Winners celebrated at the RCA awards. Photo: Supplied.
The ACT Restaurant and Catering Association Awards for Excellence were announced last night (5 August), and the big winner was Les Bistronomes, led by owner and Chef Clément Chauvin – known as Clem – who nabbed three awards: European Restaurant, Premium Dining and the major category of Restaurant of the Year.
Held at QT Canberra, the awards celebrate the best Restaurant and Catering Association (R&CA) members in a range of categories.
Clem told Region that while awards are useful for marketing purposes, he is grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate the work of his staff.
“It’s really good for staff morale to know that their effort is not going unnoticed. It’s always a pleasure to recognise their hard work,” he said.
“All year round, we work really hard to maintain quality and customer service and to make people happy. At the end of the day, to have one institution tell you, ‘wow, you’ve done that the best in Canberra’, that’s always fulfilling.”
This is the second year in a row that they’ve won the three awards, which is a clear indication of consistently good quality food and service.
Chef Clem at Les Bistronomes prides himself on quality food and service. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Other winners include Mezzalira for the Italian restaurant award, beating Matt Moran’s Italian steakhouse Compa and hatted restaurant Italian & Sons in Braddon. Meat and Wine Co won the Steak restaurant award over Compa and QT Hotels’ Capitol Bar and Grill.
Vincent Restaurant won the Wine Bar Award, and Stella’s by the Lake took out both Cafe Dining and the Breakfast Restaurant award.
R&CA CEO Suresh Manickam congratulated each of the winners: “We are continually inspired by the passion, creativity and unwavering dedication displayed by all those who contribute to the restaurant and catering industry. From chefs and restaurateurs to servers and suppliers, they all play a vital role in shaping the gastronomic identity of this region and enriching the lives of their patrons,’’ he said.
The R&CA represents over 57,000 members Australia-wide.
Stella’s by the Lake won the Breakfast Restaurant and Cafe Dining awards. Photos: Bec Grintell from RMG Photography.
The national awards will take place in Melbourne later this year. Les Bistronomes took out the national European Restaurant award last year and is hoping to replicate its success.
“If we can maintain that for two years in a row, that would be really stunning. But we’ll see how we go!
“Our aim in the restaurant is to just keep pushing ourselves every day … once you get to that level, the challenge is to keep the quality up there.”
The ACT awards included 12 restaurant awards, three catering awards and the two major awards for Caterer of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. Previous categories for the Asian Restaurant award were absent from this year’s awardees. Finalists are judged across a broad range of criteria, including specific requirements for food, beverages, service, general presentation and overall attention to detail.
Les Bistronomes in Campbell won Restaurant of the Year at the awards. Photo: Les Bistronomes.
And as for the team at Les Bistronomes?
“They’re coming back to work a bit dusty with the celebration last night, but we’re very happy.”
See the full list of award recipients at the Restaurant and Catering Association.
Visit Les Bistronomes for an award-winning meal.
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