The Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards is about to kick off, 2024 being the fourth interation, with chefs Courtney Roulston and Matt Moran soon to set off on a New South Wales road trip.
The celebrity chefs will once again be ambassadors for the awards.
The awards aim to showcase the quality and diversity of dishes found in clubs across NSW, while searching for the best meal across the 150 participating clubs.
Over 170 dishes have been entered into the competition, ranging from Dee Why RSL’s Seared Canadian Scallops with Green Pea and Bacon Risotto to Belmont 16s Sailing Club’s Slow Braised Duck and Mushroom Ragout Pappardelle Pasta.
This year the competition has expanded slightly, with a new category for Best Dessert.
Entries for this category include The Verandah Beecroft’s Cinnamon Creme Brulee with Candied Orange and Almond Biscotti and Cessnock Leagues Club’s Salted Caramel and Apple Pudding.
The overall winners in each region will be determined by the top 13 clubs, based on the average ratings from their patrons for their dishes.
Additionally, there will be statewide winners announced across three categories: small, medium, and large clubs. A statewide winner will also be crowned in the new Best Dessert category.
The public is encouraged to get in on the voting from 30 April to 16 June, where they can taste Perfect Plate dishes and score them either via a unique QR code or by completing a paper form at each venue.
While a diner can only vote for each dish once, patrons are encouraged to try (and vote for) as many of the 170 dishes as possible.
A $3,000 ‘foodie gateway’ prize is on offer for two people who vote for the most dishes. A $100 prize will also be drawn each day of the competition.
“We are thrilled to have Matt Moran and Courtney Roulston back as ambassadors for the competition again this year,” ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant said.
“Their names are synonymous with culinary excellence in Australia and they both started their careers in clubs, which is very fitting.”
Moran, who began his career at Parramatta RSL (now Club Parramatta) is also a fourth-generation farmer, and hopes chefs will highlight local produce in their dishes.
“An award-winning dish to me is great produce that’s perfectly balanced,” he said.
Roulston, who began her career at Putney bowlo, said: “I think chefs always cook better if they’re cooking something they’re familiar with, something from their heritage, or something that they have a passion for. That’s when they do their best cooking and that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing this year.”
Last year, an estimated 80,000 Perfect Plate dishes were purchased during the competition.
More information about the Perfect Plate Awards can be found here.
