Recognising excellence in the restaurant and catering industry

Information on the Background on the Awards and Qualifying for the Awards is listed below.

Each year, Restaurant & Catering conducts the Awards for Excellence throughout NSW and the ACT. In total, there are nine different events recognising outstanding achievement by restaurants and caterers. 

Awards for Excellence are organised for the sole purpose of recognising our members. The judges participation, which is fundamental to the unbiased assessment of Restaurants and Caterers, is readily acknowledged and respected by all participants. Under the watchful eye of our Chief Judge, Restaurant & Catering members are guaranteed a highly competent and well trained review.

AWARDS BACKGROUND

Restaurant & Catering NSW/ACT (R&C NSW/ACT) is the major Association representing the needs of restaurants (including those in hotels and taverns) and caterers in NSW and ACT.

One of the objectives of R&C NSW/ACT is to recognise best practice in the hospitality industry. Awards to industry leaders is one way it achieves this objective.

Until 1993, the major form of recognition was to co-participate with American Express Australia Limited in their Awards. We felt the need for a criteria-referenced evaluation process if the organisation was to truly recognise best practice. At the same time, the logistical reality of assessing all restaurants against an acceptable set of criteria had to be overcome.

The Awards are presented to the winners in various categories. Outstanding restaurants and caterers are identified amongst the winners and receive the coveted Restaurant of the Year Award and Caterer of the Year Award. Under the watchful eye of the Chief Judge, R&C NSW/ACT members are guaranteed a highly competent performance assessment.

The agreed process is to select up to six finalists for each category derived from peoples’ choice nominations. This is done via voting coupons, which appear in major regional and metropolitan newspapers or via electronic nomination on the R&C NSW website. Coupons are published and the public can vote for their favourite restaurant during a specified time. Nominations are also accepted through the online voting system. Restaurants receiving votes are placed into categories and the top six restaurants, based on the number of votes received, are nominated as finalists in each of the categories. Caterers are able to enter the awards with select functions via self-nomination and will be judged during the same period as Restaurants.

There are also several self-nominating categories. All restaurants and catering businesses are advised by letter if they qualify as a finalist in the R&C NSW/ACT Awards.

The Association compiles the list of finalists, which are then allocated to select trained judges. The results are announced at the respective annual Awards for Excellence dinner in each region. No one is informed about the results prior to the event.
 

QUALIFYING FOR THE AWARDS

A STEP BY STEP PROCESS

1.   Voting coupons are printed in local and regional papers and launched on the R&C NSW website for the public to vote for its favourite restaurant/s. Voting can take place anytime between November to January annually.

2.   Voting coupons are tallied and all members who have been voted for are advised and sent entry paperwork to return (awards submission is optional):
a) Establishment details form, b) Category preference form, and c) Menu/s, for scrutiny.
(No one is advised who the top six are at this stage. As not all eligible members participate it is a good idea to send your paperwork back just in case you make the top six).

3.   Restaurant forms are returned within the time frame and assessed – those with the top six legitimate votes are selected as nominees for their specific region.
Caterers are sent paperwork to return for their self nominating catering categories: a) List of dates available for judging, b) 100 word category description, c) Entry Payment of $75 for each category up to two entries.

4.   Nominees are advised by mail that their establishment has qualified and the dates of the commencement of judging are set.

5.   Restaurant judging is conducted anonymously, caterers will be contacted directly by their R&C assigned judge, and scored accordingly to a strict set of judging criteria (available on the website).

6.   Completed judging forms are returned for each establishment, checked thoroughly and sent to a private statistician for processing. All successfully judged establishments become finalists.

7.   Finalists are sent a mailed invitation to attend their region’s Awards for Excellence.

8.   Scores are returned from the statistician and sorting of the program for each region's Awards night begins. Winners are not released until the award is presented at the gala dinner.

9.   Winners are awarded with a plaque and finalists of each category are awarded with a finalist certificate. Notification of winners and finalists are then published on the R&C website for public viewing within 48 hours of the awards.

10.  A media program ensures the public are aware of winners and finalists, who receive a letter of congratulations.