2021 Golden Plate State Awards Winner
Kadota Restaurant Daylesford
Best Contemporary Dining
Award Sponsor Comcater
Jack Rabbit Vineyard Restaurant – Bellarine Peninsula
Highly Commended: Merne at Lighthouse
STATE FINALISTS
Best Casual Dining
Award Sponsor Comcater
Winner: Kadota – Daylesford
Highly Commended: Bistro Terroir – Daylesford
State Finalists:
Flying Brick Cider Co. – Wallington
MAVS Greek Restaurant – West Geelong
Best Hotel Dining
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
King of the Castle – Geelong West
Best Unlicensed Cafe
Award Sponsor Calibre Workforce
Winner: Higher Society – Ballarat
Highly Commended: Queenscliff General Store
STATE FINALISTS
King of the Castle – Geelong West
Best Cocktail Bar / Cellar Door Eatery
Award Sponsor Comcater Pty. Ltd.
Winner: 18th Amendment Bar – Ballarat
Highly Commended: 18th Amendment Bar – Geelong
Best Coffee
Sponsored By: Warral Maldon Honey
Winner: King of the Castle – Geelong West
Highly Commended: Parade Espresso Bar – Ocean Grove
STATE FINALISTS
Best Menu of Local Produce
Winner: The Shared Table Buninyong
Highly Commended: Drive Cafe – Ballarat
STATE FINALISTS
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
State Winner: Bistro Terroir Daylesford
Highly Commended: The Criterion – Clunes
STATE FINALISTS
Five Flags Hotel – Campbells Creek
Higher Society – Ballarat
MAVS Greek Restaurant – Geelong
Surfside Cafe – Ocean Grove
Best List of Local Wines, Beers & Ciders
Sponsored by Furphy (Lion Brewery)
Winner: The Shared Table Buninyong
Highly Commended: Kadota Restaurant Daylesford
STATE FINALISTS
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
Winner: Doug Kerr – The Criterion – Clunes
Highly Commended: Alex Mcintosh – Sou West Brewery Apollo Bay
STATE FINALISTS
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
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
Best Customer Service
Sponsored by Calibre Workforce
Winner: Jack Rabbit Restaurant – Bellarine
Highly Commended: 18th Amendment Bar – Ballarat
STATE FINALISTS
Kadota Restaurant – Daylesford
Merne at Lighthouse – Drysdale
Most Outstanding FOH Person
Sponsored by Calibre Workforce
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
MAVS Greek Restaurant – Geelong West
The Parade Espresso Bar – Ocean Grove
Chef’s Choice Local Produce
Sponsored by Comcater Pty. Ltd.
Winner: Drysdale Cheeses
Highly Commended: Lard Ass (Butter) Ocean Grove
STATE FINALISTS
Golden Plate Hall of Fame
Sponsored by the Award Judges
Tuki Trout Farm and Restaurant
State Winner for Best Menu of Local Produce in 2015, 2016 and 2017