Adam Keane
First of all our thank you so much for your support in joining me back on this adventure of the 2025 Gold Plate Bartender of the Year Competition after a 17 year absence!
It was a great event on Sunday, well attended & I think it was a great success, a gruelling 3 hours with even a power outage in Yagan Square for over an hour was interesting.
In the end we had 16 Finalists on the day who went through 4 challenges of Written, Blind Test, Classic Cocktail & Signature Cocktail rounds to finally crown a clear winner.
Thanks to our judges Andy Mac, Steve Lambetsos, & Scott Grieve who had the exhausting job of tasting & judging over 34 cocktails each on the day. It was a tough job but someone had to do it & they did a stellar job. Special thanks also to Gary Bird for help marking & scoring as that was a tough job too!!! Finally a great MC that was Brendan Scott Grey!!
Final Winner in 2 different categories:
Professional
1st: Sujit KC - Lucky Chans Laundry & Noodlebar
2nd: Riley Horspool - Light Years
3rd: Jack Beighton - The Old Synagogue
Our Next Generation Winner
Genevieve Adlam - Somewhere in the Park
All finalists received a Gift Bag fairly stacked with merchandise & sample bottles from you all & that was very much appreciated by the finalists as no one went home empty handed!!
Thanks again for your support & once I have some pictures from the event, I can share these with you all.
Adam Keane
2026 is the 60th year of the Gold Plate Awards
2026 is the 60th year of the Gold Plate Awards, we encourage new and previous entrants to participate and contribute to making the Diamond Anniversary a remarkable event. Entries will open late January, so mark your calendar.
2025 Gold Plate Gala – A Night to Remember
2025 Gold Plate Gala – A Night to Remember
On Monday 27th October, the Grand Ballroom at Crown Towers came alive for the 2025 Gold Plate Gala. With Tim Gossage setting the tone for the evening, the night unfolded in a flurry of excitement, anticipation—and for some, a touch of disappointment—as sponsors took to the stage to present this year’s coveted awards.
It was a celebration of excellence, passion, and the vibrant spirit of Western Australia’s hospitality industry. A heartfelt thank you to our generous Gold Plate Sponsors—without your support, this event would not be possible. And to all our finalists and winners: thank you for entering, attending, and continuing to raise the bar.
As always, we honour the Gold Plate motto:
"To encourage and reward excellence in the hospitality industry."
We look forward to seeing you all next year as we mark 60 sparkling years of Gold Plate history—proof that great hospitality never goes out of style!
Round 2 of judging
Round 2 of judging has now started, keep up the good work
The Finalist Cocktail Night
The Finalist Cocktail Night was held on Monday 21st July 2025 in the Astral Ballroom at The Crown Resort. Once the large crowd gathered in the ballroom proceedings got underway of presenting the beautifully framed certificates to the all the finalists. It was wonderful to see the excitement as each venue went up on stage to receive their certificate. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Click here to view photos and finalist
Robin and Vicki attended the Annual Pork Star event at NIEUW RUIN located at 12 Norfolk Street
Robin and Vicki attended the Annual Pork Star event at NIEUW RUIN located at 12 Norfolk Street Fremantle on Monday 26th May 2025. The young and brilliant team of Young Chefs prepared several versions of pork.
They had a wonderful night, where Blaze (Chef) and her team surprised the guests with a range of options that can be prepared from a whole pig. Amazing!
