The Smokehouse came away with gold awards for its smoked salmon portions as well as its smoked salmon whole side.

For both of these categories, Eden Smokehouse was awarded a score of 94 out of 100, which was high enough to earn it the prestigious Champion Salmon prize.

This is the first time Eden Smokehouse has won a champion exhibit award since 2008 when it walked away with the same prize. 

Owner Stan Soroka said the local producer was hoping to do well, but that he was “absolutely stoked” to be named champion.

“There was some fierce competition, but now everyone knows this is the best smoked salmon you can buy,” he said.

“We have a philosophy here, if it doesn’t have a wow factor, we’re not interested.”

As well as the two golds, the Smokehouse also won a silver award for its Salmon Gravlax, two silvers for smoked ocean trout, a gold for its Ocean Trout Gravlax and a bronze for its Smoked Rainbow Trout.

“We haven’t launched our Ocean Trout Gravlax commercially yet, so to win a gold with a new product is really something special,” Mr Soroka said.

The Far South Coast also tasted plenty more success with Tathra Oysters named Champion Aquaculture Product across all 27 classes being judged and Champion Sydney Rock Oyster.

On top of that, its rock oysters received two gold medals and two silvers.

Sapphire Oysters of Millingandi also claimed a gold medal for its “Sapphire Pearls, bistro” rock oyster entry and a silver for its “Sapphire Gems, bottle”. 

Silvers also went to Two Blokes Food of Tura Beach; Southern Cross Oysters Pambula; Black Bull Pastoral Company; Hazelgrove Oysters; Merimbula Gourmet Oysters; Superior Oysters of Merimbula and Mills Oysters of Merimbula.