Events by the Sea
A few years into my event catering role, I started to get itchy feet as they say, and wanted to see what else was out there. Surprisingly a role came up that lead me back to the beautiful Port Stephens area and I became a PPT Food and Beverage and Events Supervisor at The Anchorage. This also led me back into employment with The Wests Group, which had recently taken over the resort from Peppers.
At first, I worked mostly on the restaurant floor in The Galley Kitchen, becoming reacquainted with fine dining service and working split shifts. Those in Hospo will be right there with me when I say “split shifts are the worst”.
As the festive season and warmer weather came, so did the events. I started working with the events coordinator and the food and beverage manager on various functions from corporate famils to three-day medical conferences and weddings with 100+ guests. Weddings were definitely a highlight, given the location and in any given week, I could work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday working with a team to carry out the setup, service, and pack down of each one.
I also had an opportunity to work on the administrative side of the events with the coordinator - learning more about their day-to-day role - initial inquiry through to site inspections, banquet event orders, and liaising with vendors and suppliers. I soon realised that I really enjoyed this side of hospitality more than the front-of-house/restaurant side. While I love the bay and the Port Stephens area the trip to and from was taking its toll and so I decided to source a full-time role with a shorter commute.
Through Seek, I found a position with South Newcastle Rugby League Club in Merewether. It was for me at the time, a perfect role as it was a maternity leave position with initial training with the current supervisor prior to hand-over. A chance to hit the ground running but with the training and support to ensure I executed the events just as smoothly as they were currently.
While I was no longer “by the sea”, I was only a short walk to the beach and that was enough. When it came time for me to take on the role solo, I decided to focus on building upon creating awareness of Souths Merewether and positioning the club as a venue for weddings, fundraisers, and corporate events as well as continuing to serve the local community with school functions, not-for-profit, and sporting events.
During my time with Souths, I became involved with the Senior Rugby League Club and an amazing charity, close to my heart - Sleapys Foundation. Even now, I still volunteer whenever I can for their annual Sleapys Day and truly believe that what they do, changes lives and makes a difference.
