A multi-million-dollar revamp for one of Australia's oldest pubs - hospitality

One of Australia’s oldest pubs, The Royal Richmond Hotel, has just received a new look and menu concept after the completion of a multi-million-dollar renovation.

The Royal Richmond Hotel has been a fixture in the New South Wales town of Richmond for 170 years. The renovation, overseen by Peter Wynne and Karen Anderson, who previously ran Martin Place Bar in Sydney CBD, aimed to retain the heritage feel of the venue while endowing it with features more suited to a modern clientele.

At the heart of this renovation is a new gastro pub bistro, which sits under a glass-style atrium. The fit-out has been achieved with a modern spin on heritage-style materials and palettes, including the addition of American Oak parquetry flooring and walls made from recycled brick.

Alongside the new design is an overhauled menu that draws from the produce of the Hawkesbury food bowl, wherein the pub is located. Family-style share dishes are at the heart of the new menu, which celebrates small-scale producers, farmers and fishermen, and which takes a strong meat focus.

The kitchen has started producing charcuterie in-house, and offers a selection of pasture- and grain-fed which are carefully aged in the bistro’s dry-ageing cabinets. The kitchen plans on collaborating with the farm management program of Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Campus.

A new cocktail bar sits alongside The Royal Richmond Hotel’s bistro area. Carrying on from the bistro’s theme, the drinks menu showcases small-scale distillers, including gin from the nearby Karu Distillery.

The recently unveiled renovation is part one of a two-stage overhaul for The Royal Richmond Hotel, which is slated for completion in 2022.

Image credit: Steven Woodburn.