It has been 18 months since husband and wife team Stewart Smith and Cath Antaw took over the Commonwealth Hotel and the Cooks Hill venue is thriving.
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Having previously owned and run the Exchange Hotel on Hamilton’s Beaumont Street for 10 years, the couple had a firm plan in mind.
Firstly, to give the Commonwealth a “breath of fresh air”. Secondly, to make better use of the space and the flow of the hotel by providing separate areas for the TAB and sports area, the public bar, the beer garden and the restaurant. And thirdly, to improve the quality of its food to make the hotel a dining destination in itself.
They wasted no time getting started.
“So far we have reinstated the leafy outdoor beer garden; relocated the TAB and sports area from the front of the hotel to its own separate area within the hotel; opened up the public bar; overhauled the kitchen equipment and services; and refurbished our eight upstairs overnight guest rooms,” they told Food & Wine.
“When we came to the hotel the front corner windows of the public bar were covered over with black painted plywood.
“We removed these and were delighted to find not only big windows that allow natural light to cascade over the front bar, but walls still covered with the original Tooths Brewery tiles featuring the white horse of Invictus logo. We have made these tiles a feature of the public bar and a design reference point for the entire hotel.”
The kitchen was closed those first few months, allowing head chef Kylie McCarthy to start from scratch on the hotel’s new menu.
“The menu can be described as a combination of traditional pub favourites and unique gastro pub dishes that showcase our kitchen team’s flair and passion for their trade,” Antaw explained.
“Kylie enjoys pushing the boundaries with flavours and putting her own twist on dishes. This results in us serving what initially may be thought of as unexpected, however quickly develops a cult following.”
Produce is sourced, where possible, from Newcastle suppliers such as Darby Street Quality Meats, Fruit Bros on Beaumont Street, Newcastle Greens, Sprockets Coffee and Hunter Valley Pasta.
And the changes will keep coming. The couple plan to continue refurbishing the hotel, including expanding the restaurant area.
