Pony Lounge and Dining and The Rose of Australia Hotel have been announced today �Overall Winners� of their respective categories, Restaurant and Gastro Pub, in the James Squire Chef�s Match.

According to Restaurant Balzac chef and owner, Matthew Kemp, who jointly chaired the judging panel, winners of this year�s competition were determined by three main criteria - flavour, innovation and passion.

�Our winners scored highly on all three counts. The competing venues created some truly tasty and inventive dishes � made all the more flavoursome by the brews they were paired with,� said Kemp.

�This year�s winner of the Restaurant category, Pony Lounge and Dining, was an absolute stand-out for the judging panel. Chef Damian Heads created a sweet and spicy entr�e creation Czech out the King�s Prawns which was perfectly paired with James Squire�s Czech-inspired, hop-driven Pilsener.�

�Winner of the Gastro Pub category, Rose of Australia Hotel, received top honours for their innovative spiced lamb fillet and osso-bucco combination Casablanca, created by Chef Byren Norton Figtree. The wintry flavours of the dish perfectly matched the malty character of the James Squire Amber Ale.�

�We set out to inspire chefs and diners to experiment with flavour by pairing exceptional beer with great Australian food. Overall, we�ve been extremely impressed with the calibre of entries in the first-ever James Squire Chef�s Match,� concluded Kemp.

Garfish Restaurant (Crows Nest) and The Dolphin on Crown Hotel were awarded �Best Spirit� winners within their respective categories, Restaurant and Gastro Pub, for embracing the overall spirit of the James Squire Chef�s Match.

Pony Restaurant and the The Rose of Australia each received a cash prize of $2,500, plus five cartons of James Squire beer, whilst each �Best Spirit Winner� received $500, plus five cartons of James Squire beer.

Overall Winner Details:

Pony Lounge and Dining, Chef Damian Heads

Entr�e Czech out the King�s Prawns Char-grilled king prawns, harissa baste sweet corn and chickpea fritter and coriander Matching Beer: James Squire Pilsener

Main Ye Golden Chicken fit for a Squire Pan-roasted baby chicken, marjoram sauce celery, silverbeet and saut�ed potatoes Matching Beer: James Squire Golden Ale

Rose of Australia Hotel, Chef Byren Norton Figtree

Entr�e Prawnography Salad of fresh tiger prawns, green mango, chilli, lime, cashews, spinach and fried ginger Matching Beer: James Squire Golden Ale

Main Casablanca Chermoula spices spring lamb fillet and lamb osso-bucco with sweet potato fondant, eggplant tian and tomato concasse with chive jus Matching Beer: James Squire Amber Ale.

Best Spirit Winner Details:

Garfish Restaurant (Crows Nest), Chef Mark Livingstone

Dolphin on Crown Hotel, Chefs John Docherty and Sarah White

Participating Venues Details:

Tagine (Rozelle), Bistro Stock (Balmain), Malabar South Indian Restaurant (Darlinghurst), Kazbah on Darling (Balmain), Twelve Restaurant (Newtown), Zaaffran (Darling Harbour), Pony (The Rocks), Garfish (Crow Nest), La Brasserie (Darlinghurst)

The Royal Hotel (Paddington), Woolwich Pier Hotel (Woolwich), Bank Hotel (Newtown), Rose of Australia (Erskineville), Arthouse Hotel (City), Dolphin On Crown Hotel (Surry Hills), Royal Oak Hotel (Balmain), Harbourview Hotel (The Rocks), Paddington Inn (Paddington), Nag�s Head (Glebe)

About James Squire Chef�s Match:

Participating venues in the James Squire Chef�s Match were in either the �Gastro Pub� or �Restaurant� category and were required to create one entr�e and one main course, each matched to a different James Squire beer including: Golden Ale, Original Amber Ale, Pilsener, IPA and Porter.

Participating venues were given complete freedom of expression and were encouraged to use the best local produce Australia has to offer.

The James Squire Chef�s Match judging was performed by anonymous judges from Restaurant & Catering, NSW when they visited the participating venues in August. Judging was based on the quality of the dish and on how the venue embraces the spirit of the event.

The �Overall Winner� in each category won a cash prize of $2,500, plus five cartons of James Squire beer and the �Best Spirit Winner� won a cash prize of $500, plus five cartons of James Squire beer.

About Malt Shovel Brewery and James Squire Beers

Soon after his arrival as a convict on the First Fleet, James Squire was caught stealing supplies to brew Australia�s first beer. The result was so palatable the colony�s ranking officers only gave him 150 lashes.

After fathering eleven children and working his way up from convict to publican and landowner, Squire established his brewery and the Malting Shovel Tavern on the banks of the Parramatta River. Today, the Malt Shovel Brewery at Camperdown is home to the James Squire beers, brewed in his honour�

James Squire is a pioneer of craft beer in Australia, committed to creating exceptional, flavoursome and truly unique beers.

The beers are hand-crafted and they each have their own distinctive flavour, amazing aroma and rich colour. The James Squire beers are truly enjoyable to drink.

The dedicated team of brewers use their experience, knowledge and passion to create a range of exceptional, authentic craft beer styles using only the finest and freshest ingredients. James Squire has won countless awards, trophies and medals for its permanent range of beer, including: Original Amber Ale, Golden Ale, Pilsener, IPA and Porter. Most notable being titled Champion Australasian Brewery in 2000 and 2003 at the Australian International Beer Awards.

James Squire always pushes boundaries by experimenting with ingredients and brewing practices to create distinctive, characterful beers. As a result, limited release beers are brewed each year and have been widely praised for their unique flavours. Limited Releases over the years have included Australian Strong Ale, Colonial Wheat Beer, Rum Rebellion Porter and Hop Thief.

James Squire�s distinctive beers are ideal to pair with food. The characterful and diverse flavours of the range perfectly complement or contrast many great dishes.

There are three James Squire Brewhouses, two in Melbourne and one in Sydney, each with its own micro-brewery on-site.

James Squire beers can be found in pubs, bottle shops and restaurants throughout Australia.

Kristyn Jukes or Annabel Amann Daemon 2iC Ph: 02 9270 5900 Email: kristyn.jukes@daemon2ic.com