Locally-owned cafe, Caffiend has been recognised at the National 2023 Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence. Caffiend was nominated in the Breakfast Restaurant and Cafe Dining categories, following a double triumph at the North Queensland regional awards in August.
The achievement follows a transformative year for Caffiend, which changed hands in 2022.
Throughout the year, Caffiend has hosted various events, including its iconic Street Art Project which drew together local artists to revamp a nearby laneway with vibrant street art.
Owner Oliver James says, “This recognition on a national level is a strong indication that we're heading in the right direction. Being included among Australia's top hospitality professionals was an honour in itself, but bringing home an award was the cherry on top of a crazy exciting year so far.
"I see this award as a success not just for Caffiend, but for our wider team as a whole. We've made significant changes across our businesses this year - and it wouldn't be possible without the venue teams supporting one another.
"A huge congratulations to the gold winners at Pony and Cole - we'll have to visit Adelaide soon to taste the breakfast that pipped us to the post!"
Open daily, Caffiend prides itself in offering creative dishes using local and seasonal produce. The menu offers options for plant-based diets along with gluten and dairy-free guests. Popular breakfast items include Miso Scrambled Eggs, Tropical French Toast and the locals' favourite, Caffiend Chilli Eggs.
Coffee beans are supplied by Caffiend’s sister company, Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters - which is located on Newell Street.
Other worthy award recipients from the far north included Harrisons Restaurant - Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas, taking out Bronze in the 'Restaurant in a Hotel/Resort' category, and Seabean Tapas Bar Restaurant, Port Douglas, for collecting the Bronze award in the 'Specialty Restaurant' cagetory.
Hospitality professionals from all over the country gathered in Sydney on Monday, 20 November for the much-anticipated gala dinner, to celebrate the National winners.
