Each year at the Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards, an individual is recognised with the award for Outstanding Contribution. This award pays tribute to someone who has made a marked difference to the bar industry through their passion and dedication, and who has had an outsized, positive effect on the industry.
But this year is a little different; this year the award goes to two people.
No other bar industry duo has dominated the conversation in the trade over the last decade quite like these two.
They dramatically transformed the bar landscape in Sydney, and the country; they have topped the Bartender Magazine Most Influential List an unprecedented three times in a row; the venues they’ve opened together (Shady Pines Saloon, The Baxter Inn, Frankie’s Pizza, and Restaurant Hubert) are some of the most awarded both locally and overseas.
Australian Bartender is pleased to announced that the 2019 recipients of the Outstanding Contribution award will be Anton Forte and Jason Scott.
“When Shady Pines Saloon came on the scene, it was a game-changer,” says Australian Bartender publisher and founder, David Spanton. “You can see the influence of Anton and Jason in bars around the country today and it is hard to overstate just what a huge effect they have had in raising the bar for the industry.”
“Australia is a better country to drink in today because of these two,” he says.
Forte and Scott, the duo who begat one of Australia’s most influential hospitality groups, Swillhouse, will share the honour this year and be awarded the Outstanding Contribution at the 19th annual Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards in September during Sydney Bar Week.
The most recent recipients of the Outstanding Contribution award are Jason Crawley (2018), Mike Enright (2017), Tash Conte (2016), and Andy Freeman (2015).
The Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards take place this year on Tuesday 17 September as the marquee event of Sydney Bar Week. The Bar Awards finalists will be revealed next week when the July issue of Australian Bartender hits bars, and here on australianbartender.com.au.