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RESTAURANTS SAVOUR BEST DINING SPOTS IN 2015

Sydney’s Quay restaurant has won the Restaurant of the Year award for the second consecutive year at the largest consumer-led restaurant awards in Australia.

More than 400 guests gathered in Brisbane last to celebrate the Savour AustraliaTM Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS National Awards for Excellence. The awards recognise hospitality operators that provide exceptional service, demonstrate culinary excellence, and great value for money. The Awards for Excellence criteria are determined by consumers who rank what is important to them in the dining experience.

The winners of the major award categories include:

Quay, The Rocks – Restaurant of the Year;

Blond Catering – Austral Bricks Design Studio, Marrickville, NSW – Caterer of the Year;

National Wine Centre, Adelaide – George Mure Memorial Professional Development Award;

Compass Group, Melbourne Zoo – Green Table Award for Excellence in Environmental Sustainability

Sofitel, Brisbane – Innovative Workplace Training Award.

In addition to their major awards, Blond Catering also won best Venue Caterer and Quay took out the Fine Dining Restaurant category. This is the second year Quay has been crowned Restaurant of the Year, having also received the award in 2014. Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) CEO John Hart congratulates all winners and finalists on their achievements. “Tonight we recognise the best of the best in our industry. Special congratulations must go to the team at Quay who have won Restaurant of the Year two consecutive years in a row. It is a testament to their hard work in delivering exceptional dining experiences year after year. “It is quite fitting Quay is awarded this accolade in Brisbane, which will become the home of a flagship Fink Group restaurant in 2016. The Brisbane dining scene will be richer with the addition of this restaurateur’s passion and skill,” Mr Hart says. The National Awards for Excellence also marks the launch of R&CA’s SavourSummer campaign - a national social media photo competition aimed at capturing the nation’s favourite restaurant dishes. This year’s theme is SavourSunday – capturing great meals enjoyed on weekends.

Mr Hart says the competition underlines the importance of social media in promoting the exceptional food experiences provided by the hospitality industry. “Dining out is the most popular out-of-home activity for Australians on weekends. What better way

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to capture these experiences than through photos collected and shared by customers over the summer trading period. “The digital age is upon us, with Smartphone ownership estimated at around 81 per cent in Australia. Customers share their meals on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Businesses cannot ignore this channel in promoting their business,” says Mr Hart. Consumers participating in the competition must upload their Sunday dining pictures using the hashtag #SavourSunday and tag the establishment location, then register on the campaign website savoursunday.com.au to win. R&CA has partnered with Singapore Airlines to offer the diner with the best Sunday photo a trip to Japan to enjoy either lunch or dinner at Luke Mangan’s Salt in Tokyo. “I am confident the competition will highlight the best people, produce and places that make our weekend cafe and restaurant culture great. Our dining experiences are a key feature of Tourism Australia’s ongoing Restaurant Australia campaign,” Mr Hart says.

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 R&CA's 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/

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2015 NATIONAL WINNERS

RESTAURANT AWARDS

ASIAN RESTAURANT Sponsored by OpenTable

TAS Me Wah Restaurant, SANDY BAY

BAKERY / PATISSERIE

Sponsored by Bulla

VIC Red Chocolate Tree, SALE

BEER CAFÉ / WINE BAR

Sponsored by Lion

QLD Bavarian Bier Café, BROADBEACH

BREAKFAST RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Bulla

VIC The Counter Espresso, HAWTHORN

BURGER CAFÉ

Sponsored by Bidvest

NSW - Sydney Burger Project Australia, SYDNEY

CAFÉ RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Di Bella Coffee

VIC - Regional The Pickled Sisters Café, WAHGUNYAH

CHINESE RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank

NSW - Sydney The Century Restaurant, PYRMONT

COFFEE SHOP / TEA HOUSE

Sponsored by Beloka Water

WA Coffee Club, KALAMUNDA

CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Alsco

VIC - Regional Omy Restaurant, BEACONSFIELD

EUROPEAN RESTAURANT

Sponsored by ComCater & Rational

SA George's on Waymouth, ADELAIDE

FAMILY DINING RESTAURANT

Sponsored by American Express

SA Cucina Nuova, HENLEY BEACH

FINE DINING RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Alsco

NSW - Sydney Quay, THE ROCKS

VIC Brae, BIRREGURRA (REGIONAL WINNER)

GREEK RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Commercial Energy Brokers Australia

VIC Hellenic Republic, EAST BRUNSWICK

INDIAN / SUB-CONTINENT RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Hostplus

QLD Indian Empire on Runaway Bay, RUNAWAY BAY

ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Entertainment Publications

SA Chianti, ADELAIDE

JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Sponsored by American Express

QLD Saké Restaurant & Bar, BRISBANE

NEW RESTAURANT

Sponsored by H&L Australia

QLD Kiyomi - Jupiters Hotel & Casino, BROADBEACH

PIZZA RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Tiger Corp

QLD Trattoria Amici - RACV Royal Pines Resort, BENOWA

RESTAURANT IN A HOTEL / MOTEL / RESORT

Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank

QLD Bistro On3 - Sofitel Gold Coast, BROADBEACH

RESTAURANT IN A PUB / CLUB / TAVERN

Sponsored by Lion

QLD Malt at the Brewery, TOWNSVILLE

RESTAURANT IN A WINERY

Sponsored by Hostplus

VIC Wild Dog Winery Restaurant, WARRAGUL

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Beloka Water

WA Mosmans Restaurant, MOSMAN PARK

SMALL BAR

Sponsored by Lion

SA Bar Torino, ADELAIDE

SPECIALTY RESTAURANT

Sponsored by APRA AMCOS

WA Meeka Restaurant, SUBIACO

STEAK RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Bidvest

NSW - Sydney The Cut Bar & Grill, THE ROCKS

SUSHI BAR

Sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher

SA Sushi Train Unley Metro, HYDE PARK

TAPAS RESTAURANT

Sponsored by APRA AMCOS

NSW - Sydney Postales Restaurant and Tapas Bar, SYDNEY

THAI RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher

SA Golden Boy, ADELAIDE

PEOPLE, PRODUCT & PLACE TOURISM RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Tourism Australia

VIC Jack Rabbit Vineyard Restaurant, BELLARINE

CATERING AWARDS

CORPORATE CATERER

Sponsored by American Express

NSW - Sydney Commonwealth Bank of Australia, SYDNEY

EVENTS CATERER

Sponsored by Beloka Water

ACT Hyatt Hotel Canberra, YARRALUMLA

FUNCTION / CONVENTION CENTRE CATERER

Sponsored by ComCater & Rational

VIC Fenix Events, RICHMOND

INDUSTRIAL / INSTITUTIONAL CATERER

Sponsored by Hostplus

VIC Alliance Catering - Geelong Grammar School, CORIO

NEW CATERER

Sponsored by H&L Australia

ACT Bookplate Café - National Library of Australia, PARKES

RESTAURANT CATERER

Sponsored by Alsco

SA Windy Point Café & Pavilion, BELAIR

SITE-CONTRACT CATERER

Sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher

ACT Trippas White Group - Australian Institute of Sport, BRUCE

SMALL CATERER

Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank

WA Creative Catering, WANGARA

VENUE CATERER

Sponsored by Commercial Energy Brokers Australia

NSW - Sydney Blond Catering - Austral Bricks Design Studio, MARRICKVILLE

WEDDING CATERER

Sponsored by APRA AMCOS

VIC Atlantic Group, DOCKLANDS

MAJOR AWARDS

CATERER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored By Arthur J Gallagher

NSW - Sydney Blond Catering - Austral Bricks Design Studio, MARRICKVILLE

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Hostplus

NSW - Sydney Quay, THE ROCKS

GEORGE MURE MEMORIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD

National Wine Centre, ADELAIDE

GREEN TABLE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Sponsored by Green Table Australia

Compass Group – Melbourne Zoo

INNOVATIVE WORKPLACE TRAINING AWARD

Sofitel, BRISBANE