2021 GOLDEN PLATE STATE WINNERS

2021 Golden Plate State Awards Winner

 Kadota Restaurant Daylesford

Best Contemporary Dining

Award Sponsor Comcater Pty./Ltd.

Winner: Jack Rabbit Vineyard Restaurant – Bellarine Peninsula

Highly Commended: Merne at Lighthouse

STATE FINALISTS

Alium Dining – Bendigo

Q-Train – Bellarine Peninsula

Best Casual Dining

Award Sponsor Comcater Pty./Ltd.

Winner: Kadota – Daylesford

Highly Commended: Bistro Terroir – Daylesford

State Finalists:

At the Heads – Barwon Heads

Flying Brick Cider Co. – Wallington

MAVS Greek Restaurant – West Geelong

The Criterian – Clunes

The Dunes – Ocean Grove

The Shared Table – Buninyong

Best Hotel Dining

Award Sponsor Comcater Pty./Ltd.

  Winner: The Malt Shovel Taphouse – Geelong

Highly Commended: Five Flags Hotel Campbell’s Creek (near Castlemaine) and The Brougham Arms Hotel Bendigo

STATE FINALISTS

Great Ocean Road Brewhouse – Apollo Bay

Queenscliff Brewhouse – Queenscliff

Best Licensed Cafe

Award Sponsor Calibre Workforce

Winner Drive Cafe – Ballarat

Highly Commended: Blank Space Newtown

STATE FINALISTS

Five Ft One – Geelong West

King of the Castle – Geelong West

Seven Beans – Echuca

Best Unlicensed Cafe

Award Sponsor Calibre Workforce

Winner: Higher Society – Ballarat

Highly Commended: Queenscliff General Store

STATE FINALISTS

Five Ft One – Geelong West

King of the Castle – Geelong West

Seven Beans Coffee – Echuca

Best Cocktail Bar / Cellar Door Eatery

Award Sponsor Comcater Pty. Ltd.

Winner: 18th Amendment Bar – Ballarat

Highly Commended: 18th Amendment Bar – Geelong

STATE FINALISTS

7 Beans Coffee – Echuca

Blank Space – Newtown

Higher Society – Ballarat

Surfside Cafe – Ocean Grove

Best Coffee

Sponsored By: Warral Maldon Honey

State Winner; King of the Castle – Geelong West

Highly Commended: Parade Espresso Bar – Ocean Grove

STATE FINALISTS

Blank Space Newtown

Higher Society Ballarat

7 Beans Coffee – Echuca

Surfside Cafe – Ocean Grove

Best Menu of Local Produce

Sponsored By: Comcater Pty. Ltd.

State Winner: The Shared Table Buninyong

Highly Commended: Drive Cafe – Ballarat

STATE FINALISTS

Alium Dining – Bendigo

Harcourt Produce and General Store – Harcourt

Merne at LIghthouse – Drysdale

Jack Rabbit Restaurant – Bellarine

Queenscliff Brewhouse – Queenscliff

The Q-Train – Drysdale / Queenscliff

Best Value for Money

Sponsored by: Maxim PR & Marketing Pty. Ltd.

State Winner: Bistro Terroir Daylesford

Highly Commended: The Criterion – Clunes

STATE FINALISTS

Drive Cafe – Ballarat

Five Flags Hotel – Campbells Creek

Higher Society – Ballarat

MAVS Greek Restaurant – Geelong

Surfside Cafe – Ocean Grove

The Gatehouse – Ballarat

The Royal Oak – Ballarat

Best List of Wines, Beers & Ciders

Sponsored by Furphy (Lion Brewery)

State Winner: The Shared Table Buninyong

Highly Commended: Kadota Restaurant Daylesford

STATE FINALISTS

18th Amendment Bar – Ballarat

18th Amendment Bar – Geelong

Alium – Bendigo

Brougham Arms Hotel – Bendigo

Harcourt Produce and General Store – Harcourt

Flying Brick Cider Co. – Wallington

Queenscliff Brewouse – Queenscliff

Peter Watson Memorial Award for Best Chef

Sponsored By: Warral Honey – Maldon

State Winner: Doug Kerr – The Criterion – Clunes

Highly Commended: Alex Mcintosh – Sou West Brewery Apollo Bay

STATE FINALISTS

Dianne Ray – The Shared table

Dwayne Bourke – Jack Rabbit Restaurant – Bellarine

Emily Drummond – The Dunes (and At The Heads)

Josh Reader – Flying Brick Cider Co. Wallington

 Exemplar Tourism Award 

Sponsored by Maxim PR & Marketing Pty. Ltd

Winner: The Range at Curlewis

Highly Commended: Surfside Cafe Ocean Grove

STATE FINALISTS

Apollo Bay Distillery

Great Ocean Road Brewhouse – Apollo Bay

Harcourt Produce and General Store – Harcourt

Queenscliff Brewhouse – Queenscliff

Sou West Brewery – Torquay

Best Customer Service

Sponsored by Calibre Workforce

State Winner: Jack Rabbit Restaurant – Bellarine

Highly Commended: 18th Amendment Bar – Ballarat 

STATE FINALISTS

18th Amendment Bar – Geelong

Bistro Terroir – Daylesford

The Criterion – Clunes

Drive Cafe – Ballarat

Kadota Restaurant – Daylesford

Merne at Lighthouse – Drysdale

The Shared Table  – Bunninyong

Most Outstanding FOH Person

Sponsored by Calibre Workforce

State Winner: Martin Fairhurst – Bistro Terroir Daylesford

Highly Commended: Jess Cardoman – 18th Amendment Bar – Ballarat

STATE FINALISTS

Ali Stewart – 18th Amendment Bar – Geelong

Caleb Fleet – Merne at Lighthouse – Drysdale

Isabella Murphy – The Shared Table Buninyong

Lexi Gill – Jack Rabbit Restaurant – Bellarine

Martin Staley – Drive Cafe – Ballarat

Sarah Fabian – Surfside Cafe – Ocean Grove

People’s Choice

Sponsored by Provincial Media

Winner: Five Flags Hotel – Campbells Creek 

Highly Commended: Surfside Cafe Ocean Grove

STATE FINALISTS

18th Amendment Bar – Geelong

Five Ft One – Geelong

MAVS Greek Restaurant – Geelong West

The Parade Espresso Bar – Ocean Grove

Chef’s Choice Local Produce

Sponsored by Comcater Pty. Ltd.

State Winner: Drysdale Cheeses

Highly Commended: Lard Ass (Butter) Ocean Grove

STATE FINALISTS

Born and Bread – Geelong

Ingelnook Dairy – Ballarat

Ket Baker – Wallington

Golden Plate Hall of Fame

Sponsored by the Award Judges

Tuki Trout Farm and Restaurant for being  the

State Winner for Best Menu of Local Produce in 2015, 2016 and 2017