all the hard work that's being done from every stage of processing milk from the farm through to the jar," Mr Chesworth said.
The farm's current herd of 800 Holstein cows produces 11 million litres of milk daily, the milking managed by their father Stephen Chesworth and other family members to ensure they are producing the best milk as they have done for generations.
"We control the whole supply chain from planning the grass in the paddock, breeding the cows, to milking and processing the milk and putting the products into jars," Mr Chesworth said.
The dairy company went into commercial production in 2012, and they are proud to say their products are locally made within a kilometre of the paddock where their Holstein herd grazes, Mr Chesworth said.
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Chamber president Errin Williamson said they were excited to see the growing list of nominated local businesses from the region and they want to see many more of the hardworking entrepreneurs put their hands up.
Others in the running for the Rhino Awards include Dubbo RSL Health Club, Delroy Terry White Chemart, and The Westbury.
"This award is such a great way to recognise the hard work our local businesses have put in over the past 12 months. To be able to look back and reflect over that, and for their teams to say, 'wow, we've achieved that while in hard times for all businesses' is really important," Ms Williamson.
The public will be able to nominate and vote for their favourite local business by clicking the chamber's link for entries here. Nominations for the Rhino Awards close on August 7. The winners are announced at a cocktail party at Western Plains Taronga Zoo on September 16 and awarding night at Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre on October 21.
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