Parua Bay Tavern toast of hospitality awards

Having been runners-up a few times, Whangarei's Parua Bay Tavern finally nailed the top prize in Northland hospitality sector's on-licence category.

The awards presentation, held at the Red Pizzeria in Kensington last night, brought together licensees and staff from on and off-licensed premises for the Whangarei Accord Host Responsibility Awards.

Cactus Liquor scooped the off-licence award for the second time. Branch manager Sue Cosson said it felt great to be recognised and said her staff worked really hard to have a chance of winning.

Emma Owles, who runs the Parua Bay Tavern with her family, said the win had been a few years coming and involved a lot of hard work.

She said her business may have only just snuck in as a finalist because competition for the best in the sector kept getting tougher.

In presenting the awards, Whangarei Mayor Morris Cutforth said it was important businesses in the district were rewarded for their hard work.

He said standards in the hospitality sector in Whangarei had lifted tremendously since the awards started seven years ago.

Accord co-ordinator Linda Nash said the finalists in the on-licence category were Parua Bay Tavern, Poroti Tavern, Red Pizzeria and Split Bar and Restaurant. Finalists in the off-licence category were Regent New World, Cactus Liquor and Otangarei Liquor Land.