P&O Cruises on Supply Chain Road Trip to Sample the Delights of the NSW Sapphire Coast Including a Drop of Vintage Chilli Wine

As confidence in the ultimate restart of cruising grows, P&O Cruises’ supply chain leader Jeremy Goodman has completed a road trip sampling the food and beverage delights of the Sapphire Coast centred on the NSW cruise destination of Eden.

The tour included visits to a chilli farm — with a chilli-based wine among its range of organic condiments, jellies and sauces — as well as smokehouses, oyster farms and a property producing jumbo-sized eggs.

Mr Goodman said the Sapphire Coast has an amazing range of fresh produce and all from a community that ranks as one of the greatest supporters of regional cruise tourism in Australia.

“We are always on the lookout for potential suppliers including those offering boutique products that can add to our guests’ experience of a destination and the surrounding region,” Mr Goodman said.

“Meeting producers face-to-face can have added benefits for them and for us. We have an opportunity to sample fantastic produce and we can help the producers to grow their markets by tapping into our wide supply chain network.”

The Sapphire Coast tour was organised by Natalie Godward, a highly respected cruise champion based in Eden and the NSW Port Authority’s cruise development manager.

“It was fantastic having Jeremy in our region meeting with local producers. The Port Authority helped facilitate this trip, which provided a valuable opportunity to make a difference to the ongoing livelihood of our operators. It will be great to showcase local Sapphire Coast produce on cruises coming into Eden,” Ms Godward said.

Jeremy Goodman said the Sapphire Coast had been through a difficult 18 months with the disastrous bushfire emergency followed by the impact of COVID-19.

Among the producers visited on the road trip were Bega Valley Eggs and Disaster Bay Chillies.

“Part of our tour was to identify products that we can bring on board our ships to enhance the guest experience and to also understand some of the challenges that producers face,” Mr Goodman said.

“The businesses we met are looking to grow and that is where we can help by enabling them to tap into the networks that our supply chain people are in touch with on a daily basis.

“Having a line of communication to these networks can lead them to new avenues of growth that might not have otherwise been available.”

In the meantime, Jeremy Goodman is still savouring the taste of what he believes is a unique vintage – the chilli-based wine of which Disaster Bay Chilies is so proud. He is sharing insights that might help the company produce its unusual vintage for a bigger market.

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