TasFoods snaps up Welsh family's Shima Wasabi

Tuesday was a very good day for Stephen and Karen Welsh, whose farm outside Devonport supplies some of the nation's poshest diners (think Tetsuya's and Quay) with wasabi. The Welshs gourmet food business Shima Wasabi was snapped up by listed local TasFoods for $3 million.

Apparently the green stuff is one of the trickiest crops around, and is grown at Shima in climate-controlled "cool houses" (northwest Tassie isn't cold enough already?!). None of the dyed green horseradish in a sachet for these folk!

No bankers got a clip on the private deal, funded off Tasfoods' balance sheet. Hobart's Groom Kennedy acted as their legal advisers.

TasFoods chairman Rob Woolley also chairs organic baby formula outfit Bellamy's Australia, whose chief executive Laura McBain is married to a TasFoods director Roger McBain– clearly the Apple Isle's foodie power couple. TasFoods was gazumped by the Chinese bidders for the nearby Van Diemen's Land dairy back in January, but did snag local poultry company Nichols in February.