A group of talented young locals have recently taken the reins at Orange City Bowling Club, transforming the once run-down venue into a family-friendly, dining destination aimed at attracting both locals and visitors.
Leading the team is the club’s new general manager, Hugh Mawter. An Orange resident for 11 years, Mawter brings two decades of hospitality experience. He previously worked in club management in Sydney before his passion for food drove him into the kitchen, where he worked as a chef at well-known establishments including hatted restaurant Racine’s, The Union Bank, The Lord Anson, and Byng St Local Store. Now, Mawter is back in management, facing a fresh challenge.
“The club was in a bit of a financial state. It hadn’t been updated. Or no money had been put into the club’s internal infrastructure – it mainly got fed to the outdoor space like the bowling greens. So, what we’re trying to do now is essentially just bring it up to code,” Mawter said.
“Our goal was to strip it back and make sure that from a compliance and cashflow point of view that everything was being managed correctly. Once we stripped it back, we had to look at ways of just bringing it into the modern world.”
Mawter sees great potential in the club, particularly its food offerings. Joining him at the bowls club is head chef Jack Mills and operations manager Matt Jones, both of whom previously worked at The Lord Anson.
“It’s been a great opportunity to bring an in-house bistro back to the club. For so long [the bistro] has always been contracted. It’s a good way to bring some cash flow back into the business,” he said.
The concise menu features dishes using fresh, locally sourced produce. One standout is the house-made pie, served with creamy mash, steamed greens and gravy. The wine list also showcases some of the region’s wines.
“We’re just treating it like how I used to run pubs, with a good, concise, simplified menu that offers good and affordable food, and good selection of beverage offering,” Mawter said.
“We’re in a wine-growing region, so we’re focusing on local wines, local spirits, and putting in some nice local gin, whiskies, and spirits.”
Emphasising food is part of Mawter’s strategy to attract new patrons and bring in a younger generation of members, which he hopes will help sustain the club’s future.
“The bowlers are there, and they do contribute, but they’re getting older now. If we’re not reinvigorating our membership, we’ll just find ourselves where we were 12 months ago,” he said.
Despite the changes, Mawter is mindful of not making too many sudden changes too quickly.
“At Orange, we’re a very heavily pub dominated town, so we need to keep up to speed with what they’re doing. But we don’t want to overdo it because the minute you over do it, regular clienteles just won’t come in,” he said.
With warmer weather approaching, there are plans to enhance the outdoor spaces and host more events, making full use of the bowling greens and mini-golf facilities. Mawter is taking a measured approach, focused on long-term growth.
“We’re just taking baby steps,” he said.
“Cash flow is always a constraint, and we’ve got to look at ways to do it smartly, and not over invest. The long-term goal is to completely redevelop the club – in three to five years, we’re looking at rebuilding, so we don’t want to over capitalise.”