FEATURE STORY
After twenty years under the ownership of father and son team Gary and Anthony Hird, one of Newcastle's most iconic pubs, the Hotel Delany was recently purchased and added to the Marvan Hotel Group's stable of venues.
The hotel group, which operates a number of venues across Sydney and Regional NSW, took control of the Delany on 9 April 2018, and has appointed veteran hotelier Nic Barnett to take the reins of what, at one time, was arguably one of Newcastle's most popular pubs.
"To me, a publican was always a pillar of the community, and that is still my view of what a publican should be..."
Prior to his appointment at the Delany, the once local barman spent a great deal of his life in Newcastle, taking his first bar job at Belmont Sporties, and later working as bar manager of Rutherford Hotel.
"My first job bar job was here in Newcastle in 1998, and then I was later bar manager at Rutherford Hotel in 2003," Nick says.
"My family has lived here since 1998 and my wife, before we were married, was working at the Queens Wharf Hotel.
"In the past I have spent a lot of time in Newcastle, but I have also worked out in regional NSW pubs and lived in Sydney working for the Redcape Hotel Group. But my wife and I moved back here to Newcastle as a family 18 months ago and I was commuting back and forth until I was approached with the opportunity to take on the Delany."
With a former focus on food and beverage, Nic says he will be looking to bring a unique mix of modern cuisine and cocktails, coupled with the hospitality of a country pub, to the Delany.
"I grew up just west of Aulbury where there were country publicans, and I still hold the role of publican as something people should be proud of," he says.
"To me, a publican was always a pillar of the community and that is still my view of what a publican should be. This venue has certainly got a CBD element and feel to it, but it also has a good front bar with a bunch of great of locals. So I think regardless of what sort of venue you are running, being a part of the community is part of the job."
In terms of cuisine, the Del's new menu is an inviting addition to Newcastle's famous 'eat street' with a range of delicious options, including Duck Pie using slow roasted luck legs, wild mushroom, truffle, polenta, broccolini, puff pastry and ju - and the Free Range Chicken Breast (pictured below).
While offering a quality food and beverage experience is certainly high on Nic's list of priorities for the venue, it is not the only addition on his things to do list.