Jessica Locarnini Named Inaugural Seedlab Australia Churchill Fellow
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Australia’s only master honey sommelier, Jessica Locarnini, has won the inaugural Seedlab Australia Churchill Fellowship. She will use the award to build a national evaluation standard for the domestic honey sector.
Her 2026 fellowship involves studying international grading systems. From there, she will develop formal training pathways for sensory experts and competition judges across Australia.
Building sensory standards
Locarnini has spent eight years in honey sensory analysis. She already judges regional and national competitions. Her research focuses on translating structured sensory methods into commercial benchmarks for Australian producers.
Standardised tasting panels allow commercial apiaries to separate high-grade floral varietals from bulk blended honey. Clear sensory criteria give producers defensible data. That helps justify premium shelf pricing in domestic supermarkets and export markets across the Asia-Pacific.
Value protection for commercial apiaries
Domestic honey brands face stiff competition from cheap imported syrups and adulterated blended products on retail shelves. Independent sensory certification creates a verification layer. This protects premium mono-floral lines against category price erosion.
Retail buyers in North Asia demand certified origin and flavour profiles for table honey. Accredited Australian judging and tasting standards give exporters a practical tool to defend margins in key accounts.
National rollout targets
Selected for the 2026 cohort of Churchill Fellows, Locarnini will conduct her research overseas. Seedlab Australia backed the food fellowship to build technical capability among boutique and mid-tier fast-moving consumer goods producers.
The project findings will feed into a national curriculum. It aims to train the first accredited cohort of regional honey judges within two years.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the primary goal of Jessica Locarnini's Churchill Fellowship research?
What is the primary goal of Jessica Locarnini's Churchill Fellowship research?
Her primary goal is to build a national evaluation standard for Australia's domestic honey sector. She will study international grading systems to develop formal training pathways for sensory experts and competition judges across Australia.
Q.How will these new sensory standards benefit Australian honey producers?
How will these new sensory standards benefit Australian honey producers?
Standardised tasting panels will help commercial apiaries differentiate high-grade floral varietals from bulk blended honey. This will provide defensible data to justify premium shelf pricing in domestic supermarkets and export markets like the Asia-Pacific.
Q.How will this initiative help protect Australian honey brands from competition?
How will this initiative help protect Australian honey brands from competition?
Independent sensory certification creates a verification layer, protecting premium mono-floral lines from price erosion due to cheap imported syrups. Accredited standards offer exporters a tool to defend margins in key accounts, especially in North Asia.
Q.When can we expect the first group of accredited honey judges to be trained?
When can we expect the first group of accredited honey judges to be trained?
The project findings will contribute to a national curriculum designed to train the first accredited cohort of regional honey judges. This is targeted to happen within two years of the research.
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