A short-list of the state’s best pubs and hospitality operators has been released ahead of this year’s prestigious AHA NSW Awards for Excellence.
The list of Hunter finalists includes nominees in 28 categories including Regional Hotel of the Year, Best Live Music Venue, Best Regional Local and Heart of the Community.
Hunter pubs included as finalists for Regional Hotel of the Year are The Nags Head, Adamstown, The Prince of Merewether and The Windsor Castle Hotel at East Maitland.
Former dual winner of Best Live Music Venue The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle is once again a finalist in the category, along with newcomer Huntlee Tavern at Branxton and the Bradford Hotel, Rutherford.
This year’s awards will be the first since 2019 and will be held on Monday, 24 October at The Cutaway, Barangaroo.
“The AHA NSW Awards for Excellence is the pinnacle of our events calendar and celebrates the hard work and achievements of those in our industry,” AHA NSW CEO John Whelan said.
“After missing this event for the past two years due to the pandemic, there has never been a better time to come together and recognise the resilience and innovation of our incredible industry.
“This stand-out list of finalists is proof that despite the adversity and impacts of COVID-19 our pubs are still some of the best in the world.”
This year’s awards will also see the inclusion of a new category - the People’s Choice Award. The new category will allow the community to vote for the chance to win a prize and elevate their local pub to award-winning status.
“We know communities are passionate about their local pub and this new category gives patrons a chance to have their voice heard,” Mr Whelan said.
“We encourage people to take a few minutes to vote for their local and play a role in letting all of NSW know their pub is the best in the state.”
Voting for the People’s Choice Award will open on Friday, 9 September via https://www.ahaawardsnsw.com.au/peoples-choice
A full list of finalists for this year’s AHA NSW Awards for Excellence can be found at https://www.ahaawardsnsw.com.au/
Hunter Finalists Are:
Best Family Friendly
The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Huntlee Tavern, Branxton
Best Live Music Venue
The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West
Huntlee Tavern, Branxton
The Bradford Hotel, Rutherford
Heart of the Community
Hunt Hospitality, Hamilton
Best Regional Local
Imperial Hotel Maitland, Maitland
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
Warners at the Bay, Warners Bay
Best Bush Pub
Linga Longa Inn, Gundy
Best Outdoor Dining Experience
Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond
The Bradford Hotel, Rutherford
Best Sporting Entertainment Venue
Commonwealth Hotel Newcastle, Cooks Hill
Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond
Warners at the Bay, Warners Bay
Best Retail Liquor Outlet
Hotel Jesmond , Jesmond
The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
The Shortland Hotel, Shortland
Best Draught Beer Quality
Bellbird Hotel, Bellbird
Harrigan’s Irish Pub and Accommodation, Pokolbin
Junction Inn Hotel, Raymond Terrace
Best Cocktail List
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
Best Marketing Activity
Commonwealth Hotel Newcastle, Cooks Hill
Best Unique Bar Experience
The Rum Diary Bar, Newcastle
Best Innovative Refurbishment
Commonwealth Hotel Newcastle, Cooks Hill
Great Northern Hotel, Teralba
The Kent Hotel, Hamilton
Best Regional Redevelopment
Hotel Elermore, Elermore Vale
Huntlee Tavern, Branxton
Mary Ellen Hotel, Merewether
The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
Best Traditional Pub Accommodation (under $130)
Oriental Hotel, Cooks Hill
The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Best Steak
Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie, Largs
Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
The Burwood Inn, Merewether
Best Parmi
Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie, Largs
Commonwealth Hotel Newcastle, Cooks Hill
Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
Best Steak Sandwich
Commercial Hotel, Aberdeen
The Burwood Inn, Merewether
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
The Shortland Hotel, Shortland
Best Burger
Commonwealth Hotel Newcastle, Cooks Hill
The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
The Shortland Hotel, Shortland
The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Best Cheap Eat Meal (under $15)
Huntlee Tavern, Branxton
Lakeside Village Tavern, Raymond Terrace
The Bank Hotel, East Maitland
The Bradford Hotel, Rutherford
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
The Rutherford Hotel, Rutherford
The Shortland Hotel, Shortland
The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Best Regional Casual Dining (Northern)
Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie, Largs
Commonwealth Hotel Newcastle, Cooks Hill
Linga Longa Inn, Gundy
Pippis at the Point, Speers Point
Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay
The Bank Hotel Maitland, East Maitland
Warners at the Bay , Warners Bay
Best Restaurant
Atmos, Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay
Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie, Largs
The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
Industry Rising Star
Emily Schofield - The Bradford Hotel, Rutherford
Joshua Newby - The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Shannon Weller - The Rutherford Hotel, Rutherford
Shayleen Weller - Lakeside Village Tavern, Raymond Terrace
Employee Excellence in Service
Jo-Anne Bennett - The Kent Hotel, Hamilton
Regional Chef of the Year
Jess Garnham - Lakeside Village Tavern, Raymond Terrace
Joshua Lips - The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
Nik Bennett - Linga Longa Inn, Gundy
Paul Thornton - Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond
Ryan Clack - The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Sam Harman - Harrigan’s Irish Pub and Accommodation, Pokolbin
Suman Maharjan - Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle
Natalie Samaras - Huntlee Tavern, Branxton
Individual Hotel Operator of the Year
David McCoy - Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie, Largs
Adam Rummery - The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
Tyron Burford - The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
Regional Hotel of the Year
The Nags Hotel, Adamstown
The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
The Windsor Castle Hotel, East Maitland
Comments