Newcastle's Ricci-Lee Wheeler has been named the Hotel Industry Rising Star of 2021 at the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Awards for Excellence.
The awards ceremony was held in Hobart this week, where AHA national president Scott Leach told the audience: "Against all odds, industry operators right around the country have continued to provide the highest possible levels of industry service and customer experience. Their innovation, their optimism and their commitment has shone through."
Ricci-Lee started her career with Crowne Plaza, where she won a scholarship in recognition of her customer service skills and sales results. She was named the AHA NSW Rising Star in 2019 and is now the operations manager and marketing director of Hunt Hospitality International.
"The National AHA Awards for Excellence is the flagship for recognising Australia's leaders in the hospitality industry. I am honoured to be among the list of hard-working Australians who continue to strive to make people's days through these truly challenging times," she said.
Rutherford's Bradford Hotel won the Best Gaming Venue - Regional category.
Cancer fundraiser
Pink at Atmos on March 11 allows you and a group of friends to celebrate International Women's Day while raising money for the Cancer Council NSW Hunter. The event is hosted by journalist, author and cancer survivor Elle Halliwell and includes sparkling on arrival, a Greek banquet, live music and prizes. Tickets are $120 at shoalbaycountryclub.com.au.
Picnic in the Vines
You don't really need a reason to visit Boydell's winery and vineyard, out East Gresford way, but here's one.
Picnic in the Vines on March 26 and 27, noon to 5pm.
The event is being held in conjunction with a Long Table Lunch on the property for Boydell's club members that weekend. Wine lovers are invited to pack a picnic - or pre-purchase a cheese and charcuterie box - find a spot to relax and enjoy an afternoon of Iive music in the countryside.
All tickets include a complimentary Boydell's glass. Strictly no BYO alcohol, free parking available on-site, no pets allowed. Wine will be available for purchase on the day, with tea and coffee also available. Tickets via Humanitix.
Hop to Hoppo's
If you haven't yet checked out Hoppo's Milk Bar at Mayfield, do yourself a favour. There's a new summer menu with fresh house-made gelato and sorbet, as well as loaded hot dogs and hoagies.
Owner Blake Forrester, who also runs Lynch's Hub, told me people were curious about his hoagies.
It's a street food from Philadelphia, consisting of a long bread roll filled with meat, cheese and salad.
"Traditionally hoagies are a lunch-time thing and have cured meats and salads but most of ours have hot fillings because we do them as more of a tea-time option," he explained.
"We have a foot-long upgrade option too which makes them an absolute monster of a sandwich.
"We've got some cool things happening here next week too as I've managed to source some native bush tucker ingredients to do some interesting products with. We'll be doing a Davidson Plum sorbet and a Bunya Nut gelato.
"We've still got our chicken wings and chips too. The spuds will be back in the winter time."
Hoppo's Milk Bar (268 Maitland Road) is open Wednesday to Friday, 3pm to 9pm, and 11am to 9pm on Saturdays.
New era for winery
Well-known "foodie" and Hunter Valley advocate, Stephanie Airlie, has been appointed marketing and public relations manager at Mount Pleasant Wines, Pokolbin.
"This year marks an exciting new era for this iconic Australian wine brand and its history spanning over 100 years," Airlie said. "Under new ownership, the brand is undergoing some exciting changes and the new cellar door is set to open its doors very soon."
Watch this space.
Micro-brewing course
TAFE NSW is offering a specialised micro-brewing course throughout regional NSW for the first time. Starting in early March, the Certificate III in Food Processing (Micro-brewing) is a combination of online learning and intensive workshops at the TAFE NSW micro-brewing headquarters at Ultimo. Students learn via a virtual classroom and can study from home or at their local campus.
Edgeworth addition
World Burger is opening its fifth restaurant in the coming weeks, and it's in Edgeworth.
Save the date
Newcastle Food Month returns in April after a successful debut in 2021. The program has yet to be released but organisers have revealed two tasty teasers: Zero by Roundhouse at Crystalbrook Kingsley Roundhouse Restaurant (five courses prepared by executive chef Natalie Bolt); and a four-course Spanish-inspired feast at Rustica by chefs Andy Wright and Mark Hosie. Also, save this date - Saturday, April 2 - for Le Diner en Blanc. Those who attended the 2021 event will be sent invitations and if you missed out, you can join the 2022 waitlist and cross your fingers.
