Australian Hotelier March 2023

SAVE TIME, COST AND STRESS

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WE ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE DRINKING Get the facts DrinkWise.org.au

P

26 Pub Accommodation: Honing in on the right kind of pub room guest.

REGULARS

6 News: What’s happening in pubs across Australia.

32 Design & Build: The Abercrombie Hotel brings together three venues in one.

34 Tales from the Top: Chris Cheung celebrates Coogee Bay Hotel’s 150th anniversary.

Editor’s Note

AT

AUSTRALIAN

Hotelier, we’re so pleased to announce that we’ll be taking the Pub Leaders Summit to Queensland this year! As one of the most dynamic pub markets in the country, it felt right that this year the event should be held in the Sunshine State. The program will be covering some big topics relevant to publicans all across the country: the current economic conditions; gaming regulations; staffing shortages; and F&B offerings. You can find more details on p 7, and there will be regular updates from now on. Make sure to check out www.publeaders.com.au as well!

For now, please enjoy this issue of the magazine. Inside you’ll find some great reads, including a spotlight on some highly

respected women within the hotel industry relaying their experiences around equity (p 10). Further on, one Melbourne pub has banked totally on taps for its beer and wine offering (p 18). Sports have been a big business boon for pubs for sometime, but with the right promotions you can actually double a normal days trade for a big match day (p 22). There’s some great reads ahead.

Cheers!

Vanessa Cavasinni, Editor

E: vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au

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In the

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PUBS ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Kickon Group appoints ex-banker as CCO

Former ANZ Bank partner Peter Bisogni has been appointed as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of hospitality company, Kickon Group.

Bisogni’s duties will include overseeing all commercial operations, and driving growth across the group’s full portfolio of venues.

Kickon CEO, Duncan Thomson, welcomed the appointment.

“Peter is an innovative leader and a true game-changer. Throughout his international career, he has demonstrated the ability to generate effective strategies that drive growth and progress for the companies he works with.

“We are extremely confident in Peter’s potential to help lead the company in its mission of becoming game changers within hospitality services.”

Bisogni has held senior finance roles in both the UK and Australia, beginning his career at accounting company Arthur Andersen in Melbourne. Bisogni joins Kickon Group from ANZ Bank, where he worked for 14 years in a range of roles, including senior finance business partner (Head of Finance) for the bank’s business bank and specialist distribution divisions. The new CCO said he was excited to get started.

“Having known some of the key members of Kickon Group for many years, I am thrilled at the prospect of being part of such an amazing team and working together to take the company into its next stage of growth and success. This is a unique chance to bring my expertise in financial and operational management to help shape the future of a truly remarkable organisation.

“I look forward to utilising my knowledge to capitalise on opportunities and make a positive contribution to this innovative, forward-thinking organisation,” Bisogni added.

Finally, Kickon Group founder, Craig Shearer, believes the hiring of Bisogni ensures the company is ideally positioned to take on future challenges.

“With the appointment of Peter Bisogni, Kickon Group is now well-placed to become an industry leader in hospitality services. His wealth of experience and game-changing approach to problem solving will be instrumental in propelling the company forward into greater success.

“We are delighted that he has decided to join us on this journey, and we look forward to what the future holds,” Shearer said.

SUMMI T 2023

The Pub Leaders Summit is heading to Queensland

Australian Hotelier is pleased to announce that this year the Pub Leaders Summit will be heading to Queensland for the very first time. Now in its seventh year, the conference and expo for Australia’s pub owners and operators has been held in Sydney and Melbourne, but never in the Sunshine State.

“Queensland has a very lively pub landscape, held in high esteem, and we can’t wait to bring the Pub Leaders Summit there,” states Australian Hotelier’s managing editor, Vanessa Cavasinni.

“We are incredibly excited to bring a dynamic program to Queensland, that we believe will be hugely beneficial to publicans all across the country.”

The event will be held at one of the most admired hotels in Australia – the award-winning Eatons Hill Hotel and Accommodation.

The conference program is being directly influenced by publicans and the topics that need the most attention right now. Last month, a survey was sent out to publicans, and you responded with the topics you want to see addressed within the conference: dealing with the current economic conditions; staffing shortages; F&B; gaming regulations; and data and loyalty systems. You can expect all of those topics and more to be covered by the program.

There are plenty of details still to be announced for the Pub Leaders Summit, so keep an eye out on the Pub Leaders Summit website – where you can also purchase tickets – for more information and updates.

The 2023 Pub Leaders Summit will be held on Monday 19 June at Eatons Hill Hotel & Accommodation. For more details, visit www.publeaders.com.au

Peter Bisogni

THE THOMAS FAMILY SELLS THE OAKS HOTEL

One of Australia’s most famed pubs, The Oaks in Neutral Bay, Sydney, has sold.

After nearly 50 years of private family operation, the Oaks was put up for sale by the Thomas family for the first time in its history. While there has been much speculation about the sale, details are being kept strictly confidential.

“I can confirm it has sold to a local family and long-time patrons of The Oaks,” confirmed JLL’s Managing Director John Musca, who handled the sale campaign along with colleague Ben McDonald.

“It is expected to settle soon, and you will see continuity of this wonderful, community business.”

The Oaks possesses a 2188 sqm corner block in Neutral Bay, and comprises five storeys. The diverse business mix includes the upmarket Alala’s Restaurant, The Bar and Grill, Taffy’s Sports Bar, numerous function spaces on both the ground and first floor, VIP Lounge with 30 PMEs, and a bottleshop. Its most famed asset is the large beer garden enveloped by an enormous English Oak tree.

While the acquisition of the The Oaks was always an attractive proposition, the hotel still has further development opportunity. Its inherent future development scope is highlighted by the property’s B4 ‘Mixed Use’ zoning, underutilised GFA and 16m height limit, offering the opportunity to add an additional three levels on top of the existing structure (STCA).

When the sale campaign was first announced, the JLL team stressed the rarity of such an asset coming to market.

“As in all real estate sectors the premier assets often only come to market once in a lifetime, which is even more prevalent in the highly protected hotel industry where assets of this scale and quality will simply never be approved or replicated again in high-

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end Sydney demographic locations – we’re fundamentally talking about one of the very best hotels in the asset class,” stated Musca.

McDonald agreed, stating: “It is difficult to imagine any hotel in the country evoking as much emotion, brand heritage and rites of passage than the illustrious Oaks Hotel. It’s going to be a remarkably fulfilling asset for the next lucky generational owners.”

At the time, outgoing owner Andrew Thomas said he and his family decided to sell the venue after receiving numerous unsolicited offers.

The Thomas family will retain their ownership of the Winston Hills Hotel and the Entrance Hotel.

The famed courtyard covered by a central oak tree.

LAUNDY BUYS OUT SHORT FROM PUBS PARTNERSHIP

Fraser Short has divested his half of a shared pub portfolio to partner Arthur Laundy, after a decade of working together.

Arthur Laundy and Fraser Short have signed a deal that sees Short cash-in his 50 per cent interest in their jointly owned portfolio of hotels to Arthur and Laundy Hotels. The portfolio includes the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Park House Mona Vale, Northies at Cronulla, Lennox Head Hotel, Illawong Hotel and The Farm at Byron Bay.

Short and Laundy began their partnership ten years ago, investing $10 million collectively to build up an impressive suite of venues in New South Wales that are now worth an estimated $300 million.

“Needless to say I’m very proud of the venues we created together, how many people we employed, provided opportunities for and delivering a world class group of venues to our guests has been an extremely satisfying journey” stated Short.

Short came to the decision to move on from the partnership after reflecting on his priorities of late.

“The past several years have really crystallised what is important to me and where I’d like to place my energy moving forward,” states Short.

“My late father Warwick, also a very successful publican sadly passed away at 60 years young and I’m only a few laps away from 50. Whilst I’m not planning on going anywhere soon, it’s fair to say that’s always at the back of my mind. I have four amazing kids now, a wonderful wife and after decades of building multiple businesses, managing 1200 staff and dedicating my life to hospitality, it has taken me away from many special family moments.

“I’m very grateful to Arthur and the Laundy family who have been wonderful business partners and are supportive of my position and I wish them nothing but success as they move forward.”

Short also took a step back from his own group, The Sydney Collective, in 2021, naming Brett Sergeant as CEO. Short remains active in the business, focused on growth opportunities.

Arthur Laundy thanked Short for his partnership over the last decade, and is thrilled for his own family to take on the ownership of these venues and to see them grow further.

“I’ve been in this industry for over 60 years, and I am just so proud of what we have achieved as a family and we have been lucky to have some great partners along the way. Fraser’s partnership is one of those and the portfolio of hotels we have developed together are world class.

“It is a very exciting opportunity for us to welcome these hotels and their teams into our family. My family are fourth generation publicans and I am lucky enough to have all four of my children and their partners involved in the business, along with many of my grandchildren. The Laundy Hotels management team are a very talented team and they deliver a great product to all of our customers across NSW and Queensland venues.”

Laundy also stressed that he would be eager to work with Short again in the future.

“We have enjoyed a great relationship with Fraser for the past 10 years and would be excited to do things in the future again if the opportunity arose. However signing this deal gives myself and my kids a great platform to continue to grow Laundy Hotels as a family-friendly hotel group of the future.”

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

Lennox Hotel

More than one million Australian adults vape, but our vaping laws are failing.

#EmbraceEquity is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, held on 8 March. With that in mind, we asked a few women of their experiences within the industry, and how it could improve for all female-identifying people within pubs.

Jennifer Anderson Managing Director, W. Short Hospitality

I feel very fortunate to be able to say that I have experienced very few barriers to my career progression in the hospitality industry. Certainly, the industry has been historically more maledominated, however significant inroads have been made to the extent that representation at all levels and facets of hospitality is at an all-time high.

It can’t be an accident that we have one of the most diverse head office representations in the industry. W. Short Hospitality is a family business with strong values, and we wouldn’t consider having it any other way. We have a vast range of different roles that require different skillsets and degrees of experience. We look from within first, but are always keen to broaden the net and take the opportunity to bring new faces and diversity into the mix. At the end of last year we implemented a paid parental leave scheme that I believe is industry leading and recognises the significant value that both women and men as either primary or secondary carers bring to the business.

For whatever missed opportunity I or my female colleagues may have faced, there are also plenty of opportunities that fall your way. It’s up to us as an industry and more specifically at an organisational level to provide a vast array of opportunities and be open minded to different perspectives, lifestyle choices and personal needs.

Chief Training and Development Officer, Australian Venue Co.

One of the big attraction points for me to come over to AVC was that CEO Paul Waterson really wanted me to focus on our gender balance, particularly in management. What we see in the data is a massive fallout of women once we get to that AVM and Venue Manager level. It was certainly my experience all the way through my career of this feeling of ‘well once I get to a certain age or a certain time in my life where I might want to have children etc, how is the hospitality industry going to work for me?’ and I think that we’re still seeing that now. I believe strongly that we have to embrace flexibility and what that looks like. The days of everybody doing Tuesday-Saturday doubles are gone, and we really need to get more creative than that. We need to look at the needs of the business and embrace the skills and the talent we have in people, and look at permanent part time as a really strong option.

One of our big focuses within our HerHospo program is a larger-scale Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) project. Our focuses for 2023 with HerHospo is with our First Nations and LGBTQIA+ communities, so I think when you talk about equity, it’s the importance of DEI and the strength of women within other minority groups. We’re introducing pre-employment programs for First Nations communities, really working out how we can have a larger scale impact. We have to embrace DEI for women across multiple areas.

Bianca Dawson

Kate MacDonald

Senior VP – Hotels & Hospitality, JLL

Having commenced my career in hospitality over 25 years ago, starting as a bartender in a Sydney pub… the environment was very different. There was the occasion when my gender deemed me unable or “not ready” to hold the keys to the venue, in the eyes of the owner. In those days, if it was clear that your career path was going to hit a ‘glass ceiling’, you just moved on to the next job and hoped for a different response when the time came for a promotion.

Today, I am the only female pub broker in NSW, and am surrounded by the most supportive men AND women in the industry. The support not only comes from within my team at JLL, but also from my clients. Some clients you could falsely assume would be old fashioned in their thinking. Some live in remote parts of regional NSW and have operated their hotels for longer than I have been alive. These clients have put faith in me, and continue to do so, when they are presented with many other (male) options for representation in the sale of their assets.

There are just as many women working in pubs/hotels across Australia as there are men, and every day there are more women elevated to senior positions within hotel groups, suppliers, service providers and advisors.

Anna Moeller

Jaz Wearin

Founder, Modus Operandi Brewing

I am loving and holding my hands high for this theme. This is particularly important in manufacturing where equality is simply not enough to be inclusive. There are physical challenges (whether this be for males or females) every day in a working brewery from the hauling of grain, moving heavy transferring hoses, moving beer laden kegs etc. It is a challenge for our industry because circumstances like these physical barriers absolutely make it more difficult for amazing people to succeed. These physical challenges aren’t going to disappear, but what can change is the mindset of the business and team to acknowledge that recognising individual needs is going to ensure that each and every person thrives no matter their circumstance.

As an innovation nut, I think this is such an important focus for women and girls across the world, particularly in STEM industries which shape the world in which we live. It seems obvious that there should be a gender balance when embarking on any sort of innovation given it should be accessible and inclusive of all the respondents. How do we ensure we are doing our bit in the beverage industry to ensure a gender equal future? Even gender distribution in management, offering training at all levels and capabilities and flexibility for working mothers (and fathers). Not an easy feat, we aren’t perfect either, but it’s the awareness that brings change in the right direction.

Deputy CEO, Australian Hotels Association (SA)

The first licensee in South Australia was in 1837. No ‘barmaids’ – because that’s what they were called –could be employed from 1908 until 1967. So if you were a female you could only work in a pub if you were the family member of the owner of the pub. Single women weren’t allowed to hold a hotel license at all. That was legislated in 1908 and that lasted up until about WWII, and then they could see the sense in letting women run pubs, while all the men were off at the war.

Back in 1839, there was actually a requirement that a publican had to provide for “a traveller and his horse…or any corpse brought to his public house for the purpose of a coroner’s inquest.” So you could have a traveller as long as it was a bloke, you could have his horse or a corpse in the pub, but you couldn’t have a woman.

So that’s where we’ve been. Now in South Australia we’ve got about 600 pubs, and they employ over 26,000 South Australians. Over half the employees are women. Increasingly, the number of females in management positions is improving. Even within the AHASA State Council, the number of women has significantly increased in the last 3-4 years. Since the 1990s we proactively established Women in Hotels, which is essentially a networking and support group to try and raise the profile of women in the industry. Some 30 years later it still remains a really strong vehicle for promoting women within the industry.

I think it’s important so see where we have come from, because it’s easy to forget the progress that has been made and focus only on what we don’t have yet. But I think looking at what we have achieved is what gives you the energy, the momentum and the motivation to keep going.

BEING TECH SAVVY ABOUT CASH

Cash usage might be declining but it certainly isn’t dead yet. While gaming is still very much a cash transaction, venues still need to account for cash at F&B outlets, TAB terminals, cash redemption terminals and ATMs. Cash recyclers are one way of streamlining processes back of house.

“Time consuming tasks like dispensing tills and balancing are made so much easier and quicker. These types of devices can also make daily clearances and reconciliation more accurate and reduce shrinkage,” states Henry Kiwarkis, General Manager – Sales for Banktech.

SAVE TIME AND HOURS WITH SMART TECH

Smart devices such as automated cashier safes and cash redemption terminals have revolutionised gaming payout across venues. These have helped remove the need for manual payouts by staff and rostering staff to process cash payouts.

The same applies to the use of cash recyclers in speeding up (with accuracy) gaming clearances and balancing your safe. It also helps save on labour input.

The power of one solution

“We all know how those additional hours can add up in a roster – every week, every month, every year – affecting your wages to sales figures and ultimately the bottom line,” states Kiwarkis.

A MUST IN THE CURRENT GAMING LANDSCAPE

The necessity of a good gaming system is a given. Venues need to ensure devices are all hooked into an operating system that can make every machine visible and offer the latest in enhancements.

System add-ons like TITO and loyalty are almost a must when looking for efficiencies and better customer service delivery. A good gaming system should offer these functionalities as a minimum.

Smart reporting is also an important feature of a gaming system in saving time and stress. Good reporting can provide an invaluable lens on your gaming floor performance and help with making operational and broader business decisions.

ONE SOLUTION

While there are a number of individual solutions to saving time, cost and stress, the real answer lies in being able to bring

all of these tech capabilities together so that you have complete visibility over your operations. You should be able to see what you want, when you want and from the palm of your hand.

“Omni VISION is Banktech’s online portal that allows users to check everything from cash levels in their devices to how their gaming floor is performing in real time. This allows you the peace of mind to be able to check in whenever you want,” explains Kiwarkis.

SMART SUPPORT EQUALS LESS STRESS

Even the smartest tech can hit a glitch from a power surge or human error. Good support when you need it 24/7 goes a long way in reducing worry and stress by giving peace of mind that someone in the know is there to help. Service providers like Banktech and UTOPIA Gaming Systems are a great example of where a local onshore help desk is just a phone call away. No tickets, no recorded messages – just help when you need it.

To find out how you can save time, cost and stress in running your venue, phone Banktech today on 1800 08 09 10.

Managing cash, staffing challenges, and gaming floor efficiencies can be a difficult balancing act to get right. Using an integrated gaming and cash management solution could be the answer.

Hostplus is a top-performing super fund that puts members first. That’s why we’re proud to have been named the 2023 Fund of the Year by third-party ratings agency SuperRatings. Judged across three areas: strong performance, competitive fees, and an ongoing focus on members, we’re thrilled to receive this recognition.

The rating is issued by SuperRatings Pty Ltd ABN 95 100 192 283 AFSL 311880 (SuperRatings). Ratings are general advice only and have been prepared without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider your personal circumstances, read the product disclosure statement and seek independent financial advice before investing. The rating and awards are not recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any product and are only one factor to be taken into account when choosing a super fund. Past performance information is not indicative of future performance. Ratings are subject to change without notice and SuperRatings assumes no obligation to update. SuperRatings uses objective criteria and receives a fee for publishing awards. Visit www.lonsec.com.au/superfund/ratings-and-awards/ for ratings information and to access the full report. © 2022 SuperRatings. All rights reserved. General advice only. Consider the relevant Hostplus PDS and TMD at hostplus.com.au and your objectives, financial situation and needs, which have not been accounted for. Awards and ratings are only one factor to consider. Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL 244392 trustee for Hostplus Superannuation Fund, ABN 68 657 495 890. HP2387

EVERY PUBLICAN across the country will be watching the New South Wales State Election held later this month, as the outcome will determine the scope of gaming reform in the state. Both Liberal and Labor parties have promised some reform to tackle problem gambling and money laundering, but the policies are wildly different. The Liberal party under current Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced significant measures to curtail gaming while promising support for the industry. Labor under MP Chris Minns has instead suggested expanded trialling is still the way forward for now, while still promising some reform of the way gaming machines are operated and used.

Other jurisdictions are also watching the election outcomes closely, as rumblings around the country grow louder about gaming reform. So what exactly are the two plans of attack in new South Wales?

The Liberal Party has announced that under their government, cashless gaming will become mandatory for pubs and clubs by December 2028, with any new machines purchased from 2024 to be cashless. Players are to set their own limits, which will not be allowed to be increased for seven days. Credit and automatic topups will be band, with funds to flow from a single bank account. Breaks in play will be mandated, and a state-wide self-exclusion register will be established.

A Transition Taskforce will be set up to work out the details of how these policies will be actioned in the timeframe. Perrottet also promised financial support for pubs and clubs, to help diversify their offerings.

What’s to come

“We will stand side by side with pubs and clubs during this transition. This will be a journey that we will do together, and that will make change that will benefit not just people today, but our children and their children as well,” the Premier stated.

“That’s what this change is all about. It fixes problem gambling. It fixes money laundering, and at the same time, protects jobs and supports our pubs and clubs across our state.”

Meanwhile, a Minns Labor Government will introduce a mandatory 12-month cashless gaming trial in New South Wales, which will begin on 1 July 2023.

The trial will include at least 500 machines, with a mix of pubs and clubs across metro and regional areas. It will look at different cashless technologies, what infrastructure investments are required, including cost, the impact on employment and industry and the impacts on problem gambling, and options to further reduce problem gambling. A roadmap to gaming reform will be set out depending on the findings of the trial.

In the interim, Labor would reduce cash feed-in limits to $500 per machine for all new poker machines from 1 July 2023 – a tenfold reduction from the current limit of $5000. Facial recognition technology will also become mandatory for gamings rooms throughout the state by mid-2024.

While gaming reform is coming in one shape or form, gaming rooms will still remain a part of the pub offer for many venues. The reform will however require publicans to be nimble in adapting new technologies – as well as taking advantage of all support the incoming government is willing to offer.

The upcoming NSW election will define what gaming reform looks like in the state – and publicans and jurisdictions around Australia will be keeping an eye on the outcome.

The latest products

The latest gaming products will be on display at the Australasian Hospitality and Gaming (AHG) Expo at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition centre from 22-23

March. We ask the big gaming companies what they’ll be bringing to the expo

ARISTOCRAT

Aristocrat will showcase a wide range of new games including Grand Globes™ and Martian Millions™, while offering a preview of Aqua Kingdom™ and Wild Rumble™.

“Our product line-up offers the leading combination of cuttingedge technology, winning themes, and best-in-class game mechanics that deliver consistently strong gaming performance for our customers across ANZ,” said David Ronson, Managing Director APAC, Aristocrat Gaming.

Games on show include:

• Grand Globes™ - Launching with four first-class games, this global travel-themed game family packs in a variety of exciting features.

• Martian Millions™ - Debuting with four standalone progressive games – and three unique features – it delivers a more entertaining gaming experience with new mechanics that provide different experiences for players every time.

• Dollar Storm™ – Two new games for this consistently performing game family featuring Hold & Spin and a Super Grand Chance feature. Available as a 3-level SAP and Link. “Games from our local and international studios will be on display, showcasing our strength and depth in proven mechanics and innovative new features. Visitors can expect to find a game to suit every player and every venue, from classics such as Cash Express Luxury Line and Dollar Storm to brand-new themes like Martian Millions,” Ronson added.

Aristocrat Gaming will also display its growing CXS (systems) solutions portfolio, demonstrating how the products deliver a better customer experience every day for hundreds of venues in Australia.

Come and explore ‘A World of Play’ at the AHGE23 - your journey awaits!

LIGHT & WONDER

Over the past 12 months Light & Wonder has delivered two top performing game series that have set gaming rooms abuzz around Australia with Dragon Unleashed™ and Thunder Drums™. Both series are proven performers consistently sitting at the top of ranking reports and will be key feature products at the upcoming AHG Expo in Brisbane. Hoteliers can look forward to viewing the next exciting games for Dragon Unleashed and Thunder Drums along with a sensational new series San Yuan Wu Fu™.

San Yuan Wu Fu is packed with innovation including unique features, multiple ways to win the top jackpot, all presented with a stunning art theme for the Kascada™ Dual Screen Cabinet. The first two games Vivid Diamonds™ and Dashing Dragons™ feature a brand new Free Game concept called ‘Super Switch’ that will turn royals into the top paying picture symbol giving players the chance to land big five-of-a-kind pays. Games three and four, Ingotcha™ and Fine Fortunes™, include a unique persistent wild feature that allows players to build up multiple wilds for big wins.

With an ongoing commitment to bringing the best games to market that offer operators a wide range of options, San Yuan Wu Fu will be available as a standalone progressive and a link.

You can check out all the great titles from Light & Wonder at Stand 252 at AHGE.

Right: San Yuan Wu Fu is the latest series from Light & Wonder

Aristocrat’s Dollar Storm range has done well in hotels, and its new game release is Aussie Boomer

Step into 'A World of Play' with Aristocrat Gaming at this year’s AHG Expo (22-23 March, Brisbane).

We’ll be taking play sky-high with the widest range of consistently performing games that suit every player and every venue.

Your journey starts with Grand Globes™, and travels through Martian Millions™, Wild Rumble™ with a stop-over at the new Dollar Storm™ games.

Explore our world of play at AHG 23. Your journey awaits!

Tapping into trends

The owners of the Carringbush Hotel in Melbourne had several reasons to host a significant draught offering, and locals are reaping the rewards of those philosophies.

OVER THE last four years, The Carringbush Hotel in inner-city Melbourne has built up a devout following of locals who know that they can rely on the pub to serve up a pot of a dependable brew or some quirky little microbrew that they might never get to try anywhere else. This mix of recognisable, entry-level beers as well as quirky, adventurous drops, keeps many Abbotsford locals popping into the pub on a weekly basis.

The tap offering at The Carringbush Hotel is significant, with 22 taps serving up a wide range of beer, plus a cider and a seltzer; as well as eight taps pouring a variety of local wines. The extensive tap offering is the result of a mix of fortuitous circumstances and the new owners’ philosophy for their venue.

Liam Matthews and his business partner took over the lease of the pub in 2018. They immediately discovered that the cellar was quite substantial and located directly under the pub’s central bar. Such a short route from cellar to bar really allowed the two partners to maximise the potential of the pub’s draught offering. It also aligned with their concerns about wastage and recycling, so they decided to do something quite special with the pub’s beer offer – make it entirely on tap.

“I realised that the cellar was absolutely enormous but also directly under the bar, which gave us great scope to do something quite special here. We know that there is a lot of issues with recycling in this country, so what if we were able to almost rule it out by having our entire beer offering on tap?” explains Matthews.

The Carringbush Hotel houses 30 taps, covering beer and wine.

Getting the balance right

The pair started locking in contracts with both the bigger brewers and several independent breweries so they had all the bases covered as well as getting a financial boost for their renovations of the pub.

“We signed contracts with brewers and they contributed money to the renovation, and we signed a timeline or literage contract depending on what they wanted to do. So we put together our wishlist of brewers we wanted to work with and what we wanted to see as an outcome, and then we just started calling those breweries,” states Matthews.

The pub’s first 16 taps now cover the breadth of beer drinkers’ tastes, with a mainstream beer like XXXX in tap, as well as a couple of midstrength beers; a lot of major Victorian independent brewers also get a couple of taps, and all the main beer styles are covered – everything from a pale ale to a stout. There’s also a cider and seltzer on tap.

The last six taps – the pub’s rotator taps – Matthews has kept for local small brewers and microbreweries doing small-batch experimental brews. It’s one of the main reasons for repeat visits to the Carringbush Hotel.

“That’s where we get the stuff that’s really outside of the box. We try to stick to pretty local with those six rotators, as there’s so many brewers in the country now, it’s almost impossible to make everyone happy. So we’ve formed relationships and we’re basically working with a core group of people with those taps.

“It’s a lot of fun and it keeps the locals interested because we get small volumes for those rotators taps, just one or two kegs. So if you come in once a week you’re guaranteed to see new beers on tap. The locals love it,” states Matthews.

Wine not?

Carringbush Hotel also has eight dedicated ambient taps for draught wine – three whites, four reds and a Rosé. Again, the layout of the venue afforded Carringbush Hotel the opportunity to give wine on tap a decent standing.

“We’ve done wine on tap before, and it’s difficult when you’re pulling it a long distance, and its difficult to keep it pouring well and cool. For the white wines, they freeze or titrate crystals form in them if you leave it in a chilled python. So having it directly underneath the bar is really easy.”

Matthews began chatting to the owners of Noisy Ritual, a local wine producer, about kegging their wines for the venue. They ha dnever done it before, but between the two businesses they settled on KeyKegs. It effectively works like a goon bag within a plastic keg, with gas pressure squeezing the liquid out of the keg. The system means that the wine stays fresh significantly longer. Meaning hardly any wine is wasted, as compared to pouring by the glass from bottles.

“ You open a bottle of wine in Summer and you really don’t want to be pouring wine that’s been opened for a day or two. But because no oxygen or gas actually touches the wine in these KeyKegs, it doesn’t matter how long those kegs sit there for.

Make it a mid

Mid-strength beers have become increasingly popular in pubs as sessionability and moderation become corner stones of a lot of consumer behavior within the on-premise. The midstrength beer category has enjoyed rapid growth in Australia over the past three decades, with its share rising from 10 per cent of the market in the 1990s to 17 per cent in the 2000s to more than 25 per cent in recent years.

“If this drinker represents more than a quarter of the market, it just makes sense to offer them more options. Supplying a premium option on tap, also results in better returns for the venue,” stated Patrick Coulson, brand manager for Stone & Wood.

Stone & Wood has had a lot of success with its mid-strength beer, Green Coast Crisp lager, since it launched.

The 3.5% ABV beer is particularly popular in destination pubs where at least one person per group has to drive to and from the venue. Green Coast Crisp allows even a designated driver to share in a round, making it a firm favourite among many pubs.

“We learnt this firsthand during covid, because we brought Alex [from Noisy Ritual] out towards the end of the first lockdown, which was a few months, and I said these kegs have been sitting in the cellar which is steady ambient temp, but they’ve still been sitting there the whole time. And we drank some of it and it was as fresh as the day we opened that keg. That’s the beauty of kegged wine,” states Matthews.

Sustainability of materials was another reason for the decision to stock wine on tap, with Matthews estimating that if their wine offer was solely from bottles, they’d be going through 10 cases of Sauvignon Blanc a week alone.

“We’re trying to create the smallest footprint that we can, while running a successful business.”

While customers were at first a little wary of the wine on tap offer, some tasters of the wines quickly changed people’s minds.

“At the start we really had to convince people it was the right way to go. It didn’t take long though. The locals took to it really well because they just knew they were always getting fresh wines.”

The next frontier

There’s one caveat to the Carringbush Hotel’s entire beer offering being on tap,

and that’s non-alc beers. As yet, non-alc beers have not been produced in draught format, as through normal beer lines they freeze without the alcohol. They do work perfectly in ambient taps, though Matthews says he is yet to convince a producer to make a draught format. So for now, the pub offers two or three different non-alc beers in cans.

“Non-alc beer is huge. But a lot of these guys aren’t investing in the kegging infrastructure because nine out of 10 pubs can’t pour it. But we actually have ambient taps because of the wine. So I would kill to get my hands on some NOLO beer in kegs, I just can’t convince anyone to do it for me at the moment.

One of the non-alc beers the Carringbush Hotel stocks is Stomping Ground’s non-alc pale ale, which Matthews swears tastes like the real deal. As a nearby brewer, the publican says he tries once a month to convince them to keg it.

“It would be huge for us to have a nonalc beer on tap. We’re selling probably 10-15 cases a week and that’s only because our fridges aren’t very visible from the bar because we don’t sell packs. So to be selling that volume with it out of sight is big.”

More than a normal trade day

SPORT HAS always been a big drawcard for pubs, with venues having the ability to offer fans something more sociable and enjoyable than staying at home to watch the match.

But it can be an expensive business installing the right equipment, subscribing and showing sporting occasions, and with the pandemic still fresh in the mind it is easy to focus more on tightening belts than investing in long-term potential.

Many Australians love sport, and having been denied the opportunity to share sport with friends for so long, the draw of the pub is possibly even stronger than it was pre-pandemic, as Matthew Moore of the Landmark Bar in Darwin explained to Australian Hotelier

“[It does] depend on the sporting event, but yes we tend to see a direct positive correlation between sales and sporting events/major sporting events,” Moore explained.

“Good examples of this are State of Origin, Grand Final weekends and becoming more popular UFC Sundays. For instance a Wednesday/Sunday State of Origin we have the potential to double our normal days trade.”

UFC is also fast becoming a hugely popular sport with Australian punters, and Moore said the recent UFC 284, which took place in Perth, “was a great day for our venue”.

He added: “We had a good turn out with the beer garden near capacity. We offered our upstairs balcony area overlooking the beer garden and great view of the NT’s largest outdoor screen. This UFC had a lot of hype around it with it being in Perth and also the main card being an Australian with the chance to win another belt.”

Sean Fawsitt, from the Great Northern Hotel in Melbourne, agrees that recent sporting events have proved very popular.

Sport has always been a big draw card for pubs, but as equipment improves and new sports emerge, are you maximising your sporting potential?

By Andy Young.

The Landmark in the Northern Territory was packed to capacity for the recent UFC event held in Perth

“As a pub that is passionate about live sports, we strive to provide our guests with a quality experience. The recent Super Bowl and UFC were both fully booked. Interest in NFL and UFC at the Northern has steadily grown over the past 13 years,” Fawsitt said.

THE RIGHT KIT

Fawsitt added that it’s important to make sure you are giving customers a reason to come to your venue: “The old adage ‘if you build it, they will come’ still holds true. We try to be ahead of the curve when it comes to audio visual systems as we believe our guests appreciate the difference. As the world of televised live sports is moving digital, it’s important that our offering reflects that.

“We have invested in the latest projectors and screens, and we are in the process of installing a custom AV system to ensure we are well placed to keep up with AV improvements into the future.”

As well as the technical kit, it is also important to make sure you have the right food and beverage offering available. A recent CGA Opus Survey highlighted that last year’s footy finals were a big driver for beer sales, and Moore said this was also true for many of the events the Landmark shows.

“Yes, we have found that beer is the leading seller during footy finals. But also for most sporting events we hold fight night – UFC, cricket and tennis – beer is the leading category,” Moore said.

He added: “Food and drink specials again are very important for the overall patron experience. A promotion we have had success with is a footy feast box and beer tower. This is a platter made up of burgers, fries, wedges, wings and a three-litre tower of beer. All foods that are easily shared within a social/group environment.”

With UFC on the rise, footy season around the corner plus the Rugby World Cup, boxing and Bledisloe Cup on the horizon, it is a key time to remember the huge draw that is sport in Australia, and make sure you and your venue are absolutely ready to maximise its huge potential.

We try to be ahead of the curve when it comes to audio visual systems as we believe our guests appreciate the difference. Sean Fawsitt, Great Northern Hotel

Big matches bring the crowds into the Great Northern Hotel

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After a summer totally free from restrictions, Australian Hotelier hears how pubs are recapturing visitors and appealing to the increasingly influential grey nomad market.

By Seamus May.

Accommodating a new kind of customer

THE SUN is up, the borders are open, and tourists are once more beginning to circulate around Australia again. And they need somewhere to stay.

Pubs, particularly in regional areas, have a unique proposition for the traveller on the road, as Melissa Porter, general manager of Porters Plainland (winners of the 2022 award for Best Traditional Pub Accommodation at the AHA National Awards for Excellence), explains.

“The beauty of pub accommodation is how authentic the experience can be. You have the chance to simply observe or even mix with a local community in their own watering hole.”

Porter believes that pubs offer something different to visitors than the conventional large format hotel.

“When you stay in a large CBD property, you are surrounded by other travellers, world class facilities and luxury, which is also a great experience.

“But sometimes it is nice to check into pub accommodation and observe locals in the bar having a drink after work, young families coming in for an early dinner, plus all the other patrons that frequent a pub on any given day. You never know who you might meet and what story they have to tell about the town you are in.”

This is a perspective shared by Tim Dillon, owner of The Commercial Boutique Hotel in Tenterfield, NSW.

“We find many travellers are looking for a better quality of food, and a local experience. We invest in highly skilled chefs and high quality ingredients to ensure we achieve a high standard.”

At the Commercial, guests truly do get to enjoy a taste of the local area.

“We source approximately 50 per cent of our wine and tap beers from local and regional wineries,” Dillon says.

A sense of history

Another point of difference between larger format hotels and regional pubs is the long-standing connection many of them enjoy with their communities, as Maxine Skinner, General Manager of the Pier Hotel in Coffs Harbour tells Australian Hotelier

“The Pier Hotel was built in 1905 and has long been one of Coffs’ most recognisable and historic landmarks. [It’s] the third oldest building in Coffs Harbour [and is] family owned.”

Dillon outlined that this connection between pub and community can be more than just emotional –it has a direct economic benefit to the area.

“I believe our business is extremely

important to the town,” Dillon says.

“Tenterfield has always had a lot of accommodation, but by providing the next level in boutique accommodation our venue has encouraged travellers with more spending money to stay overnight, which results in more money spent generally throughout town.”

Another small-town pub, Porters Plainland, will celebrate its 120th birthday in 2025, and this history is woven throughout the venue (including the motel, added four years ago).

“I think our 17-room motel gives off a nice little wow factor. It is attached to a traditional hotel which was built in 1905 and carefully renovated over the years, but essentially has a country feel,” Porter says.

“When we designed the rooms we tried to weave in small elements of the existing hotel and local region whilst still maintaining simple luxury. The room ceilings have a faux VJ (vertical join) look which is a throwback to the original high VJ ceilings still visible in the original pub. So, when you lay back and rest your head you might just think you are sleeping in the original pub.”

The

beauty of pub accommodation is how authentic the experience can be.

Melissa Porter, Porters Plainland Hotel

The Sands Hotel, Narrabeen, within the Nightcap Hotels portfolio

Travel therapy from a welcoming hotel

Pubs can benefit by appealing to communities that have perhaps been overlooked by traditional tourism providers. Recent research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has promoted the concept of ‘travel therapy’, which suggests that tourism can be a means of improving mental health and wellbeing.

Travel can have a positive impact for those who suffer from non-communicable chronic illnesses, estimated by the World Health Organisation to be about a fifth of the world’s population.

Dr Jun Wen, a researcher on the project, highlighted the growing importance of this community.

“The world has an ageing population, so there will be more and more people dealing with the challenges that brings, like dementia, physical limitations and so on,” Dr Wen said.

“Most are able to travel but remain vulnerable during trips and need intensive services. Staff and stakeholders need training to be made aware of vulnerable travellers’ needs and demands.”

ECU PhD candidate, Fangli Hu, explained the benefits for publicans and hoteliers of ensuring their venues are suitable for these customers.

“This niche market diversifies pub operators’ customer base and contributes to economic gains. It also helps operators proactively address challenges posed by an increasingly ageing society.”

Brett Salter, head of accommodation for Endeavour Group, ALH Hotels and Nightcap Hotels, explains how he draws upon personal experience when leading the accommodation offering at the group’s hotels.

“Having spent a lot of my career travelling and staying in many of these big hotels, I suppose I’ve learned what frustrates me as a traveller, particularly the extra costs for basic essentials,” Salter says.

“Pub accommodation can vary a lot, in fact we have three tiers of Nightcap Hotels depending on budget and experience the traveller wants.

“Our hotels are boutique in nature, the combination of a well-designed room and a short walk to a great pub meal (or no walk at all if ordering room service) is the essential recipe to a Nightcap Hotels stay. The Nightcap experience was created to elevate the great Australian pub stay.”

Accessible appeal

The rise of easy holiday rental and booking apps, alongside the ever-present threat of big format hotels, means the competition to acquire custom is fierce. Pubs have to

ensure that they are appealing to a large cross-section of society.

One group that is growing both in influence, and in pure demographic size (more than 25 per cent of the population in the last census), is the over-55s, including the ‘grey nomad’ community of independent travellers. Ralph Kelly, director of accommodation bookings service, Pub Rooms, highlights how pubs can engage this often affluent group of consumers.

“Grey nomads are a key part of the visitor mix for all regions, the region needs to better consider the potential of these and other domestic drive market travellers going forward,” Kelly says.

“Whilst a proportion of the grey nomads will seek out the free overnight roadside or council showground parks, there is a group who will happily pay a premium for better located and equipped accommodation venues.”

Moreover, Kelly says, these customers can be easily targeted in marketing through offering a discount for Seniors Card holders. At the time of writing, Pub Rooms has a special selection of hotels offering 10 per cent off for over 55s.

Stays at Commercial Boutique Hotel, Tenterfield, have helped the general spend in the town

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Occupancy levels rebound

The accommodation providers Australian Hotelier spoke to all reported a resurgence in occupancy levels following lifting of pandemic restrictions in 2022.

“Business for us returned to a typical pattern early in 2022, although overall a bit busier than pre-pandemic,” Dillon comments.

Salter spoke to the success of Nightcap’s accommodation offering over the last year.

“On average we have 1.5 guests per room, in 2022 we welcomed just shy of a million accommodation guests within our pubs.

“In 39 locations we enjoyed a 12-month average occupancy over 80 per cent which is an awesome effort for our teams coming out of various lockdowns early in 2022.”

It’s clear then that regional pubs are benefiting from what makes them distinct when compared with at-home stays and big format hotels, and that these pubs are now attracting a wide mix of visitors. The experience of Porters Plainland illustrates this phenomenon plainly – catering for an area otherwise neglected by the hotel industry.

“We are very fortunate to be enjoying over 85 per cent occupancy quite consistently,” Porter says.

“As much as we are working hard to do the best job we can, our local area has a limited amount of accommodation and we are the only pub in Plainland. So that helps,” she concludes.

Checking in at Porters Plainland Hotel

Commercial Boutique Hotel rooms

Three venues in one

The beloved Abercrombie Hotel has reopened, with three diverse spaces providing a variety of experiences in one venue.

By Caoimhe Hanrahan-Lawrence.

AFTER LYING dormant for many years, Sydney’s iconic Abercrombie Hotel was reopened in December of 2022, unveiling three unique but interrelated spaces. The latest iteration of the historic venue was purchased and revitalised by Solotel. CEO Elliott Solomon recognised the importance of the venue to Sydney’s nightlife culture.

“We always knew there was a strong sense of responsibility reopening the Abercrombie given that formative memories of generations of Sydney partiers, including myself, were forged here,” he said.

The ground floor hosts a beer garden and club space, reviving the Abercrombie’s history as a key part of the clubbing scene. Upstairs is the Casa Rosa rooftop bar, a space to meet friends without losing that party atmosphere. Solotel also acquired the neighbouring terraces, transforming them into an intimate innercity wine bar. The spaces each function as individual venues, however, the real strength of the multiple offerings is when they work in concert. The original vision for the Abercrombie was as a “multi-level, day to late-night destination with a range of experiences under the one roof.”

OLD MEETS NEW

It was important for the design of the space to honour the historic facade of the Abercrombie Hotel. Heritage elements such as the 100-year-old pub floor tiles have been restored, and exposed timber joints and builders’ notes have been left intact. The retro design of the wooden bar reflects the exposed timber elements, elevating the space with its sleek, rounded shape. Modern elements have been included in the club, such as floor-to-ceiling gold velvet curtains and LED lighting programmed by design collective Babekhul. The blend of old and new results in a “dark,

basement-style vibe,” reflective of the experiences of this new generation of club-goers.

“Anyone that’s younger than 28 has never experienced Sydney with proper nightlife, hasn’t experienced the city without lockouts or restrictions on drinks,” said Solomon, “So many of them don’t really have experiences in licensed venues. Their experiences are in unregulated warehouse spaces in industrial areas near the city, house parties.”

The centrepiece of the club area is the DJ booth, a sculptural, pyramid-shaped stage. The design allows the space to transition seamlessly from a casual beer garden setting to a high-energy club. Paired with a world-class Funktion-One speaker, the DJ booth becomes the altar in a “temple of techno.”

NEOPOLITAN NIGHTLIFE

The Casa Rosa rooftop bar is a “playful late-night Italo-disco cocktail lounge”, with a design inspired by New York’s iconic Palazzo Chupi ‘pink house’. The lounge is painted in vivid pastels, with monochromatic rooms designed entirely in pink or green. Mirrors, a disco ball, and plush lounges create a congenial, spirited atmosphere. The space is perfect for after work drinks, or late nights spent sipping on finely crafted cocktails with friends.

Outside, the eclectic design of the cocktail bar steps back. This is the first time in the Abercrombie’s history that the rooftop has been open to the public, and the views take centre stage.

“Outside on the rooftop, we wanted the view over the church

Lil Sis wine bar

steeple and terraces to be the hero,” Solomon explained. “Built-in booth seating with lobster red cushions creates an ideal spot for soaking up that inner-city sunset.”

Though the design of Casa Rosa is distinct from the ground floor club, there will still be a chance to party, with the bar open until 4am and its own DJ booth. The vision was for patrons to flow between the more conversational cocktail bar and the vibrant nightclub space without losing the energy of their night out.

“Sydneysiders love a rooftop,” Solomon said, “So to be able to move from one level to another over the course of the night is really adding to the Abercrombie experience.”

A NEW AVENUE

A particularly innovative addition to the iconic clubbing venue is the Lil Sis wine bar, housed in the neighbouring heritage terraces.

“Guests who aren’t into clubbing at all and would not have visited the Abercrombie otherwise are thrilled that there is a thoughtfully curated neighbourhood wine bar to call their own,” Solomon said.

Visually, Lil Sis is distinct from the rest of the Abercrombie, with the design focused on reflecting the character of the 1850s terraces. The ground floor is a curated neighbourhood wine shop, with ample space for tastings. Upstairs, the space is intimate and cosy, with walnut banquettes and chocolate leather lending the space a homely warmth.

Every component of The Abercrombie has been well received by Sydneysiders, who have found their own ways to enjoy the hotel.

“The feedback to the refurbishment of the club space has been so positive,” Solomon concluded, “both from people who are very familiar with the old Abercrombie and the new generation of clubbers.”

The other two spaces have also been well received. The previously unused rooftop space is a welcome surprise to many patrons, and has proved a great complement to the club experience. While Lil Sis may be housed next door, it still maintains the sense of heritage that, for so many people, is synonymous with the Abercrombie Hotel.

The ground floor public bar

Casa Rosa rooftop bar

The importance of community

Coogee Bay Hotel (CBH) managing director Chris Cheung spoke to Seamus May about restoring the hotel to its former glory, and keeping in touch with changing community demands.

THIS YEAR marks the 150th anniversary of the Coogee Bay Hotel, and managing director, Chris Cheung, tells Australian Hotelier why he thinks the hotel has had such extraordinary longevity.

“The community chooses you, you don’t choose the community. In this instance, I think it’s imperative that we are part of the community, and part of our staying power is that we’ve listened, we’ve cared, we’ve evolved with that.

“One of the key critical factors for that [endurance] is internally, our amazing people and teams, that are embracing change, but more importantly, innovating and meeting the challenges of our current times,” Cheung adds.

A period of transformation

In his tenure at the pub, Cheung has seen many drastic changes, not just at the hotel, but in the local area too. A key challenge and standout highlight, Cheung explains, has been the restoration of the pub’s atmosphere and reputation.

“Ultimately, the big challenge for me in the early years was re-establishing its place as an iconic venue. I call it ‘the King of Pubs’.

“Now what inspired me back in 91 –

there was a book that was called the Pub Guide [A Guide to Sydney Pubs] written by a Mark Shields. And when I looked up the Coogee Bay Hotel, it said: ‘A grand old lady that wants to be everything, but not a smile in the place.’

“And that drove me – the motivation to want to be where Coogee once was. I was driven to re-establish it, knowing its history. During the early 30s and 40s – this was a majestic venue known for its large ballroom and wedding facilities,” Cheung continues.

“To me it was about re-establishing Coogee Bay to its status. I think we achieved that when we won the Hotel of the Year back in 1997.”

The community surrounding the pub has also considerably altered over the last three decades, Cheung says.

“I look at the census report, I read it every time we do it, and it’s changed dramatically.

“People still talk about the backpackers – the backpackers truly went many years ago. Coogee, as we reckon it, it’s little England, it’s predominantly represented by long term UK residents living in the area.

“The market demographic, we’ve got high disposable income bordering us, it’s not the high renters area that we came into

back in 1991. We’ve got very influential and affluent people in the area.”

Looking ahead

A key aspect of the CBH’s 150 year celebrations is looking towards the pub’s future, and Cheung outlines what his vision of this future is.

“I’m only a custodian of this remarkable property,” the managing director says.

“The venue will keep evolving with market trends and be constantly serving the community. We are the heart and hub of the Coogee community… And that drives us to be constantly evolving.

“One of the things I say is: ‘history has defined us; change is constant.’ And we embrace it.”

Ultimately, it’s this ability to be nimble that Cheung thinks is the hallmark of a truly excellent pub.

“For me, it’s about great people and themes to bring an extraordinary guest service and experience. Great products. Great ambience, safe and fun environment, and evolving with market demands and expectations for the above.”

This article first appeared in the Australian Hotelier newsletter.

Coogee Bay Hotel celebrates its 150th anniversary this year