Huntlee Tavern - The Hub of the Hunter!
To the average person, a large paddock in a rural area just on the fringe of Hunter Valley Wine Country would be – at best – nice to look at. Or perhaps a good camping spot. Not for experienced pub operator Jason Gavin though. To Jason, it was – in one word – opportunity.
"A friend showed me the site, and I liked what I saw. When I heard that Coles was moving into the growing township, it didn't take a lot more to make me decide to buy the land," said Jason.
Fast forward five years, and that paddock has been transformed into a destination pub at the gateway to Hunter Valley Wine Country, close to a number of growing regional towns and with the new 7,500-home Huntlee township on its doorstep and more to follow. In fact, it's that centrality, in addition, to the bustling city of Newcastle, that has seen Huntlee Tavern become somewhat of a 'hub-pub' – the Hub of the Hunter to surrounding regional towns too.
When it came to designing and building Huntlee Tavern, Jason drew upon his 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry to work with Bergstrom Architects to create a design that would be modern but filled with charm and atmosphere.
To say this has been achieved (and then some) might be an understatement, with the venue housing a bistro area that includes a large three-storey children's' playground, a kids entertainment room, seating for functions and an outdoor terrace that holds 100 people. In addition, the other side of the hotel includes a lounge bar that doubles up as a live entertainment area with a dance floor, a public sports bar with TAB, a gaming room with 18 machines, and a second entry.
The bistro area has a dedicated bar and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, serving all your gastropub favourites, while the Terrace offers a second dining space and is the place for year-round social activity and a place to view your favourite sporting or music events from an abundance of screens and state of the art audio.
The Lounge Bar is the heart and soul of Huntlee Tavern and features a large selection of spirits and liqueurs, tasty cocktails and an unrivalled wine list; it's the perfect spot to celebrate with good food, wine and company. With live music and DJs every weekend and a courtesy bus available for pick up and drop off – is there any other place you'd rather be?
Visit www.huntleetavern.com.au
