SA's top food and health writers announced at Galliova Awards

CEO of the South African Poultry Association and MC, Kevin Lovell, explained the egg's relevance to the awards and hence the Association's sponsorship. According to the International Egg Commission, he said, locally, over the past three years, eggs have grown in production by 350%, and South African farmers produce approximately seven billion each year. He said, "The egg is an ingredient of our past, present and future," and this is what these awards are all about within the context of the media industry, recognising food and health journalists specifically.

Moreover, he mentioned some exciting changes, such as the new Egg Champion and Up-and-coming Writer of the Year awards, and an increase in the prize money. The judging panel has also updated the scoring sheet and instead of only selecting the winner from all the finalists, they now further shortlist the top five candidates (see below) within each category.

Before announcing the winners, Galliova judge and award-winning local chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, gave a brief presentation and played a mind-blowing egg-related video created at his leading restaurant, The Test Kitchen. A key takeout is that he believes that the use of modern media and photography to illustrate the process [of cooking] and philosophy is the future. "The way forward is to use imagery to identify the process and get the message across quickly and clearly," he said.

Galliova 2014 winners

Lovell announced the winners in order of the three affiliated awards, saving the two main categories for last, respectively: the Galliova Egg Champion for the writer who uses the most eggs in creative ways along with visually appealing egg-related visuals; the Up-and-coming Food Writer of the Year; the Galliova Health Writer of the Year; the Galliova Food Writer of the Year (newspapers and weeklies); and the Galliova Food Writer of the Year (magazines).

This year's Egg Champion is Anke Roux of Fresh Living. Hannah Lewry of Taste, and House and Leisure was awarded Up-and-coming Writer of the Year. The Galliova Health Writer of the Year 2014 is Anna Rich of Fairlady. The Galliova Writer of the Year (newspapers and weeklies) went to Carmen Niehaus of You/Huisgenoot, and the Galliova Writer of the Year (magazines) to Diane Heierli of Good Taste and Winestyle.

Top five finalists within each category

In alphabetical order

Egg Champion

• Abigail Donnelly - Taste
  
• Aletta Lintvelt - Weg/GO
  
• Anke Roux - Fresh Living
  
• Debbie Reynolds - The Mercury
  
• Hannah Lewry - Taste, House and Leisure

Up-and-coming Writer of the Year

• Esther Malan - You/Huisgenoot
  
• Gotlhokwang Angoma - Women's Health
  
• Hannah Lewry - Taste, House and Leisure
  
• Hope Malau - Drum
  
• Pia-Alexa Duarte - Fresh Living

Galliova Health Writer of the Year

• Anna Rich - Fairlady
  
• Christa Swanepoel - Vrouekeur
  
• Glynis Horning - Life Health Care, Oprah, Child, Cosmopolitan
  
• Gotlhowkang Angoma - Women's Health
  
• Salomé Delport - Rooi Rose

Galliova Food Writer of the Year (newspapers and weeklies)

• Arina Du Plessis - Landbouweekblad
  
• Carmen Niehaus - You/Huisgenoot
  
• Hilary Biller - Sunday Times Food Weekly
  
• Hope Malau - Drum
  
• Jenny Kay and Janice Lupini - The Star (joint entry)

Galliova Food Writer of the Year (magazines)

• Abigail Donnelly - Taste
  
• Diane Heierli - Good Taste and Winestyle
  
• Johané Neilson - Tuis/Home
  
• Louisa Holst - Ideas/Idees
  
• Vickie de Beer - Rooi Rose