With foodpro just weeks away and the Hive Awards winners recently crowned, the latest issue of Food & Drink Business is a reminder that an industry grows stronger when it gets in a room together. Our foodpro preview, Hive Awards review, and wrap of ConTech’s 30th conference are testimony to that. There are profiles of foodpro exhibitors, a spirited Rising Star, industry news and so much more.

Welcome to the June edition of PLAY, your monthly wrap-up of the biggest stories shaping Australia's food and beverage manufacturing industry. This month we're looking at global investment, food tech, wine, innovation, and a strategic reset for one of Australia's best-known food brands. Let's get into it.

Our Top 100 2025 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine is more than the annual flagship Top 100 Report. Industry leaders reflect on the year past and the one ahead, we provide our annual news review, M&A wrap-up, and all the executive moves, and a Roman-inspired sports drink, Posca, is our final Rising Star for 2025.

Food & Drink Business and IBISWorld present this year’s Top 100 companies, a ranking of Australia’s largest food and drink companies by revenue. This year reflects a sector positioning itself for immediate term viability and long-term competitiveness.

Suntory Oceania eyes next phase of growth

One year on from the launch of its $3 billion multi-beverage business, Suntory Oceania is now the number two player in Australian RTDs. New Suntory Global Spirits Oceania managing director, Ashish Gandham, talks to Food & Drink Business about what comes next.

Curatif completes $1.4m OnMarket raise

Ready-to-drink cocktail company, Curatif, has completed a crowd-sourced funding campaign of over $1.4 million through OnMarket, supported by 613 investors. The company is gearing up to launch overseas, with a fulfilment partner already in place to take its online model into the UK.

FaBA’s $180m push to scale Australian food manufacturing

Australia is globally recognised for its agriculture and has built a reputation as a trusted exporter of commodities to global markets. There is now a significant opportunity to build on those strengths. Australia’s Food & Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) director, Dr Chris Downs, explains how.

De Bortoli reshapes vineyard portfolio

De Bortoli Wines is restructuring its vineyard portfolio across four regions, removing underperforming blocks in the oversupplied Riverina while buying new land in the Yarra Valley and converting most of its King Valley plantings to Prosecco, Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese.

Entries open for 2026 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards

Entries are now open for the 2026 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, celebrating excellence, innovation and craftsmanship across the Australian wine industry. The competition has grown to attract over 2300 entries annually.

Wine Australia report reveals smallest winegrape crush since 2000

Australia’s 2026 winegrape crush fell to 1.27 million tonnes, 19 per cent lower than the 2025 vintage of 1.57 million tonnes and the smallest since 2000. Believed to be a result of market conditions as well as climate and seasonal factors, the reduced national crop did not result in stronger grape prices.

Packaging News

Robert Marguccio will step down as APPMA chair and board director at the association's AGM in October, citing increasing professional commitments after 20 years of service.

Australian owned global packaging supplier Detpak has opened a multi-million dollar manufacturing facility in South Carolina, to produce paper-based packaging for quick service restaurant customers in the United States.

Orora has unveiled a new lightweight Riesling bottle that reduces glass weight by 21 per cent while maintaining the familiar profile and performance expected by Australian wine producers.