Hospitality Highlights
Welcome to the Summer Edition of Hospitality Highlights.
On behalf of Cessnock Hospitality Group’s Board, Management and Staff, I would like to wish all of our members a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
This year (2024) has been another successful year for the Group, thanks to the ongoing support of our Members and Visitors to our venues. Across the Group revenues reached $18.0 million delivering a trading surplus of $1.5 million (after tax). This year we hit 18,000 members for the first time, which is amazing given that we had just 12,000 members in 2020. The Group’s continued growth would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work demonstrated by our entire team across our venues. Thank you to both our Staff and our Members for your ongoing support.
As reported in the Spring edition of Hospitality Highlights, a significant amount of planning and design work on the redevelopment of Cessnock Leagues Club is happening behind the scenes. Everything remains on track with works scheduled to commence in February 2025, pending DA approval. This redevelopment will be a significant project for the Group as the Cessnock Leagues Club will effectively double its footprint and seating capacity to accommodate the growing local area.
Some of the features of the redevelopment include; new bistro with a pizza oven and gelato bar, new restaurant, accommodating the relocation and rebranding of Vincent St Kitchen + Bar
EXCITING YEAR AHEAD IN 2025
new café and children’s playground, seating capacity of over 1,400 seats, an additional 1,700 square metres of outdoor space, including an outdoor stage area for live entertainment, and increased car parking to 214 spaces. Members should be aware that there will be limited disruptions to the Club’s regular operations as most of the construction is on Wollombi Rd side of the site. As the project progresses, some operational changes will occur to reduce the construction period and overall costs of the project. As we prepare for the redevelopment, our Wollombi Road properties have been vacated to make way for the expansion. We are pleased to report that our former tenants are settling into their new premises all still operating in the Cessnock area. Cessnock Laundromat has relocated to 1 Edgeworth Street (the former Endeavour Industries site);
Gourmet Pizza Cessnock has moved to 85 Vincent Street, Bhutra Spa Thai Massage is now upstairs at 108 Vincent Street, and Dr Andrew Martin is now at 55 Cumberland Street. We would like to thank these businesses for their cooperation and understanding and wish them all the best for the future.
Finally, we’d like to wish all our Members and Staff a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. We are excited for what 2025 brings and we look forward to delivering on our plans for the benefit of our Members and the wider Cessnock community.
Paul Cousins, CEO Cessnock Hospitality Group
Stay up-to-date with the progress of the redevelopment project at cessnockleagues.com.au/redevelopment.
SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER
Cessnock Hospitality Group would like to thank everyone who supported our 2024 Christmas Gift Appeal for Samaritans.
“It is the third year we have supported the Samaritans’ appeal, and we are proud to be supporting this local charity again as it sets out to make Christmas a little brighter for local families in need,” CHG administration supervisor Leanne Graves said.
“We received dozens of donations across our three venues, and we are so grateful for the support of our members and staff in helping Samaritans to meet their needs this Christmas.”
Samaritans intensive support case worker Peter Woolven said the organisation is anticipating increased demand for Christmas assistance this year, with gifts to be distributed to more than 100 children.
“Each Christmas, through the generosity of our local business and community, Samaritans is able to support families in our community who are doing it tough,” Mr Woolven said.
“Your generosity will help us bring smiles to many faces on Christmas Day.”
Meanwhile, our Christmas Toy Raffle on December 1 raised $3600 for Little Wings. There was lots of excitement in the club on the night, with a special guest appearance by Santa!
Little Wings CEO Clare Pearson said it was a great night and that the funds raised will have a huge impact on the charity, which supports families in regional NSW who have the need for specialist health services for their children from long distances away from major NSW centres.
Little Wings makes between 18 and 30 missions weekly to Cessnock Airport, where children needing specialist care and their families are transported by road to John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
“Little Wings heavily rely on the support of the community to keep us in the air and honouring the commitments made to families in need; helping them in times of their greatest vulnerability,” Ms Pearson said “We would like to extend our deepest thanks for the support of Cessnock Leagues Club and the local community.”
The show is back in 2025
Cessnock Leagues Club is proud to announce that we are once again the major sponsor for the annual Cessnock Show. The show is celebrating its 101st anniversary in 2025, with some exciting new events and plenty of old favourites on the program.
A Pit Horse Derby, a campdraft, a postsplitting competition and pig races, bull riding and working dog demonstrations are among the new attractions at the 2025 show, along with a handicrafts section in the pavilion.
Popular events such as the horse competitions, the Fizzics science show, freestyle motocross displays and the demolition derby will return, along with the sideshow alley, showbags and a great selection of rides. Head along to Cessnock Showground on February 21 and 22 to join the fun.
MONDAY
Bingo 10:45am
$5 Kids’ Meals
TUESDAY Trivia 7pm
*excl Dec 24 and 31
$16 Schnitzel Special
WEDNESDAY
Bingo 10:45am
*excl Dec 25 and Jan 1
$15 Burger Special DJ Bingo 7pm
*excl Dec 25 and Jan 1
THURSDAY
$19 Rump Special Meat raffle 5:30pm
FRIDAY Variety raffle 5:30pm Live music 8pm-11pm
SATURDAY Live music 8pm-11pm
CLUB OPEN FROM 10AM DAILY BISTRO OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK
SUNDAY Variety raffle 11:30am Last Sunday of the month: Members’ promotion 5pm,
COURTESY BUS FROM 5PM FRI-SAT-SUN 1 Darwin St., Cessnock | (02) 4993 2655 | cessnockleagues.com.au *Club closed Christmas Day
NEW YEAR'S EVE 2GoodReasons 9pm
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS JD's World of Magic Tuesday 21st January 11am Tickets $10
CLUB OPEN FROM 11:30AM DAILY BISTRO OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER WED-SUN COURTESY BUS FROM 5PM FRI-SAT 201 Vincent St., Cessnock | (02) 4005 6766 | vincentstreet.com.au *Club closed Christmas Day; open Boxing Day (restaurant closed) and New Year's
