A WYKE REGIS restaurant offering 'superb seafood' has come out on top at a prestigious contest celebrating the best of hospitality across the south west.

Crab House Cafe, in Portland Road, won in the 'Best Front of House Team' category at The Trencherman's Awards 2023.

It was one of four Dorset restaurants which made it to the final of the competition, with winners crowned at a ceremony and dinner at Salcombe Harbour Hotel in Devon yesterday (Monday, March 6).

Food lovers came out in force to support their favourite restaurants, hotels, pubs, chefs and front of house teams in the Trencherman’s Awards 2023, with more than 30,000 votes cast.

Robin Wylde in Lyme Regis was a finalist in the Best Trencherman’s Restaurant category; Harriet Mansell at Robin Wylde finished as a finalist for Best Trencherman’s Chef; and Brassica Restaurant in Beaminster got to the final of the Award for Creativity & Innovation category.

The awards ceremony, featuring a four-course feast, was hosted by a line-up including Lyme Regis chef and restaurateur Mark Hix of The Oyster & Fish House. 

Famed for its oysters, Crab House Cafe sources most of its seafood from Weymouth and Portland and is owned by Nigel Bloxham.

Crab House Cafe said: "Our team have just won the best front of house team at this years Trenchermans Awards.

"The guys are the backbone of our business and work tirelessly throughout the year so this one means an awful lot to us. We are absolutely chuffed. Thank you to everyone that voted and supported us."

"The daily menu is supplemented by a long list of specials which makes deciding what to order quite a challenge," The Trencherman's Awards said of the Dorset restaurant. 

"Classic dishes, such as turbot hollandaise and roasted lemon sole, vie for diners’ attention with creative compilations such as baked red mullet with golden beetroot and cauliflower."

It added: "Trencherman’s readers and food lovers across the south west came out in force to support their favourite restaurants, hotels, pubs, chefs and front of house teams in the Trencherman’s Awards 2023.

"Over 30,000 individual votes were cast, with some of the closest final scores we’ve seen in the awards’ ten-year history.

"The great and the good of the south west food and hospitality industry convened at Salcombe Harbour Hotel on March 6 to find out which Trencherman’s chefs, restaurants, hotels, dining pubs and front-of-house teams had scooped the prestigious awards."

Visit trenchermans-guide.com to view a full list of the winners from Monday night.