Bangalay Dining owner Michelle Bishop and executive chef Simon Evans. Photo: Bangalay.
Regional restaurants in the Illawarra area were well awarded for their excellence at the Good Food Awards, which were announced in Sydney on Monday 11 November.
Bangalay Resort and Dining at Shoalhaven Heads has retained its chef’s hat for the third year running. Owner Michelle Bishop told Region that their success was down to the hard work of the staff who had been a part of the business for many years.
“We feel really established and we’ve got a really stable crew with our executive chef Simon Evans and head chef Bryce Mason. Staff member Sonny Williams was actually name checked in their review,” she said.
“We’re very confident in what we do and how we’re doing it, while always adjusting to the current climate. We’re always responding to the market and looking for new creative business opportunities.”
The restaurant works with a range of local producers including Martin’s Ridge sustainably farmed, free-range pork, and a supplier who sources wild-caught venison. Pecora Dairy cheeses and sustainably line-caught mackerel from Ulladulla also feature on the menu.
South on Albany was recently awarded a hat in the SMH Good Food Guide. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Another local winner is South on Albany – an intimate, produce-driven restaurant in Berry run by co-owners Sonia Greig and John Evans. The restaurant has been running for around 10 years and is a favourite with locals and visitors alike.
Wollongong Italian favourite Restaurant Santino also retained its hat in this year’s awards.
The Good Food Awards, for the first time, also featured a category for Cultural Change Champion, which was won by Women and Revolution (WaR), a Sydney-based charity working to overcome the barriers to gender equality in the wine world by creating “a safe and inclusive space that elevates the voices of the many women in wine”.
WaR runs masterclasses, wine tastings, and other sessions led by industry experts in addition to fostering mentoring through a ‘buddy system’. Twice a year they provide training and education in negotiation, debating, critical thinking and public speaking for women, non binary people and those with trans experience in the wine industry.
Caitlin Baker was awarded Sommelier of the Year. Photo: Supplied.
Canberra winners include Sommelier of the Year Caitlin Baker from one-hatted Such and Such. She was lauded for her inclusive ethos, with a nod to the opening page of her wine list: “Wine should be accessible, not used to create exclusion or draw boundaries of superiority.”
“Baker’s support of independent producers who respect the land is unwavering, plus she’s a gun on the floor, always finding the precise pour for each guest,” read the listing on the Good Food Awards list of winners.
Caitlin told Region the award was “a huge surprise.”
“It’s nice to have recognition like this. Even as someone who’s been working in the industry for 10 years, I still get questioned about my ability to know about wines. Just two weeks ago, there was a customer who wanted some help with ordering wine, and he asked to speak to a man. There is an attitude of, ‘You’re a young woman, what could you possibly know?’ so this award is really affirming.”
Wollongong restaurant Babyface Kitchen did not retain its hat this year. Other one-hatted restaurants further afield include Paste Thai in Mittagong and Restaurant Valentina in Merimbula.
Good Food Awards chose to exclude nominees from the Swillhouse group after an investigation revealed a number of sexual assault and harassment allegations from across their venues.
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