Jack Rabbit Vineyard has won the Restaurant in a Winery AND Best Tourism Restaurant categories at the 2019 VIC & TAS Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence. 

General Manager Lyndsay Sharp said everyone at Jack Rabbit was over the moon about winning the awards as they represented recognition for an incredible team.  

“There is a lot of hard work, passion, pride and creativity involved at all levels so it’s exciting and gratifying for everyone here to be officially acknowledged and awarded by the industry association – it means we must be doing something right!  The two plaques will take pride of place in the Jack Rabbit Restaurant foyer.”

Ms Sharp said the awards reflected a nod for the region as an epicurean destination. 

“A key focus of the Jack Rabbit Vineyard Restaurant is to showcase local Bellarine produce, suppliers and wine to both locals and tourists alike.

“To facilitate a great wining and dining experience for people is a privilege and to play a small role in attracting tourists to The Bellarine and highlight aspects of this dynamic region is an honour, we are most definitely blessed down our way,” she said.  

“Particular kudos must go to our Executive Chef, Dwayne Bourke and the Restaurant kitchen team – their collective culinary talent is exceptional.”

More than 80 local restaurants, cafes and catering businesses gathered to celebrate the achievements of their peers who were judged in over 35 categories, with the winners announced at the Awards for Excellence ceremony held at Crown Melbourne.

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

The Awards 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.

R&CA CEO Wes Lambert says, “Jack Rabbit Vineyard should be proud of their achievements. Running a hospitality business isn’t easy – there’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that goes into to making it work. But when you get the right mix of staff, produce and service, the results can be extraordinary.” 

Jack Rabbit Vineyard may compete with other finalists at the National Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence to be held at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane on Monday 28^th October 2019.Finalists will be advised of their status by late September.

R&CA is the industry association representing thousands of restaurant and catering businesses across Australia. To view the full list of category winners in the 2019 Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence, visit the R&CA website at www.restaurantcater.asn.au.