Jack Rabbit wins best winery restaurant gong

JACK Rabbit Vineyard has won the Best Restaurant in a Winery category at this year’s Australia Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) Awards for Excellence for Victoria and Tasmania.

The Bellarine vineyard’s general manager Lyndsay Sharp said winning the award meant more than any other year to all at Jack Rabbit having navigated the tumultuous hospitality landscape over the past couple of years.

“Everyone is very excited! It means so much to the entire team on so many levels – the calibre of the other businesses in the running was high so it’s both humbling and gratifying to have received the award.

“There is so much pride and passion that goes into all things Jack Rabbit.  Recognition such as this is very much positive reinforcement for our incredible team and array of wonderful local producers.  A particular shout-out to executive chef Dwayne Bourke and head chef Elijah Grubb – their culinary talent is energising and their ongoing commitment to showcasing local, sustainable food is nothing short of inspiring.”

More than 130 local restaurants, cafes and catering businesses gathered at Zinc at Federation Square earlier this week to celebrate the achievements of their peers, who were judged in more than 45 categories.

R&CA is the industry association representing tens of thousands of restaurant and catering businesses across Australia.

“Jack Rabbit Vineyard should be immensely proud of this win,” R&CA chief executive officer Belinda Clarke said.

“The past two years have been incredibly tough for the entire hospitality industry in Australia but success stories like this show how far hard work can take you. With the right mix of staff, products, produce and service, the results can be extraordinary.”

The Awards for Excellence is a nationally recognised, independently judged awards program that celebrates exceptional service and culinary talent across the state. The awards are the only program in Australia where the judging criteria is determined by consumers who rank what is important to them in the dining experience.

They are judged by an independent team of trained judges who anonymously visit the venues to determine the restaurant/café winners. The scores are based on the entire dining experience, from food to the customer service experienced when the judges anonymously dine.

Caterers are assessed on all aspects of their catering business including operations, food, service, staffing and event/site outcomes to determine the catering category winners.

To view the full list of category winners, head to rca.asn.au.