The project - sponsored and presented by Primary Industries and with the local help and contact of food officer Penny Nemeth - has been wide-ranging over many months and addressed the concerns of producers voiced through their industry group Good Food KI and other avenues.

The Food Centre’s Robyn Millar has brought a particular passion and enthusiasm to her role in co-ordinating the project.

It included producers, retailers and users of food, such as restaurants.

Skills learned have ranged from using island ingredients in practical cooking sessions right through to bar-coding and packaging.

The sum of the various parts of this project has been to increase not only technical skills across the food industry but to also instill confidence about Kangaroo Island produce and our capabilities.

It is also another step in defining who we are as a food and wine region, how we want to portray and market ourselves.

News of a branding plan for the island therefore seems timely, even if rumours preceding last week’s meeting had caused anxiety among producers.

It now seems clear that the island will drive this project and strong leadership will be needed from Good Food KI on this matter to keep the momentum of confidence and growth that has come from Taste of KI.

Food producers will proceed with caution, as they should, to ensure they have the capacity and consistency to meet any new markets.

Whatever transpires for the future, the success of our newest producers will be due in part to the lessons learnt and networking established from the Taste of KI project.