News Release
1 June 2011

BRITOMART BARS AND RESTAURANTS
SHINE AGAIN AT LEWISHAM AWARDS

Britomart hospitality businesses have had another excellent year at the Lewisham Foundation Awards, with restaurants and bars in the precinct scooping three of the top awards for 2011.

Cafe Hanoi won Best New Auckland Venue as well as Outstanding Maitre d’ for the work of Hector Palmer. 1885 Britomart took the title for Outstanding Bar, with Tyler Street Garage also a finalist in the Outstanding Bar category.

Around 10,500 members of the hospitality industry voted in this year’s awards, which recognise excellence in Auckland hospitality. The awards, now in their ninth year, are administered by the Auckland branch of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

“A Lewisham award is the ultimate award for us as bar operators, because it’s based on the recognition of our peers,”  says Nick McCaw, co-owner of 1885 Britomart. “It reflects the opinions of people who live and breathe hospitality and that means more to us than a panel of judges.”

All three of this year’s Britomart finalists – Cafe Hanoi, 1885 Britomart and Tyler Street Garage – have opened within the last year.

Last year Roukai Lane restaurant Agents & Merchants won four of the top awards, including Best New Auckland Venue, while fellow Britomart establishments Northern Steamship Co, Racket and Shaky Isles were all represented on the finalists lists.

“Auckland is a city that is truly coming of age on the international hospitality scene and the calibre of the finalists in these awards is extremely high,” says Matthew Cockram, CEO of Britomart manager Cooper and Company. “We’re delighted that these newest additions to Britomart have joined our other venues right up there with the best in Auckland.

“The operators behind the bars and restaurants here in the precinct are world class and I’m sure we’ll continue to see Britomart venues dominating Auckland’s hospitality scene.”

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