Inside The Old Mill are owner Charlie Huxstep (left), manager Chloe Edwards, and Bareknuckle BBQ owners Vanessa West and Jamie Hohipuha. Photo / NZME
Inside The Old Mill are owner Charlie Huxstep (left), manager Chloe Edwards, and Bareknuckle BBQ owners Vanessa West and Jamie Hohipuha. Photo / NZME
A Napier wedding venue has teamed up with a once well-known Hastings restaurant, Bareknuckle BBQ, to host the region’s latest hospitality destination.
Bareknuckle BBQ at The Old Mill is officially opening to the public on Napier’s Hospital Hill on May 10 and 11.
It is a twist on the usualrestaurant experience, in that customers attend an “event” rather than simply a dinner or lunch.
“Over at Bareknuckle [in Hastings] we were a restaurant, so people would come in and dine and leave, whereas here it is resource consented as an event centre, so everything we do has to have that in mind,” Bareknuckle BBQ co-owner Vanessa West said.
That means when customers book for dinner or lunch, they pay for a ticket that will include entry and a meal over a set time.
The Old Mill is a venue on Hospital Hill, which – until now – has only been available for private functions and boasts a garden area and large dining space.
The Old Mill on Main St on Napier's Hospital Hill is the site of the new venture. Photo / NZME
The venue will continue to be available for weddings and private functions, but when it is not being used for that purpose, Bareknuckle BBQ at The Old Mill will offer events to the public.
That will mainly be on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
“It has opened up this venue for all of Hawke’s Bay,” West said.
Bareknuckle BBQ restaurant was based in Hastings but closed earlier this year.
West said it had been struggling to stay afloat in Hastings and this venture benefited two businesses.
She said a connection was made with The Old Mill co-owner Charlie Huxstep, who owns the venue with his wife Billie Huxstep, through a mutual friend and the partnership had blossomed.
“We have been growing fantasticly on the wedding side and we had a really busy summer,” he said.
“But, we have this beautiful building and it’s empty six days a week apart from Saturdays, and with the winter season the weddings dry up apart from the odd few that come through.
“So, it was a really good opportunity to pair up with Bareknuckle to actually fill up the season.”
Bareknuckle BBQ co-owner Jamie Hohipuha said “the mindset is probably a little bit different for an event”, which people would hopefully adapt to, with each event starting at a certain time and ending at a certain time.
He said its staples would remain on offer including the likes of brisket, pulled pork, ribs and beef cheeks.
Bareknuckle BBQ will take care of the kitchen and The Old Mill team, led by manager Chloe Edwards, will largely run front-of-house.
“You are not going for dinner you are going for an experience,” Edwards said.
To make a booking or see what is on offer at Bareknuckle BBQ at The Old Mill visit the Bareknuckle BBQ or The Old Mill Facebook pages. Prices and dates vary for each event.
