A Canberra bakery and a Melbourne pâtisserie are among food and beverage businesses around the country being recognised for design innovation and excellence.

The annual Eat Drink Design Awards celebrates Australia and New Zealand’s best projects, from high-end restaurants and bars, to offbeat hole-in-the-wall cafés and pop-ups. The awards is the only program in Australasia dedicated to this specialist area.

Representing Adriano Zumbo Pâtisserie in Melbourne, Elenberg Fraser has been shortlisted for Best Retail Design, along with Design Office for Canberra’s sourdough bakery A.Baker.

“Signature dishes, perfectly pitched drinks and impeccable service are an integral part of the eating and drinking experience, but a venue’s interior is an equally important ingredient,” a representative for the awards said.

“Design provokes an emotional response in us, whether it be a feeling of nostalgia, of delight, or a satisfying sense that we’re in the know. Good design is good for business – it attracts patrons, keeps them coming back and creates an efficient working environment for staff.”

The 2014 Eat Drink Design Awards will be announced on November 18.