June 6, 2025
We are pleased to announce that on 4 June 2025, our Haymarket Chamber of Commerce member Justin Steele, founder of Local Sauce Tours, was awarded Gold in the inaugural 2025 NSW Top Tour Guide Awards at a special ceremony on Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney.
Presented by the NSW Tourism Association, in partnership with Tour Guides Australia, Outdoors NSW & ACT, and Journey Beyond Cruise Sydney, the awards celebrate excellence in storytelling, visitor engagement, and cultural connection.
As the Gold winner, Justin will now represent NSW at the national Top Tour Guide Awards in Canberra later this year.
“This award is a timely reminder of the critical role guides play in shaping how NSW is experienced by international and domestic guests. So often, the focus is on attractions, landmarks or restaurants, but it’s the tour guides who welcome visitors, share stories, and create those unforgettable moments,” said Justin.
Founded in 2018, Local Sauce Tours offers curated walking tours that blend local culture, food and history with humour, heart and a strong sense of place.
Along with the Ultimate Sydney Walking Tour and the Sydney by Night – Secret Bars & Stories Tour, their Chinatown – Street Food & Stories Tour is also one of their more popular tours. It is a twice-weekly tour through Sydney’s historic Chinatown, blending authentic street food with deep dives into the city’s Chinese-Australian heritage.
Congratulations Justin on a well-deserved award, and we wish you all the very best in the national contest in Canberra later this year!
