28/08/2026
I Almost Didn’t Enter… Then We Won 3 Golds & a Silver 🏆🔥
Sometimes, the hardest competition isn’t the one standing across from you.
It’s the one inside your own head.
Three years ago, I was asked to enter the Melbourne Royal Australian Food Awards.
My answer?
“I’m not ready yet.”
I kept saying it.
I’m not ready.
Maybe next year.
I need to improve a few things first.
I’m not quite there yet.
And year after year, I found another reason to wait.
Until this year.
When I finally decided that maybe I didn’t need to be “ready”.
Maybe I just needed to be brave enough to try.
But even then, I almost didn’t enter.
Those familiar voices started creeping back in.
“You don’t have a chance.”
“You’re only a small artisan brand.”
“Look at all the incredible brands entering.”
“What if your products aren’t good enough?”
For a moment, I listened.
But then I remembered why I started.
This isn’t just chilli oil.
These recipes carry my family’s history.
They carry memories of my mum, the flavours I grew up with and traditions that have been passed down through generations.
What started as a family recipe became a dream.
That dream became Proud Phoenix & Co.
And somewhere along the way, I realised that waiting until you feel completely ready can mean waiting forever.
So I entered.
And then came the results.
🏆 MELBOURNE ROYAL FOOD AWARDS 2026
🥇 Crunchy Garlic Chilli Oil — GOLD
🥇 Hot & Fiery Crispy Chilli Oil — GOLD
🥇 Hot Honey Crunch — GOLD
🥈 Zesty Chilli Lime Salt — SILVER
3 GOLD MEDALS.
1 SILVER MEDAL.
Four products entered.
Four products awarded.
Three of them GOLD.
I honestly don’t have the words to explain what that feels like.
Because when you’re building something from the ground up, it’s so easy to focus on everything you haven’t achieved yet.
The next goal.
The next order.
The next stockist.
The next challenge.
You forget to stop and look back.
To realise just how far you’ve actually come.
So today, I’m stopping.
I’m taking a moment to celebrate.
Not just the medals.
But the journey that led to them.
The early mornings.
The late nights.
The endless cooking.
The batches that didn’t go right.
The recipes that needed tweaking.
The moments I wanted to give up.
The moments I questioned myself.
And all those times I wondered:
“Am I actually good enough to do this?”
These medals answered that question for me.
❤️ Believe In Your Craft
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from my story, it’s this:
Believe in your craft.
Three years ago, I thought I wasn’t ready.
This year, I finally took the leap.
And perhaps I was never going to feel completely ready.
Maybe being ready isn’t about having everything figured out.
Maybe it’s simply having the courage to put your work out into the world and say:
“This is what I have created. And I’m proud of it.”
So if you’re sitting there wondering whether you’re good enough…
If you’re waiting for the perfect time…
If you’re comparing yourself to bigger, more established businesses…
Don’t let that stop you.
Take the chance.
Enter the competition.
Send the product.
Make the phone call.
Put yourself out there.
Because you never know what can happen when you stop listening to the voice that says “you can’t” and start listening to the one that says:
“Why not?”
Three years after being asked to enter, Proud Phoenix & Co finally stepped onto the Melbourne Royal stage.
And we came home with 3 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal.
What started with a family recipe has now been recognised on one of Australia’s most respected food stages.
And that is something I will carry with me forever.
To the judges at Melbourne Royal, thank you for recognising the quality, passion and craftsmanship behind Proud Phoenix & Co.
To my family, thank you for giving me the recipes, the inspiration and the foundation to build this dream.
To every stockist who took a chance on a small artisan brand.
And to every customer who has bought a jar, shared a post, recommended us to a friend, brought our chilli oil to the dinner table or simply told me how much you love it…
Thank you.
You have helped turn a little family dream into something much bigger than I ever imagined.
Three years ago, I said:
“I’m not ready yet.”
Today, I can finally say:
“I’m ready for whatever comes next.”
🔥 Proud Phoenix & Co
From our family recipes to your table.
3 Gold. 1 Silver. One very Proud Phoenix. 🏆🔥
