The team from King O’Malleys celebrates its AHA ACT Win for Best Outdoor Dining Experience. Photo: Supplied (AHA).
Canberra’s hospitality industry toasted its best as the ACT branch of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) hosted its annual awards at Hotel Realm this week.
The awards celebrate the high quality of hospitality and tourism offerings among nominated AHA members in the ACT. Winners were selected from a diverse range of categories.
The Dock on Kingston Foreshore won Best Pub Eatery for the first time and retained its title of Best Sporting Entertainment Venue.
Co-owner of The Dock Glen Collins told Region a focus on healthy eating was a big part of the team’s success.
“We’ve developed a good number of lower-strength beers as well as alcohol-free options and mocktails, as well as healthy menu items. One of our best sellers has been the honey haloumi nourish bowl, with brown rice, roast vegetables and toasted almonds,” he said.
“But we’ll always have those pub classics like schnitzels, burgers and pizzas! We’re really enjoying providing a fun time for people and making sure they know they can enjoy themselves without the pressure to drink alcohol.”
Sean Hugg of Carlton & United Breweries presents The Dock’s head chef Pony Su and bar supervisor Oscar Campbell with their award for Best Pub Eatery at the awards on 30 September. Photo: Supplied (AHA).
Glen said awards such as these were a great way to acknowledge all the hard work of his kitchen and bar staff, and encouraged Canberrans to get behind venues.
“Support your local pub or restaurant in your area. Canberra has really great hospitality offerings, everything from casual places, bars and restaurants.”
Capitol Bar and Grill, the signature restaurant at QT Canberra, won Best Wine List after taking out Best Wine List ACT at the recent Australian Wine List of the Year award – so you can be doubly sure of finding a quality drop there! It was also awarded for its range of Canberra region wines.
“I’m so proud of our wine list,” restaurant manager and sommelier, Ashleigh Smith said.
“It has been curated to highlight exceptional wines from around the world, including aged selections, and proudly showcases the incredible diversity of wines from the Canberra wine district.
“Crafting this list was a labour of love, blending the best of both worlds to offer our guests a truly unique and memorable wine experience.”
Jamala Wildlife Lodge again won the AHA award for Deluxe Hotel of the Year. Photo: Jamala Wildlife Lodge, Facebook.
Jamala Wildlife Lodge won Deluxe Hotel of the Year for its overnight adventure safari experience which allows guests to get up close with zoo animals in a luxury accommodation setting.
Other winners included Best Outdoor Dining Experience for King O’Malleys, Bartender of the Year for Lucas Wiggers at East Hotel, and the Local Legend industry award to Soumi Tannous at Bar Beirut. Bentspoke Brewing had several wins with Brewpub chef Jodie Johnson winning Chef of the Year, Best Draught Beer Quality and Best Work Health and Safety Venue.
The AHA is an industry association that represents and advocates for the licensed hospitality and tourism sector. The ACT branch of AHA has been active for more than 30 years.
Find out more about AHA ACT and see the full list of winners on the AHA website.
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