THE Upper Hunter valley is known for three things - mines, equines and wines - and when it comes to wines, Hollydene Estate winery is about as picturesque as they come.
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Located on the Golden Highway at Jerrys Plains, 20 kilometres east of Denman, Hollydene is also home to Vines Restaurant, which opened in February 2014.
Well known for their cracking breakfasts or lunch and dinner options and their paddock to plate philosophy, the popular Upper Hunter venue has done the region proud after taking home two gongs at a recent restaurant industry awards night.
Vines Restaurant won not only the Tourism Restaurant category, but also the Consumer Vote Award at the 2020 New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence.
Owners Gary and Karen Williams said to be announced as winners in two categories is a huge achievement and fantastic recognition for the Upper Hunter as a whole.
"As a family owned and run business we take pride in what we offer and work hard to promote this stunning region - not always an easy task being so far Sydney," Karen said.
"We are especially proud to have been recognised as the Tourism Restaurant award winner when up against the many fantastic restaurants in areas closer to the city.
"As a business we always try and source our produce locally and with Paddock to Plate being at the heart of our philosophy the impact of winning such prestigious awards will be felt far beyond our restaurant."
The Awards for Excellence is a nationally recognised, independently judged awards program that celebrates exceptional service and culinary talent across the state.
More than 100 local restaurants, cafes and catering businesses gathered to celebrate the achievements of their peers who were judged in over 90 categories, with the winners announced at the Awards for Excellence ceremony held at The Venue Alexandria.
The awards are judged by an independent team of trained judges who anonymously visit the venues to determine the winners with scores based on the entire dining experience from food to the customer service.
"We would like to thank our suppliers for providing us with their incredible produce and allowing our excellent team of Chefs to create the amazing dishes they do," Karen added.
"We would also like to thank our fantastic team of staff - who are all local to our restaurant.
"Without their dedication and hard work none of this would have been possible. It goes without saying we are extremely proud of everyone in our team.
"Finally, we would like to thank all of our kind and supportive customers who voted for us in the Consumer Award category.
"Hopefully, winning these prestigious awards will encourage more people to come and explore the amazing Upper Hunter Valley and experience all that it has to offer in 2021."
The full list of category winners are available at www.rca.asn.au