Jack Rabbit’s dining lauded in industry awards

THE Sharp Group has another feather in its cap, with Jack Rabbit Vineyard receiving an industry award for the best restaurant in a winery in Victoria and Tasmania.

The Bellarine vineyard picked up the gong at this year’s Australia Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) Awards for Excellence for the two states.

More than 130 local restaurants, cafes and catering businesses gathered at Zinc at Federation Square earlier this month 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.

The Sharp Group director of marketing, sales and hospitality and Jack Rabbit Winery general manager Lyndsay Sharp said winning the award meant more than any other year to the Jack Rabbit team 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.”

Other winners from across the Geelong region include Mavs Greek Restaurant in Geelong, for Greek Restaurant; Sou’West Brewery in Torquay, for Tourism Restaurant; and Higher Mark by Geelong Cats, for Venue Caterer and Caterer of the Year.

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 winners.

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