Restaurant Mason is closing plus where to enjoy a pint on Saint Patrick's Day | Food Bites

Grain Store, Newcastle East: The team will be pouring imported O'Hara's Irish Craft Beers and ciders plus "Dublin brewed black stuff" and serving up Irish food specials (Dublin coddle with soda bread; Irish sausage with champ; beef and stout pie with colcannon). The Miggeldy Higgins Experience will be playing in the afternoon and evening. Tickets at bookings.nowbookit.com.

The Rogue Scholar, Newcastle West: Guinness and Kilkenny on tap as well as live music from the Raggle Taggle Gypsies. Entry is free.

The Landing Bar + Kitchen, Honeysuckle: Beef and Guinness pie from noon, plus Irish whiskey, Snakebite schooners and a St Paddy's cocktail.

Nags Head Hotel, Adamstown: Irish-themed cocktails plus bar vouchers for the best dressed.

FogHorn Brewery, Newcastle: Classic Irish food specials, $5 schooners of Dubliner Dry Irish Stout, and live music from Hugh Gordon Trio (5pm to 7pm).

The Lass O'Gowrie Hotel, Wickham: The Irish Wolfhounds will perform, plus there will be Guinness, Irish whiskeys and some Irish options on the menu.

The Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton: Tanya and Steve (Triple M) will be broadcasting live from the hotel and putting on a BBQ breakfast for anyone who wanders down - grab a bacon and egg roll or a Guinness sausage and egg roll, along with a pint of Irish beer (choice of Magners, Guinness or Kilkenny).

Harrigan's Irish Pub, Pokolbin: Live music, Irish dancers, a traditional Irish pipe band, drink specials and prizes.

Never one to miss out, Doughheads is also getting in on the action with their "Luck of the Irish" doughnut. It's filled with a Bailey's buttercream, topped with a Guinness chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of gold stars for good luck. Pre-order via their website (doughheads.com.au).

The fine dining Restaurant Mason is closing its doors in April - for good.

It wasn't an easy decision for owners Chris and Ami Thornton to make after 10 successful years in Newcastle's CBD, but the timing was right.

I gave Chris a call to find out why.

"Yep, we've made the decision to shut the restaurant," he said.

"Ami was a bit emotional yesterday but, unlike a lot of restaurants, this is not a forced decision. It's like all these little things have fallen into place. Antonio is retiring, Mitchy is finishing up, we haven't had a lease for six months, and the price of everything is going through the roof.

"The restaurant has very rarely been at a stage where all its bills have been covered but it's in the black now, so we won't leave a trail of death and destruction like a lot of other places do when they shut.

"We just think it's a responsible decision to make now, for our family, for our suppliers, and for our staff.

"If it was a purely emotional decision to make we would just keep going, but when you look at the whole situation, we're coming into another winter and we've been very busy but it's still been hard to make money.

"I'll be able to spend a lot more time at home with the kids, and I haven't had a surf for four or five months so I will be doing a bit more of that."

He says the response from the community has been "ridiculous" - but in a good way.

"Antonio said he had received about 80 emails in three hours this morning, and I'm surprised Ami's computer hasn't blown up. Every man and his dog are trying to get a booking before we close. It's been very humbling and very cool."

Chris says he has a "few private events and charity events" left to do and will then officially leave the hospitality industry to continue an alternative career path.

"We're hosting a Newcastle Food Month event on the Thursday of our last week and will finish up on the Saturday with friends, family and familiar faces. We've had so many repeat customers - including one that has booked 79 or 100 times or something like that.

"It will be hard to leave but we've been chewing on this for a few months now.

"We'll have a break and see what happens down the track. I'm sure there will be plenty of chefs out there who will need a hand on a Saturday night [laughs]."

Restaurant Mason will serve its final meal to diners on April 9.

Property and hospitality group Mulpha Australia is expanding its accommodation offering in the Hunter Valley with 60 new eco studio retreats at Bimbadgen winery.

The Lane Retreat, as it will be known, has been designed to complement the brand's Palmer Lane wedding and events venue and also the winery and tourism offering at Bimbadgen's home vineyard on McDonalds Road.

Mulpha also recently acquired the nearby Emma's Cottage Vineyard boutique winery and accommodation.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of winter, ready for guests by this spring. They will have access to a new luxury swimming pool and amenities, along with a bespoke store and pantry and VIP access to all Bimbadgen events.

Also, Bimbadgen's flagship restaurant Esca has a new executive chef, Mark Marshall, a fresh new look and a new menu.

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