Donnybrook has Gold Plate in its sights

Donnybrook restaurant owners Paul Johnston and Chris Ngu were filled with joy earlier this month when their business was named as a finalist in the prestigious Gold Plate Awards.

According to Mr Johnston, the announcement was not only a big deal for him, but the community at large.

“It’s a huge deal, we’re out in Donnybrook for a start, and have never been up for anything like this before,” he said.

“We’re competing against all the restaurants, not just in Perth, but the whole of Western Australia.”

Organised and run by the Catering Institute of Australia, the Gold Plate Awards have been held each year since 1967, rewarding “excellence and to encourage the endeavours of committed industry professionals by giving them a means of improving and promoting their businesses.”

The Gold Plate Awards are broken into an extensive range of categories, with Mr Johnson and Mr Ngu’s business the Village Harvest Restaurant named as a finalist in the unlicensed Asian category.

“We were excited anyway to be in the running, but when we were named in the top three, that’s quite an achievement already considering where we’re located and the small market we’re working with,” Mr Johnson said.

The award winners will be announced at a gala event at Crown Perth on November 25, coincidently three years to the day since the business first opened.