Cocktails, craft brews and culinary talent shine at industry celebration.
- In a spectacular sweep, Gilt emerged as the evening’s biggest champion, dominating the
stage to scoop up three awards, including the coveted title of Outstanding Chef - Panacea and Sawmill Brewery cemented their status as industry powerhouses, each taking
home multiple awards - From beloved neighbourhood institutions to boundary-pushing newcomers, this year’s
winners showcased creativity and innovation redefining hospitality across Tāmaki
Makaurau.
The stars of Auckland hospitality were officially revealed at the 24th annual Lewisham Awards. More than 600 hospitality professionals gathered at Shed 10 to celebrate the industry’s finest and recognise the exceptional chefs, bartenders, venues and producers chosen by their peers as leaders in Auckland’s world-class dining scene.
Voted for by the hospitality industry itself, the prestigious Lewisham Awards recognize excellence across 19 categories. This year’s winners reflect both the resilience of Auckland’s established hospitality leaders and a bold new generation of operators reshaping the city’s dining scene through fresh culinary concepts, immersive cocktail experiences and innovative hospitality.
Leading the night was Gilt, which secured three major awards including Outstanding Chef for Glen File, Outstanding Bartender for Justin Ydia and Outstanding Wine Experience. Founded by Josh and Helen Emett in October 2023, Gilt has rapidly become one of Auckland’s hottest dining destinations. Located on the corner of O’Connell Street and Chancery Lane in the CBD, the restaurant is celebrated for its elevated bistro fare, polished hospitality, and exceptional wine and cocktail offering.
Panacea also continued its rise as one of Auckland hospitality’s most influential and distinct cocktail venues, taking out Outstanding Hospitality Hero for Dany Dentith and Outstanding Front of House for Ryan Oliver. These two awards add to the six Lewisham Awards the venue has collected since opening in early 2023. Hidden away on O’Connell Street, the cocktail lounge famously operates without a physical bar counter, instead immersing guests in an interactive “cocktail kitchen” inspired by the intimate and highly personalised hospitality often associated with Michelin-starred venues overseas.
Independent brewery Sawmill Brewery, located just outside Matakana village, secured two awards, with Logan Richmond winning Outstanding Sales Experience and the brewery itself taking home Outstanding Beer Experience. The double win further cements Sawmill’s reputation as one of New Zealand’s leading craft breweries. Featuring more than 14 beers on tap at any time, the brewery has become known for both its core range and innovative specialty brews, including its acclaimed “Bare Beer”, widely regarded as one of the country’s best nonalcoholic pale ales. Sawmill was also recognised as a finalist in the Innovation & Sustainability category for its industry-leading environmental initiatives, including solar energy systems, water reuse technology, and the creation of on-site wetlands designed to naturally recycle wastewater.
Ellie Sims Hilditch of Amano, named the recipient of the Silver Fern Farms Outstanding Emerging Talent Award at the 2026 Lewisham Awards.
Award Committee Chairperson Dan Sullivan said this year’s winners demonstrated the
resilience, creativity and adaptability that continues to drive the hospitality sector forward
despite ongoing challenges.
“Hospitality has never been for the faint-hearted,” says Sullivan. “At times it can feel like we’re
all trying to navigate a bubbling cauldron of rising costs, changing customer behaviours and
economic uncertainty, yet despite all of that, our industry continues to evolve, innovate and
create experiences people genuinely connect with.”
“These awards recognise the people who continue to push hospitality forward. They’re the chefs experimenting with new ideas, the bartenders redefining cocktail culture, the producers elevating flavour, and the front-of-house professionals turning customers into lifelong advocates.”
“Much of what hospitality does happens quietly behind the scenes. The Lewisham Awards are
our opportunity to stop for a moment and celebrate the people making Auckland one of the
most exciting hospitality cities in the country.”
The evening also marked a milestone in Lewisham Awards history, with Connie Clarkson, David Meagher and Chris Upton receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards in recognition of more than two decades of gifted service each to Auckland hospitality and the awards programme. Connie, David and founding committee member Clive Weston have been involved since the awards began in 2002, while Chris joined shortly afterwards. Clarkson served as Chair for nine years, and Upton for six, helping guide the awards through periods of growth and development. Their contribution has been entirely voluntary, motivated by a shared belief in celebrating excellence and supporting the hospitality community.
The presentations coincided with Weston announcing he would step aside from the Lewisham Awards Finance & Governance Committee after 24 years. Weston, who first proposed the idea of an Auckland hospitality awards programme in 2001, was acknowledged for his role in helping establish and nurture the awards from the very beginning.
“When we first discussed the idea around a table in 2001, some people said Auckland was too big and diverse for a hospitality awards programme,” said Weston. “What made it work was a group with a shared belief that excellence should be recognised by industry peers. Twenty-four years later, I’m incredibly proud of what the awards have become.”
Accepting the Lifetime Achievement Awards on behalf of the recipients, Clarkson paid tribute to Weston. “Clive has always believed that hospitality people should celebrate hospitality people,” she said. “His commitment to recognising excellence, fostering new talent, and bringing the industry together has helped shape the Lewisham Awards into the institution it is today.”
Pushing the bounds of culinary innovation and experimentation also featured strongly among this year’s winners, particularly in the Outstanding Innovation & Sustainability category won by Project Hydrosol. Working alongside top chefs, mixologists and winemakers, the near zerowaste business has gained attention for blending ancient techniques with cutting-edge extraction science to create stable flavour components and new cocktail applications, reflecting the increasingly technical and innovation-driven future of beverage culture and food technology. Having recently expanded into Australia, the business now has ambitions for Asia, positioning itself at the forefront of a rapidly evolving global cocktail innovation market.
Meanwhile, Truth or Dare continued its rapid rise on Auckland’s nightlife scene, with Theo Tjandra adding another major accolade to the cocktail bar’s rapidly growing trophy cabinet, following his Outstanding Bartender win at the 2025 Lewisham Awards with this year’s Outstanding Cocktail Experience title. In just over 12 months, the experimental cocktail bar on Snickel Lane in the CBD has become one of the city’s fastest-rising destinations, earning a cult following for its boundary-pushing drinks and high-energy atmosphere. The venue’s growing global reputation was further cemented in April when it was named a Regional Top 10 Honouree for Best New International Cocktail Bar (Asia-Pacific) in the prestigious 2026 Spirited Awards.
Neighbourhood hospitality also remained a defining theme of the evening, with much-loved venues from across Auckland recognised for their contribution to local dining culture in awards nominated by the hospitality industry and voted for by the public. Among the winners were Cousin Scott’s (North), The Bramble (South), Man O’ War (Waiheke & East), Bar Martin (West), and longstanding Ponsonby institution Prego, which claimed Outstanding Local Establishment Central.
This year also marks 40 years since Prego first opened on Ponsonby Road in 1986. With its Outstanding Local Establishment Central win, the much-loved restaurant becomes the most awarded venue in Lewisham Awards history, collecting its 18th award across 14 winning years since first being recognised in 2004. Selected by public vote, the 2026 award reflects generations of customer loyalty and enduring community support.
The 2026 Lewisham Awards winners are as follows:
Hancocks – Outstanding Bartender – Justin Ydia – Gilt
Long Burroughs – Outstanding Front of House – Ryan Oliver – Panacea
Silver Fern Farms – Outstanding Emerging Hospitality Talent – Ellie Sims Hilditch – Amano
Hospitality NZ – Outstanding Sales Experience – Logan Richmond – Sawmill Brewery
Clyth MacLeod – Outstanding Producer – Urbanaut Brewing Co
Bidfood – Outstanding Café – D.O.S.E.
Negociants New Zealand – Outstanding Wine Experience – Gilt
Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey – Outstanding Cocktail Experience – Truth or Dare
Lewisham Foundation – Outstanding Beer Experience – Sawmill Brewery
Bepoz – Outstanding Innovation & Sustainability – Project Hydrosol
Odd Socks – Outstanding Distributor – Blanc
Blanc – Outstanding New Establishment – Ground Wine Bar
Red Bull – Outstanding Local Establishment – North – Cousin Scott’s
Franklin Local Board – Outstanding Local Establishment – South – The Bramble
St Germain – Outstanding Local Establishment – Waiheke & East – Man O’ War
Eclectic Furniture – Outstanding Local Establishment – West – Bar Martin
OneMusic – Outstanding Local Establishment – Central – Prego
Anchor Food Professionals – Outstanding Chef – Glen File – Gilt
Restaurant Association of New Zealand – Outstanding Hospitality Hero – Dany Dentith – Panacea
Lewisham Foundation Lifetime Achievement Awards – Connie Clarkson, David Meagher, Chris Upton
