More restaurant owners are closing their doors for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve as the impact of half-day public holiday penalty rates hits hard, says industry spokesman Michael Sfera.

Speaking at last night’s 2014 Restaurant and Catering Association (SA) Awards, Sfera made a pointed plea to special guest Attorney-General John Rau for a change to the public holiday deal introduced in December 2012.

“More than 40 per cent of restaurant and catering outlets don’t open on these nights,” Sfera said at the opening of the 2014 awards ceremony at Adelaide’s Entertainment Centre.

“In the case of our restaurant, that’s 80 people who don’t get work on those nights.

“I ask the Government to consider repealing this law; we are the only state in Australia to have such a thing.”

The 2012 deal was a by-product of negotiated changes to shopping hours. It introduced part-public holidays on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, which begin at 7pm and end at midnight.

Sfera, the RCA president and general manager at Sfera’s Park Suites and Convention Centre, also took aim at payroll tax rates, while finding time to congratulate the State Government on proposed reforms of WorkCover.

More than 1100 people attended last night’s glittering awards presentation, where new trends and old favourites emerged winners.

East End Cellars’ Tasting Room won the new category of Small Bars, while regular winner Chianti Classico took out two awards to add to its long list of gongs.

The major award for Restaurant of the Year was won by Jock Zonfrillo’s Orana in Rundle Street, and Best Chef was awarded to the National Wine Centre’s Philip Pope.

The award for Best Media Coverage went to InDaily editor David Washington, whose passion after politics is food and wine. Washington created InDaily’s weekly food coverage The Forager and The Food and Wine Digest in response to South Australia’s appetite for its own flourishing food and wine industry.

Best small bar: The Tasting Room

Full list of award winners:

Restaurant Of The Year Restaurant Orana, Adelaide

Caterer Of The Year National Wine Centre, Adelaide

Popular Choice Peel Street Restaurant, Adelaide

Best Bakery/Patisserie Muratti Cakes & Gateaux, Prospect

Best Small Bar The Tasting Room, Adelaide

Best Fine Dining Restaurant Orana, Adelaide

Hall Of Fame – Individual & Lifetime Achiever Jim Carreker, Appellation at the Louise

Hall of Fame – Coffee Shop Argo on the Parade, Norwood

Hall of Fame – Steak The Barn Steakhouse, Mount Gambier

Hall of Fame – Restaurant in a Hotel The Playford Restaurant, Adelaide

Hall of Fame – Site Contract Caterer Eurest at Hewlett Packard, Lockleys

Best Chef Philip Pope – National Wine Centre, Adelaide

Best Apprentice Cook Brionie Pearson – Lenzerheide, Hawthorn

Best Employee Poonam Desai – British India, Adelaide

Best Employer Jon & Tuss Papatolis – The Strand Café, Glenelg

Best Maitre D’ Martin O’Connor – Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant, Magill

Best Breakfast Chianti Classico, Adelaide

Best Asian Hanuman, Adelaide

Best Café Assaggio Cafe, Campbelltown

Best Chinese House of Chow, Adelaide

Best Coffee/Tea House Cibo Espresso O’Connell Street, North Adelaide

Best Contemporary Australian Regional Appellation at the Louise, Tanunda

Best Contemporary Australian Metropolitan Botanic Gardens Restaurant, Adelaide

Best European Georges on Waymouth, Adelaide

Best Family Cucina Nuova, Henley Beach

Best Greek Zucca Greek Mezzes, Glenelg

Best Indian Beyond India, North Adelaide

Best Informal Italian Ambrosini’s Restaurant, Norwood

Best Formal Italian Chianti Classico, Adelaide

Best Japanese Shiki Restaurant, Intercontinental Adelaide

Best New Golden Boy, Adelaide

Best Pizza Queens Head Hotel, North Adelaide

Best Sushi Bar Sushi Train Central Market Station, Adelaide

Best Restaurant in a Hotel/Motel/Resort Treasury on King William, Adelaide

Best Restaurant in a Pub/Club/Tavern The Highway, Plympton

Best Restaurant in a Winery Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield

Best Seafood Cardone’s Seafood & Grill, Glenelg

Best Speciality Red Ochre Grill, North Adelaide

Best Steak Formal Mayura Station’s ‘The Tasting Room’, Mount Gambier

Best Steak Informal Carmel’s Café Bar & Grill, McLaren Vale

Best Thai Toptai, North Adelaide

Best Tourism Restaurant Windy Point Restaurant, Belair

Best Vietnamese My Tho City, Hindmarsh

Best Mexican Viva Zapata, Semaphore

Best Tapas Tasca Viva, Glenelg

Best Event Caterer Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Best Function/Convention National Wine Centre, Adelaide

Best Industrial/Institutional Caterer Medirest at Eldercare Allambi, Glengowrie

Best Site/Contract Caterer Medirest at Eldercare Kirkholme, Goodwood

Best Small Caterer Mediterranean Excellence, Fulham Gardens

Best Venue Caterer Epicure at the State Library, Adelaide

Best Wedding Caterer Botanic Gardens Restaurant, Adelaide

Best Wine List The Barn Steakhouse, Mount Gambier

Best Sommelier David Currie – Press* Food & Wine, Adelaide

Best Service Provider Abeo Design, Unley

Safety Award Adelaide Casino, Adelaide

Professional Development Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Best Product Supplier Treasury Wine Estates, Magill

Best Media Coverage David Washington, InDaily