Cargo Gantley’s Pub & Cafe Wins Supreme Award At Lion Hospitality Awards For Excellence

Cargo Gantley’s Pub & Cafe from Queenstown has won the Supreme Award at the 2022 Lion Hospitality Awards for Excellence.

The awards were announced at a black-tie dinner event at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland on 27 July – the final night of the two-day 2022 New Zealand Hospitality Conference.

The awards celebrate the success, achievements and – especially in light of the tough year the industry has just experienced – the resilience of the hospitality and accommodation sector, where the best of the best are recognised.

They are hosted by Hospitality New Zealand in partnership with principal sponsor Lion New Zealand and industry partners.

Cargo Gantley’s Pub & Cafe won the Best New/Redeveloped Food & Beverage category before being chosen for the top award from winners of the other categories.

The People’s Choice Award, voted on by the public, was won by Hanmer Springs TOP 10 Holiday Park.

There were a record 260 entries, the 24th time the awards have been held.

The awards featured five finalists for each of the 24 awards, including from over 200 venues, a record number of venues and entries. More than 20 venues entered the categories of Best Bar, Best Local, Best Destination Venue, Best Restaurant and more.

Hospitality NZ Chief Executive Julie White says Cargo Gantley’s Pub & Cafe was a very worthy winner from a top field of category winners.

“They are well-deserved winners, and Hospitality New Zealand congratulates Cody Hughes and his team.

“They did a fantastic job under another year of the most trying of circumstances, as did every other category winner and finalist.

“For many businesses and operators, just being able to enter was a small miracle in itself after the tough year they’ve had.

“The competition was fiercer even than last year, which is a testament to the resilience the industry has shown through the pandemic.

“It was almost as if everyone lifted again.

“Every hospitality and accommodation business and every worker out there deserved their own medal for the guts and perseverance they showed.

“I would like to thank our main sponsor, Lion New Zealand, and the category sponsors, who have again stuck with us through the thick and thin of the past year.”

Lion’s Country Director, Craig Baldie, added his congratulations to all the winners, saying his company remained in awe at how the hospitality industry has performed in the face of the huge challenges of the past year, and they were delighted to be able to continue to support it.”

There were four new awards this year to celebrate the leaders who got the industry through the past two years.

The Leader of the Year in Hospitality was Jamie Freeman from Joylab, Leader of the Year in Accommodation was Jacqui Cheal from Ramada by Wyndham Albany, Future Leader of the Year was Ashleigh Gee from Miss Gee’s Bar & Eatery, and Chef of the Year was Jiwon Do from QT Museum Wellington.

Peter Norrie was inducted into the Hospitality Hall of Fame.

Stacie Warren of Century Park Motor Lodge was awarded the Lynn Braddock Memorial trophy.

The full list of winners is available at https://www.hospitality.org.nz/s/awards

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