Business
16 September, 2023
We are tops in dining
EIGHT restaurants from the region have taken accolades at the national 2023 Restaurant and Catering Hostplus awards for excellence.
With Cairns restaurants and cafes, Piato, Caffiend, Wild Thyme, The Bluewater Bar and Grill and The Fish, Temple of Tastes in Palm Cove and Salsa Bar and Grill, Harrisons Restaurant, and Seabean Tapas Bar Restaurant in Port Douglas, the Far North set a new standard at the awards on the Gold Coast.
The big winners of the night were Caffiend Cairns who took home best breakfast restaurant and café dining, The Bluewater Bar and Grill who won restaurant in a pub/club for the third year in a row (see P17), and Salsa Bar and Grill Port Douglas which took the win in the contemporary Australian restaurant category and the major award restaurant of the year across North Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Caffiend and Guyala Café owner and founder Oliver James, who returned to the cafe in 2022 after a change in ownership, said he was proud of the achievements in their first year competing at the awards.
“We are incredibly proud of what the team has achieved in the short time since we returned to Caffiend last year,” he said.
“While our other venue, Guyala Cafe is no stranger to industry recognition, this is the first time we’ve done anything like this with Caffiend. I didn’t know what to expect – certainly not winning across both categories.
“It’s a testament to how hard the crew has worked to enhance every aspect of the Caffiend experience.”
Owner of the longstanding Salsa Bar and Grill and winner of the restaurant of the year award for North Queensland, Rhys Bowden, said he was hopeful for the industry’s future in the region.
“We’ve been in Port Douglas for 29 years and we’ve been a part of the Restaurants and Catering Association since the beginning, so it’s good to get back in the winning circle,” he said.
“This is a great recognition to our staff’s hard work and our patrons have let us know we’re doing a good job and we wouldn’t be here without them.
“The whole of the Far North was well represented in the awards from Cairns to Port Douglas, so it goes to show how we’re gaining strength and respect in the food industry which is great not only for tourism but to also become a food destination.”
