Nieuw Ruin head chef Blaze Young has been named best chef at the 2021 WA Bar Awards, leading the recently opened Fremantle venue to glory at this year’s hospitality Oscars.
The popular bar and restaurant on Norfolk Street was also named WA’s best new venue, while Pippa Canavan took home the gong for bar manager of the year.
Judged by more than 100 top industry professionals, the second annual bar awards were held at Magnet House on Monday night as part of industry event, Barchella.
Nieuw Ruin is the second venue owned by Dimitri Rtshiladze, whose first venture Foxtrot Unicorn was named WA’s best cocktail bar for the second year.
Foxtrot Unicorn, whose Shirley Yeung picked up the venue manager award on Monday, won the new venue title last year.
Other repeat winners include city pub The Royal and Mt Lawley restaurant Le Rebelle, which claimed back-to-back trophies for best pub and restaurant, respectively.
Best nightclub went to Northbridge institution Connections and best wine bar to William Street favourite Wines of While, while West Leederville craft emporium Besk was the worthy winner of best specialty beer venue.
Highgate hipster heaven Si Paradiso took out the top gong for WA’s best venue, while Long Chim’s Eoin Kenny was honoured as WA’s bartender of the year.
Known for her flaming mop of red hair, sunny demeanour and excellent beverages, Charlotte MacMaster of Northbridge small bar Mechanics’ Institute was the deserving winner of Perth’s most loved bartender.
Other winners include Modus Coffee, El Grotto’s rookie of the year Freddie Mundy, innovative venue Republic of Fremantle, Il Lido’s Reid Gunter and CCA brand ambassador Brendan Scott Grey.
WA Bar Awards co-founder Ben Tua said the event aimed to highlight the best of WA’s diverse hospitality scene.
“If we want our industry to move forward, we have to celebrate those moving it forward,” he said.
“All of the winners tonight are prime examples of those who have been leading this industry.
“Seeing Si Paradiso and The Royal come through really reflects that these awards are working at identifying the best,” Tua added.
“Those two places are absolutely exceptional venues that nail everything across the board to the highest standard.
“Seeing Eoin Kenny win bartender of the year was awesome,” he continued. “After spending 10 years in high end bars in London and New York City, to come and bring back all those skills and expertise to Perth, and the stuff he is doing at Long Chim, is just out of this world and a huge boost for the Perth hospitality industry.”
Best venue: Si Paradiso
Best new venue: Nieuw Ruin
Bartender of the year: Eoin Kenny, Long Chim
Rookie of the year: Freddie Mundy, El Grotto
Venue manager of the year: Shirley Yeung, Foxtrot Unicorn
Bar manager of the year: Pippa Canavan, Nieuw Ruin
Most innovative venue: Republic of Fremantle
Best restaurant: Le Rebelle
Best chef: Blaze Young
Best specialty beer venue: Besk
Best pub: The Royal
Best cocktail bar: Foxtrot Unicorn
Best nightclub: Connections
Best wine bar in WA: Wines of While
Best coffee in WA: Modus Coffee
Best on floor: Reid Gunter, Il Lido
Perth’s best mentor: James Connolly, Ark Group
WA’s No. 1 rep/brand ambassador: Brendan Scott Grey, CCA
Perth’s most loved bartender: Charlotte MacMaster