Former Gunnedah schoolgirl Sharon Winsor has won the Bill Granger Trailblazer Award at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide event this month.
The highly successful business entrepreneur was recognised for her native foods catering business, Indigiearth, which she founded almost three decades ago.”
“I almost didn’t attend this evening’s awards because I felt like I didn’t belong in a room full of influential people of the hospitality world,” Sharon told her Indigiearth Facebook followers post-event.
“A quick message to my beautiful friend Kylie Kwong this morning quickly changed that when I was told to be there.
“I had no idea and was not expecting to be in the running or to win an award tonight. I literally burst into tears and started shaking.”
Born in Gunnedah and raised in Rocky Glen, Sharon describes herself as an educator, storyteller, executive chef, and leader who shares insights from her life’s experiences.
The prominent local woman is one of the most awarded and successful indigenous chefs in the country.
Indigiearth, meanwhile, which is headquartered in Mudgee, has grown into one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal owned businesses.
“I grew up out bush, a little place called Rocky Glen, out near Pilliga and at a time when eating bush foods was frowned upon by everyone else as they thought it was dirty food. We had to hide it,” Sharon said.
“Twenty nine years ago when I started business I was told by a business consultant that my business idea would never work, that bush foods did not belong on a plate or a table on a restaurant. That report prevented me from getting some support to help kick start the business. I have taken the long road to where I am now in business and in life, and I am truly humbled and grateful for the love, acknowledgement and recognition.
“I want to pay special recognition to my children, Kirralaa and Maliyan who have been my biggest supporters, believed and trusted in my vision to break cycles, create a better life, all while healing from trauma and hardships.”
In February 2022, Sharon featured in the Gunnedah Times feature segment ‘Where are they now?’ by respected local journalist, Marie Hobson.
In the article, Sharon says she has always have been proud of both sides of her family and heritage – Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.
“I am proud of where I have come from,” she said.
She recalled her early school years in Coonabarabran and later, St Mary’s College in Gunnedah.
Sharon described her love of horses, early employment career in Sydney, mental health and family challenges and her beginnings in business.
“My biggest achievement is that I’m still here, I’m still in business, I battled the odds, the ups and downs, depression, domestic violence, marriage breakdown, loss of my first child, and financial ruin once in my life, but I have survived, my culture never gave up on me and the fire in my belly gets stronger,” she said.
Today, Sharon also serves as the one of the specialist taskforce advisors to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and recently remarked on good discussion at roundtable meeting with fellow business owners.
“I’m extremely honoured and proud to be in such a position and play a part in helping build prosperity and economic development in our communities and families through business development,” Sharon wrote on her Linkedin post soon after her appointment.
“I’m playing my part in a journey that my old people started a long time ago. I have been in business almost three decades and have plenty of lived experience in this space. Our voice and knowledge has to be now recognised.”
The roundtable discussion which Sharon was involved in, included dialogue on creating new pathways, boosting Aboriginal cultural tourism in NSW, outlining the benefits of collaboration between businesses, and empowering regional Aboriginal businesses.
Tourism Research Australia data confirms NSW is the number one destination in the nation for Aboriginal tourism.
Almost 800,000 overnight visitors, more than half of them from overseas (497,100), participated in an Aboriginal tourism experience in NSW during 2024.
