Brisbane landmark and University of Queensland city presence, Customs House, has earned the national honour of "Caterer of the Year" from the peak body for restaurants, cafes and caterers in Australia.
Customs House also won the top awards in the wedding caterer and function/convention centre caterer categories at the prestigious Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS National Awards for Excellence 2013 on October 28 in Sydney.
Customs House Director, Brian Roberts, said it was the first time the venue had won a national award in this program, which is regarded as the authoritative guide to Australia’s best restaurants and caterers.
“We were ecstatic to win one award, and then overwhelmed when we realised we’d won three against major venues that are much bigger than our boutique service,” Mr Roberts said.
“These awards provide a kind of quality assurance tick of approval for clients and their guests, especially when they’re coming to Brisbane from other states and countries.
“The awards also position Customs House as one of the city’s drawcards, and that’s an asset for us when Brisbane hosts international events, like the G20 Summit next year,” he said.
Customs House caters for more than 65,000 guests at about 60 weddings and 680 other events every year. Its restaurant also serves 22,000 diners each year.
Mr Roberts attributed the popularity of Customs House to the quality of the food and the determination of its staff to exceed guests’ expectations.
“The awards recognise the excellent food and professional service of the whole team – from the event coordinators and administration staff through to the operations and kitchen teams and the cleaners who ensure our beautiful heritage venue is always immaculate.
“We try to source local and organic ingredients as much as possible so our guests can enjoy seasonally fresh restaurant-style catering, and that’s becoming increasingly important as clients ask for more adventurous menu choices like five spiced quail and wagyu bresaola.
“We also offer a rather unique function experience for clients who want to add the elegance of Brisbane’s heritage architecture to their contemporary weddings and conferences,” he said.
Customs House is also the venue for the free Sunday concerts coordinated by UQ’s School of Music, and a popular destination on the annual Brisbane Open House itinerary.
For more details about its award-winning catering services, visit the Customs House website.
Media: Customs House Director Brian Roberts (07) 3365 8909.
