A crowd of 1350 publicans and industry stakeholders celebrated state’s best pubs at the 2024 AHA NSW Awards for Excellence at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Tuesday 29 October.
More than 950 nominations were received for awards across 48 categories, and AHA NSW CEO John Whelan said the winners represented the best and brightest in the NSW hotel industry.
“These hotels range from mum and dad operations in the most remote parts of the state to multi-level entertainment precincts in our nation’s greatest city,” stated Whelan.
“These hotels provide tens of thousands of jobs, raise millions of dollars for charity each and every year and drive the NSW tourism and hospitality economy.
“I would like to congratulate all award winners.”
Regional pubs took the lion’s share of the awards that were not separated out into metropolitan and regional categories, showcasing the importance of these pubs in their communities, as well as the standard they set. Pubs from Port Macquarie to Nyngan to Raymond Terrace all took out awards during the ceremony, beating a slew of metropolitan counterparts.
Popular Central Coast hoteliers, Peter and Jane Harris and Gary and Kerry Narvo received a standing ovation when they were inducted into the AHA NSW Hall of Fame and received the Cyril Maloney Medal. It was the first time in AHA NSW history that two married couples were inducted.
In the major awards, the regional venues and groups continued to be celebrated. Individual Hotel Operator went to Nicholas Clark of The Shortland Hotel, while Group Hotel Operator went to O’Hara Hotels.
Managing Director Dan O’Hara – who brought along more than 60 members of the group to the awards ceremony – said the team was the reason behind the major award win.
“I’m very proud. It’s a team effort. We talk all the time about the power of the team, so to win this award is an awesome achievement for our team. It’s a people business. There’s a great Irish hospitality saying that ‘when you walk into a pub, you walk in a customer and you walk out a friend’, and we really try to ensure that all of our team have that mentality, because when you peel everything back it’s a people business.”
In the Best Overall Hotel awards, the Best Regional Hotel was awarded to Beach Hotel, Merewether, which also took out the Best Regional Redevelopment.
Owned by Epochal Hotels, the pub underwent a major redevelopment last year to honour the history of the local area.
“We’re incredibly honoured that The Beach Hotel has been awarded Best Overall Hotel (Regional) and Best Regional Redevelopment,” stated Epochal Hotels CEO and founder, Glenn Piper.
“Our vision for the restoration was to create a space that reflects the rich history, spirit and beauty of Merewether, and it’s been a privilege to see the community embrace the pub so warmly as their own. This recognition is a true testament to them and, of course, to our passionate team who work tirelessly to deliver an exceptional experience for all.”
The Best Overall Hotel – Metropolitan was awarded to Jacksons on George in Sydney’s CBD, another pub that underwent a massive multi-million dollar renovation last year. It also took out Best restaurant for Bistro George.
“It’s absolutely amazing to receive this award,” stated DTL Entertainment Group general manager Michael Broome.
“There’s a lot more that I want to do, a lot more to be done, but I’m so happy that we got this. I’m extremely happy for my staff, they are amazing in everything that they do.”
You can view the full list of winners here.