This offers a significant opportunity for SA’s hospitality scene and could eventually pave the way for a national rollout, Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association chief executive Wes Lambert said.

Hospitality-industry body Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association praised the South Australian government for recognising hospitality as a major economic driver at a time of immense economic pressure. “At a time when restaurants and cafés continue to face enormous pressures from rising wages, energy costs, rents, insurance and workforce shortages, announcements like this are critically important because they reinforce hospitality’s value to Australia’s economy, tourism sector and cultural identity,” said chief executive Wes Lambert. Lambert called for a national rollout of the Michelin Guide to cement the Australian hospitality scene as an international dining destination.

“We are hearing from cafes and restaurants around the country that they’ve seen a slowdown in what patrons are purchasing,” says Wes Lambert, chief executive of the Australian Restaurant & Cafe Association.