The New Taste of SA at the Royal Adelaide Show.

From modern vermouth and veggie snacks to chocolate, tea and biltong, a new generation of South Australian businesses is getting its moment in the spotlight at this year’s Royal Adelaide Show.

There are some things you can count on at the Royal Adelaide Show: Showbags, rides, animals, dagwood dogs – and plenty of opportunities to discover something you haven’t tried before.

This year, that spirit of discovery is extending to the Taste SA Pavilion, presented by Drakes Supermarkets, where 12 emerging South Australian businesses are showcasing products that could become the local icons of tomorrow.

The initiative, A New Taste of SA, supported by Brand SA, is part of its ongoing partnership with the Royal Adelaide Show – a South Australian institution where generations of families have made memories, including along the much-loved Yellow Brick Road.

But while the Show celebrates tradition, A New Taste of SA is looking firmly towards the future.

Following the success of Buy SA Week, which highlighted more established local producers, the initiative puts the spotlight on businesses that are still growing, experimenting and building their customer base.

For emerging producers, the Royal Adelaide Show offers something that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere: direct access to thousands of potential customers, real-time feedback and the opportunity to share the story behind their products.

Brand SA is helping make that opportunity more achievable by covering half of the exhibition fees, reducing one of the barriers for small and growing businesses wanting to put their products directly into consumers’ hands.

The New Taste of SA Producers schedule:

Putting new SA businesses in the spotlight

Among the businesses taking part is Veghead, a South Australian brand with a mission to get more vegetables onto family plates by making them delicious.

Founder and “Veggie Snackitivist” Cath Hosking says the opportunity to connect with families at the Show is a natural fit for the brand.

“Being part of A New Taste of SA at the Royal Adelaide Show is an incredible opportunity to bring our mission to life: getting more veggies into more families by making veggies delicious,” she says. “We’re so proud of building Veghead right here in South Australia and sharing it with families at the Show.”

For other businesses, the initiative is as much about learning as it is selling.

Naturi Vermouth is using the opportunity to introduce its modern take on vermouth to a broad audience – and discover how customers respond.

“At Naturi we are thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of “A New Taste of SA” and showcase our modern vermouth to a huge range of potential customers which only the Royal Adelaide Show provides,” founder Richard Gunner says.

For a young business, being able to test the waters without taking on the full cost and commitment of a nine-day exhibition can be particularly valuable.

“As a new business this program gives us a chance to see what works so that we can learn enough to hopefully come back again next year.”

Chimmy founders Gee and Nicole said the opportunity can help young businesses overcome one of their biggest challenges — getting their products in front of new customers.

“The New Taste of SA is the reason we could actually be at the Royal Adelaide Show. The opportunity puts real product in the hands of thousands of people who’ve never heard of us. This is one of the hardest bridges any small business has to cross, and that’s the kind of support that moves the needle when you’re starting out.”

A pop-up with purpose

The New Taste of SA is a snapshot of the breadth and creativity of South Australia’s emerging food and drink scene, with everything from chocolate and confectionery to tea, snacks, brewing and spirits on offer.

For Show-goers, it’s a chance to do more than simply sample a new product. They can meet the people behind the brands, hear how their businesses began and find out what goes into turning an idea into something they can put in front of customers.

And that direct connection matters.

A product that starts out as an experiment at a market or food stall can eventually become a familiar name on supermarket shelves – but every established local favourite had to find its first customers somewhere.

A New Taste of SA gives these emerging businesses a major platform to find theirs.

It also gives South Australians the opportunity to play a small part in deciding which products have the potential to become the next local icons.

So, while you’re making your way through the rides, Showbags, animals and all the other Royal Adelaide Show traditions, make time to seek out something new.

Get down to the Taste SA Pavilion at the Royal Adelaide Show from September 5-13 to try the best of SA on show.

And if you discover a new favourite, keep supporting it: buy local through markets and ask your local retailer to stock products you want to see on the shelves.

Find out more about The Show here!