The latest ‘Australian Good Food Guide’ Chef Hat awards have been announced, with five restaurants in the area being crowned cream of the crop.

The top honours were awarded to Birch in Moss Vale, Biota Dining in Bowral, Horderns Restaurant  in Bowral, Katers Restaurant in Sutton Forest and Eschalot in Berrima. 

Eschalot also took out the Australian Good Food Guide readers’ choice award, with diners leaving glowing reviews praising the food at the restaurant.

The chef hat awards are based on six different attributes by the Good Food Guide Australia, focused solely on the food. Anonymous Australian Good Food Guide inspectors, chosen for their qualifications and experience, judge each restaurant based on the quality of ingredients, taste, technique, value and consistency. 

Biota Restaurant’s appearance in the 2019 chefs hat winners list is no surprise to those that have dined there. Boasting good food and good wine, the restaurant has received consecutive accolades in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide, Australia’s home of the hats.

Under head Chef, James Viles, Biota has maintained its two hats status for five years in a row, one of only four restaurants in regional NSW to wear that honour. 

Eschalot, another Highlands favourite, won 11 hats under Richard Kemp in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide. Changing owners in mid 2018, it would appear that Eschalot is thriving under the guidance of new owners Matty Roberts and Cass Wallace, with the latest Australian Good Food Guide coup.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide is released in September of each year.

Read Also: Business as usual for council ceremony

National Corrections Day provides insight into work of prison officers at South Cost Correctional Centre

Highlands train travel promised an upgrade