Gourmet Traveller today announced the marquee sponsors of its annual Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.
Presenting sponsors are fine dining waters S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. Supporting partners include Glenlivet, PorkStar, Ilve and Fhiaba, Mountain Culture Beer Co. and Hungerford Hill. Glenlivet will sponsor Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality, PorkStar sponsors Chef of the Year, while Best New Restaurant is sponsored by Ilve and Fhiaba. Beer and wine partners are NSW craft brewery Mountain Culture Beer Co. and Hunter Valley winery Hungerford Hill.
The prestigious awards, which recognise the nation’s top culinary offerings, will be revealed at a gala event on August 21 at Brasserie 1930 at Sydney’s newest five-star hotel, Capella Sydney. This year, a new award has been introduced, the Readers’ Choice Icon Award, proudly supported by the Gourmet Traveller Gift Card. The award aims to celebrate the restaurants that are icons of Australia’s dining landscape, as voted by Gourmet Traveller readers. Voting for the Icon Award will open from June 26 to July 14 via the Gourmet Traveller website, with a shortlist of finalists compiled from reader suggestions.
All entrants will have the chance to win one of five $200 Gourmet Traveller gift cards for casting their vote. Finalists will be revealed in the August edition of Gourmet Traveller, on-sale July 31, while the full list of winners, along with the annual Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide will be featured in the September edition, on-sale August 28. Commenting on this year’s sponsors, Are Media, director of sales, Andrew Cook, said he was thrilled to have continued support from the nation’s dining industry.
“Gourmet Traveller is the trusted source and authority for the best in food, wine and travel, offering unique content, escapism and exclusive access to enrich, entertain and inspire their audience” he said. “The Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards are the pinnacle of national restaurant awards for Australia’s dining scene. I want to extend my sincere thanks to all our partners S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, and supporting partners, Glenlivet, PorkStar, Ilve, Fhiaba, Mountain Culture Beer Co. and Hungerford Hill for assisting us in continuing the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards’ legacy.”
Last year, South Australia’s Restaurant Botanic took out the Restaurant of the Year award, while Double Bay diner Margaret, owned by chef Neil Perry, was named both Best New Restaurant and the NSW state winner of Restaurant of the Year. Gourmet Traveller, editor, Joanna Hunkin, said the awards continued to be a critical benchmark for dining across the country.
“The Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards recognise the incredible depth and diversity of Australia’s dining landscape and are always a highlight of the hospitality calendar,” she said.
“This year, we are delighted to bring back a readers’ choice component to the awards, drawing on the legacy of the original Restaurant of the Year competition. Gourmet Traveller named its first Restaurant of the Year in 1980, calling on readers to submit votes for the best restaurant in their state.
“As the awards grew, a more representative and diverse system was introduced, drawing on the expertise of a panel of professional food writers. We wanted to bring back an element of readers’ choice this year, as Australians continue to demonstrate a passion for great food and fine dining. This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate some of the country’s long-standing culinary icons, who have helped shape the nation’s palate.”
The awards are set to be presented in several categories, including the coveted Restaurant of the Year, along with Chef of the Year, Best New Restaurant, Best New Talent, Best Destination Dining, Wine Bar of the Year, Restaurant Personality of the Year, and Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality.
