2015 Restaurant & Catering Awards
More than 520 guests gathered at Peninsula, Docklands to celebrate the industry’s night of nights, recognising hospitality operators who provide exceptional service, demonstrate culinary excellence, and deliver great ambience and value for money.
The winners of the major award categories include:
- Omy Restaurant, Beaconsfield - Restaurant of the Year – Victoria;
- Me Wah Restaurant, Sandy Bay - Restaurant of the Year – Tasmania;
- Fenix Events, Richmond - Caterer of the Year;
- SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, Mount Dandenong - Consumer Vote Award – Victoria Regional/Tasmania;
- Bright Young Things, Cremorne - Consumer Vote Award – Victoria Metropolitan;
- Don Cameron from Mud Bar & Restaurant in Hobart was honored with the Lifetime Achiever award.
Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) CEO John Hart congratulates all of the winners who were judged as the best in their chosen category.
“The winners should be proud of their achievements. The dining experiences in Victoria and Tasmania are world-class. The winners tonight make a significant contribution to the industry and our reputation, as a destination for great food and wine.
“They have been rigorously reviewed in one of the most objective awards systems, which looks at the entire dining experience, rather than a single food or service dimension.
“Serving great food is only one part of the mix; the Awards for Excellence highlights those operators that deliver an exceptional culinary experience. It is this culinary experience that attracts international visitors to our country and is proudly promoted in Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia campaign.
“The Awards for Excellence provides an opportunity to promote the fantastic produce and wine grown in these states. R&CA has had a long standing relationship with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, and the put Victoria on your table campaign encourages operators to promote and source local produce and wine. Local produce is a key selling point for international visitors and avid food enthusiasts.
“I thank all the operators who participate in the Awards for Excellence program for their passion,commitment and dedication to their craft,” says Mr Hart.
Stewart White, Chair of Judges for the Awards for Excellence, says it is important to note that businesses are judged using criteria established by their customers.
“Knowing your customer and exceeding their expectations is pivotal to success. The Awards for Excellence provides a benchmark for this success. Businesses need to serve great food, to evolve and innovate, and invest in their staff. The Awards for Excellence criteria are determined by consumers who rank what is important to them in the dining experience.
“The Awards for Excellence program encourages businesses to be the best they can. The winners are clearly and unequivocally scored as the best hospitality operators in their category,” says Mr White.
The Victoria / Tasmania Social Media Awards, which aims to encourage and recognise the use of social media, was awarded to The Pancake Parlour in Victoria, which generated the most posts on Instagram using their registered hashtag.
Mr Hart said the industry cannot ignore the power of new communication platforms to engage with their customers.
“The digital age is upon us, with the use of Smartphones growing exponentially in Australia with Smartphone ownership estimated at around 81 percent. It’s great to see operators embracing technology and finding new ways to engage with customers,” says Mr Hart.
ABOUT SAVOUR AUSTRALIA
The Savour AustraliaTM Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence is a nationally recognised, independently judged awards program that highlights exceptional service, culinary excellence, incredible ambience and value for money.
Savour Australia is Restaurant & Catering Australia's (R&CA) consumer brand, aimed at promoting and profiling caterers, restaurants and café businesses to avid diners. The Savour Australia website offers diners one of the largest online directories of restaurants and cafes to search and book from.
Join the conversation on the Awards for Excellence at Savour Australia #savourawards
https://www.facebook.com/savouraustralia
https://instagram.com/savouraus/
https://twitter.com/savouraus/
2015 VICTORIA & TASMANIA WINNERS
ASIAN RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank
WINNER - Me Wah Restaurant, SANDY BAY
BAKERY / PATISSERIE
Sponsored by Bulla
WINNER - Red Chocolate Tree, SALE
EUROPEAN RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Entertainment Publications
WINNER - Hellenic Republic, EAST BRUNSWICK
FAMILY DINING RESTAURANT
American Express
WINNER - TGI Fridays Fountain Gate, NARRE WARREN
FINE DINING RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Alsco
WINNER - Brae, BIRREGURRA
INDIAN / SUB-CONTINENT RESTAURANT
Sponsored by H&L Australia
WINNER - Bukhara, WARRAGUL
ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Sponsored by American Express
WINNER - Rinaldo's Casa Cucina, WANGARATTA
SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Beloka Water
WINNER - The Rocks, MORNINGTON
STEAK RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Lion
WINNER - San Telmo, MELBOURNE
TOURISM RESTAURANT
Sponsored by ‘Put Victoria On Your Table’ from the makers of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
WINNER - Jack Rabbit Restaurant - Jack Rabbit Vineyard, BELLARINE
VICTORIA METROPOLITAN RESTAURANT AWARDS
BREAKFAST RESTAURANT
Sponsored by ComCater & Rational
WINNER - The Counter Espresso, HAWTHORN
BURGER CAFÉ
Sponsored by RedCat
WINNER - Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill, MOORABBIN
CAFÉ RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Di Bella Coffee
WINNER - Las Chicas, BALACLAVA
CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Alsco
WINNER - ezard, MELBOURNE
JAPANESE RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank
WINNER - Kumo Izakaya Japanese Restaurant, BRUNSWICK EAST
NEW RESTAURANT
Sponsored by H&L Australia
WINNER - Pastuso, MELBOURNE
PIZZA RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Tigercorp
Honourable Mention - Brunetti, CARLTON
RESTAURANT IN A PUB / CLUB / TAVERN
Sponsored by Lion
WINNER - The Grand Dining Room, RICHMOND
SPECIALTY RESTAURANT
Sponsored by APRA
WINNER - Rumi Restaurant, EAST BRUNSWICK
VICTORIA REGIONAL/TASMANIA RESTAURANT AWARDS
BREAKFAST RESTAURANT
Sponsored by ComCater & Rational
WINNER - Two Buoys, DROMANA
CAFÉ RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Di Bella Coffee
WINNER - The Pickled Sisters Café, WAHGUNYAH
CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANT
Sponsored by Alsco
WINNER - Omy Restaurant, BEACONSFIELD
NEW RESTAURANT
Sponsored by H&L Australia
WINNER - The Independent, GEMBROOK
RESTAURANT IN A HOTEL/MOTEL/RESORT
Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank
WINNER - Henry’s Restaurant – The Henry Jones Art Hotel, HOBART
RESTAURANT IN A WINERY
Sponsored by HostPLUS
WINNER - Wild Dog Winery Restaurant, WARRAGUL
VICTORIA / TASMANIA CATERING AWARDS
CORPORATE CATERER
Sponsored by American Express
WINNER - Alliance Catering – ANZ, MELBOURNE
EVENTS CATERER
Sponsored by Tigercorp
Honourable Mention - Moonee Valley, Racing Club Inc, MOONEE PONDS
FUNCTION / CONVENTION CENTRE CATERER
Sponsored by APRA
WINNER - Fenix Events, RICHMOND
INDUSTRIAL / INSTITUTIONAL CATERER
Sponsored by HostPLUS
WINNER - Alliance Catering – Geelong Grammar School, CORIO
RESTAURANT CATERER
Sponsored by Bulla
Honourable Mention - The Boulevard Restaurant & Functions, KEW
SITE-CONTRACT CATERER
Sponsored by HostPLUS
WINNER - Alliance Catering - NAB 700 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE
SMALL CATERER
Sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher
WINNER - Epicure – Hawthorn Arts Centre, HAWTHORN
VENUE CATERER
Sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher
WINNER - Bursaria Fine Foods – Abbotsford Convent, ABBOTSFORD
WEDDING CATERER
Sponsored by Lion
WINNER - Atlantic Group, DOCKLANDS
VICTORIA / TASMANIA SOCIAL MEDIA AWARD
Sponsored by Savour Australia
WINNER - The Pancake Parlour, VICTORIA
MAJOR AWARDS
LIFETIME ACHIEVER
WINNER – Don Cameron, Mudbar & Restaurant
CONSUMER VOTE AWARD – VICTORIA REGIONAL & TASMANIA
Sponsored by Savour Australia
WINNER – SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, MOUNT DANDENONG
CONSUMER VOTE AWARD – VICTORIA METROPOLITAN
Sponsored by Savour Australia
WINNER – Bright Young Things, CREMORNE
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR - TASMANIA
Sponsored by Hostplus
WINNER - Me Wah Restaurant, SANDY BAY
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR - VICTORIA
Sponsored by Hostplus
WINNER - Omy Restaurant, BEACONSFIELD
CATERER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher
WINNER - Fenix Events, RICHMOND
Restaurant & Catering (Press Release) 20th July 2015
