Two Wagga eateries have proven the city is still the place to be after being named as some of the best in the state at the 2017 Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence.
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Popular home-grown cafe Coffee Niche took out the award for best regional coffee shop-bakery while Thaigga won the award for best regional Thai restaurant at the event.
Brigeen Dedini opened Coffee Niche in Turvey Park five years ago after moving on from her original restaurant, Thyme Out at the Manor in Wagga’s CBD.
She was heartened by the win and said the award meant a lot to her because “it wasn’t something done by a popular vote”.
“We knew the voting went over an eight-week period and that was it,” she said.
“A judge actually comes in, sits down and rates the whole dining experience from how they’re greeted to the decor, atmosphere, how they’re made to feel while they’re here, and what they eat and drink – it’s the overall dining experience that you get the vote on.
“It’s great to win; it just means that we’re doing everything right. To have someone come in secretly, sit down and enjoy the whole dining experience really means a lot and that’s the whole aim of having the coffee shop.”
More than 900 people turned up to the event at Sydney’s Luna Park with judging spanning across hundreds of categories for businesses all over the country.
The win came as a big joy for Thaigga owner Rob Baliva, who humbly pinned down the success of his restaurant to his hard-working staff.
“We’re approved for 457 (temporary skilled visa) sponsorships. We have one person on a cook sponsorship and the other is a restaurant manager because we really wanted to find the best staff for the restaurant,” Mr Baliva said.
“We’ve only been open for two years and everyone has really put in the hard yards to make the place what it is.
“Last year we were nominated for best new restaurant but because we hadn’t been trading long enough, we lost out. This year, we were really excited to get into the Thai category and then we ended up winning it.
“It’s a great honour and I’m very, very proud of everyone who had had a hand in shaping Thaigga to what it is.”
Winning businesses of the state awards will battle it out at the national award ceremony in Melbourne on October 30.