‘I never allowed myself to dream this big’: First Nations woman wins Bill Granger Trailblazer Award

Sharon Winsor, the founder of native foods company Indigiearth, did not expect to win the Bill Granger Trailblazer Award at The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide event on Monday. In fact, she wasn’t sure why she was invited to a ceremony with Sydney and Canberra’s most influential hospitality figures, and didn’t plan to attend.

But, on the insistence of her friend, celebrity chef Kylie Kwong, Winsor arrived just in time to hear the 500-strong crowd at Carriageworks erupt into cheers, celebrating her work in taking Australian bush food to the world.

“I literally burst into tears and started shaking,” Winsor says. “I was not expecting to be in the running, or to win, an award tonight.”

Winsor’s humility belies her standing as one of Australia’s leading female First Nations entrepreneurs. The proud Ngemba Weilman woman founded native foods catering business Thulli Dreaming in 1997, and relaunched the company as Indigiearth in 2010. Now, Indigiearth is a major national and international source of wild-harvested Indigenous ingredients including saltbush, Davidson plum and lemon myrtle.

Winsor was recognised as this year’s Trailblazer for fundamentally changing the way Australians think about native foods. The award was launched last year in partnership with Bill Granger’s family, and named in honour of the late chef’s hospitality, warmth, integrity and entrepreneurial spirit.

“I never went searching for that success, and I never allowed myself to dream this big,” Winsor says. “Everything I’ve done was motivated by a desperate need for survival, to break [intergenerational] cycles and to heal.”

Bush food has always been a source of healing for Winsor. She learned to forage as a child, living on country outside Gunnedah. And when adversity hit, she returned to the comforting familiarity of the bush. Winsor says it was through her connection to country that she emerged from deep depression, as she mourned the loss of her stillborn first son. And it was in country, wandering and picking native fruit, where she found “that little bit of flame in [her] belly” after domestic violence pushed her to rock bottom.

“I realised I started to feel better because of my connection to culture through my business,” Winsor says. “Being physically connected to country through food, and being immersed in the happy memories of my childhood of growing up bush gave me hope.”

Research shows female Indigenous entrepreneurs face significantly more challenges, from the intergenerational trauma caused by colonisation and white Australian policies, to the racial and gender discrimination and lack of government and institutional support.

But Winsor pushed on to become a driving force in the uptake of Indigenous ingredients in homes and restaurants across Australia, and she’s carrying her community forward with her.

“There are so many barriers for our people to get into business … and it’s like we have to prove ourselves, time and again, before we’re given any real opportunities,” Winsor says.

Since 2006, the size of the Indigenous business sector has more than doubled, but reportedly less than 2 per cent of the native food sector is under First Nations ownership. In an effort to counter that figure, Winsor spearheaded the country’s first Australian Native Food Festival in September, showcasing more than 20 Indigenous-owned food and agricultural businesses at Carriageworks.

“It was really important for me to give that platform to other women, who don’t otherwise have the opportunity to come to Sydney, to grow their businesses and create financial stability in their own homes and communities,” Winsor said.

“This is not just about me. This is about bringing everyone with me on this journey because we are stronger together.”