FEATURE STORY
For the past 11 years, Julian and Kylie Cross have made a life, and a living, working behind the bar.
A former barman, Julian was asked to run his first hotel, The Kearsley, in 2007 while his wife Kylie was still enjoying a career in the make-up industry.
“I was first asked to become a publican at The Kearsley Hotel and I ran that by myself until I moved to the next venue which was the Cessnock Hotel,” he said.
“That was when Kylie left her role in the make-up industry to join me, and we have been doing it together ever since.”
For Cessnock local Kylie, the shift was life-changing and something that required a giant leap of faith.
“I am a country girl at heart,” she said.
“But I enjoyed the make-up industry and the lifestyle it provided me. I was always doing make-up and spent five years living in Sydney wining and dining.
“But Jules couldn’t join my industry, so I joined his and at first it was quite challenging for me. It took me a while to settle in, but once I did I never looked back.”
After spending four years at The Cessnock Hotel, the couple were offered another opportunity, this time to move to Newcastle.
While they had no idea at the time, the move would become one of the most memorable experiences of their career.
“The job was running the Swansea Hotel and it turned out to be an eye opener that’s for sure,” Julian said.
“It was so busy. It was intense. We weren’t used to such a bustling venue with regular gaming, high-end food and big bars. But we got used to it and just loved it.”
During their time at The Swansea Hotel, the couple’s love for the venue shone through and together they increased revenue by 36 per cent over two years.
During their time at The Swansea Hotel, the couple’s love for the venue shone through and together they increased revenue by 36 per cent over two years.
With no intention to leave the Swansea Hotel, the pair continued to live locally and manage the hotel until they received some news that would once again change the direction of their lives.
Kylie was pregnant.
Knowing they would need the support of family to raise their first child, Julian and Kylie made the difficult decision to move back to Cessnock.
“We knew we would need that kind of support infrastructure once Kylie had the baby, so we headed home and were fortunate enough to take on Peden’s,” Julian said.
“It was another high-volume hotel, located in Cessnock, and we stayed there for two years using the experience we gained at Swansea to make sure the venue continued to thrive.”
In fact, Julian and Kylie did so well at Peden’s that the hotel eventually became too busy for a couple raising a two-old daughter, and they knew another move was inevitable.