Club diners reveal they crave lobster... and the classics
The public's votes have been counted and the winners of the 2024 Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards have been revealed.
For the very first time, there was a tie for first place in the competition's 'large club' category, with Cabra-Vale Diggers' luxe Live Lobster with Salted Egg Yolk and Mounties' twist on a classic Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychee and Green Apple both taking out the top spot.
The Ary Toukley scored the top gong in the 'medium club' category for their Queensland King Prawn Ravioli with Saffron Beurre Blanc, while Currarong Bowling & Recreation Club's Lamb Backstrap and Beets with Goats Cheese Jus earned them first place in the 'small club' category.
The Ary Toukley was also crowned the winner in the brand-new Best Dessert category for their Belgium Chocolate Fondant with Creme Anglaise, Vanilla Ice Cream and Vanilla Fairy Floss.
The four state-wide winners and 13 regional winners were announced at the Perfect Plate Awards Night held at Bankstown Sports Club on Tuesday, 2 July.
From Cudgen to Corowa, 176 eateries from 151 clubs right across NSW created a special competition dish for their menu, with members and patrons invited to score the meals out of five and cast their votes between 30 April and 16 June 2024.
Over 84,700 Perfect Plate dishes were purchased by delighted diners, with the competition's ambassadors - celebrity chefs Matt Moran and Courtney Roulston - visiting 55 participating clubs to meet the competing chefs and taste their creations.
"I tried everything from a beautiful Greek-style beef moussaka to a rich, slow-braised duck and mushroom ragout pappardelle, not to mention some amazing desserts. I was actually fortunate enough to sample The Ary Toukley's winning chocolate fondant - it was simply outstanding," said Moran.
"Clubs took the Perfect Plate competition to a whole new level this year, I was so impressed with what they plated up. As someone who started their career in a Western Sydney club, it was refreshing to see so many young, enthusiastic chefs honing their craft in their local club and pushing themselves to get creative," he said.
Courtney, who began her career at Putney "bowlo", agreed that the competition was fierce this year.
"Not only were more clubs competing this year, but we are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, so clubs had to be innovative when it came to cooking dishes that diners would love and be happy to purchase," she said.
"Campbelltown Catholic Club served up two lovely, fresh kingfish sliders for $12; the Coronation Club had a seafood mousse with caviar for $12; and Parra Leagues had a hearty beef and veggie pie for $15 and a banoffee pie for just $8. All outstanding, delicious dishes that satisfied diners without breaking their budget."
ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant said Perfect Plate, now in its fourth year, was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on club dining and the dedicated chefs that work in the industry.
"I think the fact that a lobster dish and a more traditional sweet and sour pork meal both won the state-wide award in the large club category perfectly demonstrates that there's something for everyone at your local club," said Rebecca.
"These days you can walk into a club for a special occasion and enjoy a fresh, creative meal prepared by a hatted chef, or you can order a classic, comforting dish that evokes childhood memories. And chances are you can enjoy some live entertainment while you're at it, too!
"To have a lobster dish take out one of the major Perfect Plate awards two years in row might challenge people's perceptions of club dining - and that's exactly what this competition is all about. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who got out and voted for their local club this year."
Diners could only vote for each Perfect Plate dish once, but they were encouraged to taste as many competition dishes at as many NSW clubs as possible to boost their chances of winning a prize.
A $100 dining voucher was given away every day of the competition, while the two diners who voted for the most Perfect Plate dishes will each win a 'foodie getaway' for two valued at $3,500. The two winners will be announced later this month.
To find out more about the Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards visit perfectplate.com.au.
ClubsNSW, 3rd July 2024
