After tens of thousands of happy meals consumed and voted on, the chips have been counted and the winners of the 2024 Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards have been revealed.
More than 84,700 Perfect Plate dishes were purchased by diners, in this the fourth year of the competition, encouraging 176 eateries in 151 clubs across NSW – from Cudgen to Corowa – to create a special competition dish for their menu.
Patrons could vote for each Perfect Plate dish only once, but were encouraged to try as many as possible and invited to score the meal out of five. Votes were cast between 30 April and 16 June 2024.
The Perfect Plate Awards Night was held at Bankstown Sports Club last week, and four state-wide winners and 13 regional winners announced.
And for the first time, first place in the Large Club category saw a tie between Cabra-Vale Diggers, for its Live Lobster with Salted Egg Yolk, and Mounties’ version of the classic Sweet & Sour Pork, with Lychee and Green Apple.
The Ary Toukley fared well, scoring the top gong in the Medium Club category for its Queensland King Prawn Ravioli with Saffron Beurre Blanc, as well as the new Best Dessert category, for its Belgium Chocolate Fondant with Creme Anglaise, Vanilla Ice Cream and Vanilla Fairy Floss.
Rounding out the major awards, Currarong Bowling & Recreation Club took home the Small Club award for its Lamb Backstrap and Beets with Goats Cheese Jus.
A $100 dining voucher was given away each day of the competition, while the two diners who voted for the most dishes – due to be announced later this month – will each win a ‘foodie getaway’ for two valued at $3,500.
Competition ambassadors celebrity chefs Matt Moran and Courtney Roulston visited 55 participating clubs to meet the competing chefs and taste their creations.
“Clubs took the Perfect Plate competition to a whole new level this year,” exclaimed Moran.
“I was so impressed with what they plated up. As someone who started their career in a Western Sydney club, it was refreshing to see so many young, enthusiastic chefs honing their craft in their local club and pushing themselves to get creative.”
Roulston also began her career in a club, Putney Bowls, and praised the competitor’s innovation in the economic times.
“Not only were more clubs competing this year, but we are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, so clubs had to be innovative when it came to cooking dishes that diners would love and be happy to purchase.”
And ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant similarly began in the industry, starting her first ever job at Mooney Mooney Club.
“To have a lobster dish take out one of the major Perfect Plate awards two years in row might challenge people’s perceptions of club dining — and that’s exactly what this competition is all about. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who got out and voted for their local club this year.”
Statewide Winners
Best Dessert
Regional Winners
