Sharon Winsor, an Ngemba Weilwan woman and founder of Indigiearth, has dedicated over 30 years to placing Indigenous culture and cuisine at the forefront of Australia’s culinary landscape. Her efforts were recently acknowledged when she received the Bill Granger Trailblazer Award at the Good Food Awards.

Winsor grew up in Rocky Glen near Pilliga, where bush foods were often regarded as "dirty" and were sometimes hidden from view. Now residing in Mudgee, she aims to inspire other women, particularly Indigenous women, to believe in themselves and their business ideas. "Starting a catering business in western Sydney, people's thoughts were that I was only serving witchetty grubs and carrying goannas around — that was the mentality of bush foods 30 years ago," Winsor recalled. She shared that a consultant once conducted a feasibility study on her business and concluded that bush foods did not belong in restaurants or cafes, predicting her business would fail.

Despite facing skepticism, Winsor transformed rejection into recognition through Indigiearth, which has grown into a national brand that honors and promotes Indigenous culture and cuisine. She emphasized that her award is not just a personal achievement but also a message to other women, especially Indigenous women, that their ideas and heritage are valuable in the business world. "We only occupy 2 percent of the industry and then less than half of that is women," she noted. Winsor is actively collaborating with the government to foster economic development and reclaim ownership within the industry. "It's not that we don't want non-Aboriginal people in the space because it's here for everyone to embrace, but just to recognize and acknowledge where the knowledge is coming from," she added.

Winsor described her win as "surreal" and admitted she almost did not attend the awards ceremony due to feelings of inadequacy among prominent figures in hospitality. A supportive message from her friend, renowned chef Kylie Kwong, encouraged her to go. "I had no idea I was even in the running — when my name was called, I burst into tears," Winsor said. She also expressed gratitude to her children, Kirralaa and Maliyan, for their steadfast belief in her vision to "break cycles, create a better life and heal from trauma and hardship."

Winsor's journey highlights the importance of representation and the potential for Indigenous culture to thrive in the culinary industry.