Bellbrae Harvest and Winters Café have won the top categories at the region’s premier awards for dining venues.
The Bellbrae restaurant won its first overall category in the Golden Plate Awards, while Winter’s again claimed the Independent-sponsored People’s Choice award.
Almost 200 guests gathered at Bannockburn’s Clyde Park on Monday night for the 11th annual Golden Plates.
The 17 categories covered everything from fine dining and cafes through to best chef and value for money.
The awards use an audited judging process to evaluate entrants on a range of criteria, ranging from service to use of local produce and the quality of wine lists.
Awards head judge Kevin Moloney presented the overall prize to Bellbrae Harvest owner and chef David Veal and his team.
“Bellbrae Harvest continues to make strong statements,” Mr Moloney said.
“As a major player in the Geelong/Otway region, the unique restaurant never falters in delivering one of the region’s most-outstanding meals. Pulling from the strong provenance of the region and loudly celebrating the local food and wine, the creations produced by the talented and masterful David Veal cross many cooking techniques and styles.
“The result is a gastro-fest of flavour, colour and daring fun. In a word, superb.”
Tony Galpin, the managing editor of the Geelong Independent, said he was rapt to again presented the People’s Choice award.
“Community interaction is what the Independent is all about, so the People’s Choice is a great fit for us,” Mr Galpin said.
“I congratulate Winter’s on maintaining its outstanding popularity with local diners.”
The People’s Choice included a Bali holiday from Garuda Indonesia for a diner who submitted reviews for the award. The category, promoted in the Independent, attracted 11,000 reviews.
Garuda Indonesia also supplied a business-class trip to London for the best-chef winner, Vue Grand’s Jesse Hughes, who also won the category last year.
Awards director Pamela Jewson called this year’s field of finalists “outstanding”.
“The food scene in this region is better than ever and because of this it is helping to attract big international sponsors like Garuda. Geelong region is also awash with brilliant cafes and, according to the judges’ reports, would have to be serving the best coffee in Victoria.”
Judges also made special mention of Torquay’s Sticks and Stones Café, which won several awards.
Full list of winners
Golden Plate: Bellbrae Harvest
People’s Choice: Winter’s Cafe
Unlicensed Café: Coffee Cartel
Licensed Café: Winter’s Café, Sticks and Stones (joint winners)
Casual Dining: Clyde Park Vineyard and Bistro
Relaxed Dining: Bellbrae Harvest
Hotel Dining: The Lord Nelson
Contemporary Dining: Vue Grand
Customer Service: Cuda Bar Lorne
Best Chef: Jesse Hughes, Vue Grand
Front of House: David Wainwright, The French Corner Cafe
Local food: Bellbrae Harvest
Local Wine: Bellbrae Harvest
Best Value for Money: Sticks and Stones Cafe, Torquay
Best Coffee: Sticks and Stones Café, Torquay
Best Barista: Aidan Blake, Box Office
Judges award for innovation: King of the Castle
