Emma Robertson's win adds to Wintulichs Smallgoods honours at national charcuterie 2024 awards in Sydney

Emma Robertson, senior smallgoods maker with South Australia's Wintulichs, made history in 2024 as the first woman to accept a top honour at the Australian Meat Industry Council national charcuterie awards in Sydney. Wintulichs built repute for products such as garlic mettwurst, drawing on German traditions brought by Jakob Wintulich (at left in inset). to the Gawler business from his first shop in Tanunda in the Barossa Valley.
Images courtesy Australian Meat Industry Council and Wintulichs Smallgoods.

South Australia’s Wintulichs Smallgoods senior maker Emma Robertson in 2024 became the first woman to win a major Australian Meat Industry Council national charcuterie award in Australia.

Wintulichs took home four gold medals and the title of Australia’s best double smoked slicing ham at the awards in Sydney. The gold awards were for Wintulich’s long bacon belly, hot chilli jerky, chicken and bacon kransky and the double smoked slicing ham.

The Wintulichs tradition in South Australia started with Jakob Wintulich bringing his German expertise to his first shop in Tanunda that opened in 1909 in the Barossa Valley before the business moved to Gawler. A long-time family business until 1995, Wintulichs kept to its tradition and a local emphasis. The brand gained repute for providing unique flavours created through its process with European smoke ovens. It used red gum from the Barossa Valley that didn’t overwhelm the meat’s flavour but provided a light smokiness.

With a strong leaning towards its historic German traditions, Wintulichs developed more than 40 products including the famed garlic mettwurst. Other products included pepperoni, krankys, biesticks, ham, bacon and beef jerky. Its smallgoods were 100% gluten free and available at independent retailers throughout Australia, with an export range suited to different markets.

Other South Australian brands, such as Barossa Fine Foods, Mike’s Beef Jerky and Skara Smallgoods, also made a strong showing at the 2024 Australian charcuterie excellence awards.

Also from South Australia, the awards head judge and Australian Meat Industry Council’s national smallgoods council chair Franz Knol, was impressed by the competition standard in 2024. Another judge and Sydney chef Adam Moore said: “In Australia, we have some amazing artisans and producers that are creating phenomenal products.”

The 2024 award winners had the chance to compete on a global stage at the IFFA, a leading international trade fair for the meat and protein industry in Frankfurt in 2025.