The southern-most city café also took home the top honour when it was named Supreme Champion. It also won the Best Café award.

Hospitality New Zealand chief executive, and ServiceIQ board member, Bruce Robertson said it was the first time that the Supreme Champion award had been presented to a café. Traditionally, the accolade had been bestowed on bars, accommodation hotels, and large restaurants.

“This achievement by The Batch is a reflection that café culture in New Zealand has well and truly come of age. Kiwis have known for more than a decade that our coffee is among the best anywhere in the world, and now a café has battled it out with some of the biggest players in the country’s hospitality sector to deservedly take out the top title," Mr Robertson said.

ServiceIQ chief executive, Dean Minchington, who presented the Excellence in Training and Staff Development award said that well trained and qualified people clearly make a difference to the success of a service business.

“There are many elements that go into making a business really fly, but in every case one of the most important is the staff. Whether it’s behind the scenes or dealing directly with customers, everyone must have great service and top quality foremost in mind. The Batch Café has proved that they know what they’re doing. All three awards are well deserved. The people of Invercargill can be proud that they have created and supported a business that does them and New Zealand proud.”

Finalists for the ServiceIQ Excellence in Training and Staff Development award were The Batch Café, Invercargill (winner); Degree Gastrobar, Auckland; and St Johns Heineken Bar, Wellington.

For more information, please contact ServiceIQ on 0800 863 693 or email intel@ServiceIQ.org.nz