Thoroughbred Hotel’s New Chapter
Acknowledge: The Scone Advocate Thursday August 25 2016 by Caitlin Andrews
Featured Image: Front Cover of ‘The Scone Advocate’ Thursday August 25 2016
Redevelopment
The Thoroughbred Hotel will soon open its doors to a new beginning,
Previously known as one of the ‘quieter locals’, it’s soon to be quite the opposite with big plans to re-establish the building as a prominent social attraction in Scone.
With the new branding and a serious facelift, The Thoroughbred will provide the local area with a high-quality bakery, upmarket restaurant, bar and accommodation facilities,
Peter Allen, a Victorian-based business developer, saw the opportunity on a previous employment stint within Scone, and given the prime location of the building and ample off street parking, thought that the venue presented the perfect opportunity to provide the area with what it has been missing.
“I has always liked the township of Scone and thought that this would be a fantastic opportunity as every small town needs a good bakery,” Mr Allen said.
“The building hold a lot of its original appeal and has quite a presence in the main street, so it will be nice to see it restored into some of its former glory and hopefully see it eventuate as an iconic venue within the town.”
In addition to the development, Mr Allen has taken a unique path with the interior design and marketing of the business, utilising the opportunity and sticking with the theme of the building by planning to showcase the local racing and breeding history, past and present.
“We have started working with a few local racing and breeding icons and also stud farms to gather as much imagery and memorabilia as possible to showcase throughout the building”, he said.
“With so many visitors to the area from all over the world visiting local farms and for major events, we thought it would be a great opportunity to capitalise on the Thoroughbred market and give th local area something to be excited about.
“We are of course the Horse Capital of Australia [and] we really want this to be a niche venue for them to visit.
“Not only a nice place to have a bite to eat or stay a night, but rather a place that gives them an insight into the proud local history that makes this area what it is today.”
One particular local legend, Bill Howey, has been assisting Mr Allen and local design consultant Kriston Harris with the project.
The connection came at impeccable timing, coinciding with Mr Howey’s recent launching of his new book: A History of Thoroughbred Breeding in the Hunter Valley. The book, which Mr Howey describes as a compilation targeting the more recent generation, will be a key reference source for the new venture.