The excitement is palpable. For those attending the annual Eat Out Restaurant Awards this Sunday, a night of foodie fabulousness awaits; a chance to dress up, and most of all, the big announcements. Those who can’t be there are equally as excited to find out who will make the final Top 10, who will be Chef of the Year and which of the 20 nominees in 2014 will be crowned Restaurant of the Year. It’s going to be a night to remember!
But it’s not the only award of the season – there have been some great accolades given out already this summer and still a few more to come!
Wine
Recently we had the Platter’s announce their 5-Star wines – congrats to Eben Sadie Wines for winning Winery of The Year and big up to all the 5-Star wines. This is always a hugely anticipated event on the wine calendar.
This very evening at 5pm The Klink Awards winners will be announced. This is run on a public vote system driven by social media so it’s always very interesting to see the winners of the various categories. Watch this space at 5pm today.
The Nedbank Green Wine Awards also honoured those wine estates who lead the way in embracing farming in a more sustainable, eco-friendly way.
And last but not least, Gareth Ferreira was crowned sommelier of the year in the 2014 Bollinger Exceptional Service Awards. Let me tell you, those contestants work very hard for a place in the finals, so a huge congrats to all who made it through.
Something exciting also to look out for is the inaugural Wine Label Design Awards! How often do we admire a wine label? And now we’ll get a chance to celebrate the very best of those.
Beer
SAB announced the winners of their Craft Brewers Championships at the second annual South African Craft Brewers Competition. Cape Town’s Devil’s Peak Brewing Company claimed the leading position in the beer category for its King’s Blockhouse, while Elgin-based Everson’s Cider won in the newly introduced cider category for its Pear Cider.
Restaurants
The beginning of November saw Restaurant Week South Africa 2014 come to an end – another successful year with many happy participants. Buitenverwachting Restaurant walked away with the Food24 Best Restaurant Award and The Restaurant at Newton Johnson took the Best Dish of the Week Award. These winners were also chosen with public reviews and feedback.
Congrats to all the winners this year and to all those who organised and took part. It’s so wonderful to recognise talent and hard work, and if there’s anyone else out there who you feel deserves some recognition tweet us @food24 and let us know with #DeservesaMention
Thanks everyone and here’s to 2014’s big winners!