Clubs have made a great showing at the 2022 NSW Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence which recognises hospitality operators across a broad range of categories. Restaurant & Catering CEO Belinda Clarke said each of the winners made a significant contribution to the recovery of the NSW hospitality sector.
“R&CA’s Awards for Excellence is one of the most important nights in the hospitality calendar. It is always such an amazing experience to recognise some of the state’s finest hospitality businesses who showcase the very best our industry has to offer,” Clarke said.
“After two years of hardship, the industry is now facing new challenges that require new solutions to fix them. Among others, rising cost of business and staffing shortages have made it so hard for hospitality to do what it does best.”
This year’s club winners included Bankstown Sports’ Basement Brewhouse for best Burger Bar while the Australian Turf Club, Rosehill, picked up Best Function/ Convention Centre Caterer.
Following its recent multi-million-dollar renovation Dee Why RSL Club picked up two awards for Best Restaurant in a Pub/Club for its new Flame diner and also the Sydney Water Sustainability Award.
Best Regional Restaurant in a Pub/Club also went to a club with Easts Leisure & Golf’s The Valley Restaurant in East Maitland picking up the top award.
“Clubs play an important role in NSW to bring community together and it’s so good to see amazing culinary experiences on offer around the state!” Clarke said.
“The fact that there are so many restaurants situated in clubs nominated in the 2022 NSW Restaurant & Catering Australia Hostplus Awards for Excellence show how far the dining experience at NSW’s registered clubs have come.
“Consumers expect higher and higher quality these days and we’ve seen clubs rise to the occasion and meet those standards with fantastic dining experiences such as Flame at Dee Why RSL, Kelly’s Bar & Kitchen at Penrith Panthers and the Wine Room at Balgowlah RSL Memorial Club just to name a few,” Clarke concluded.
“(The awards are) a true display of what it takes to survive and thrive in such trying times and all the winners should be immensely proud.”
Household names to receive the top awards include Quay, for Sydney Restaurant of the Year, Bistro Molines in Mount View, Hunter Valley, for best Regional NSW Restaurant and Charlie & Franks in North Sydney for Best Cafe.
