Lake Macquarie's historic Awaba House will rise from the ashes as a lakeside landmark offering some of the Hunter Region's best food, views and functions.
The Catering Group has signed on as lessee of the site, promising to create "a place where great food, creativity and community come together".
Founded in 2019 by catering guru Greg Barclay and chef Adham Aston, the company already has five venues in Sydney, including the Lantern Club at Roselands and the exclusive Iluka on Baywater at Wentworth Point.
Aston has previously worked alongside Jamie Oliver, Justin North and Gareth Howard, as well as in the kitchen of the two-hatted Becasse restaurant that was once a culinary beacon in Sydney's CBD.
Barclay said Awaba House captured his attention from the moment he saw it.
"There's something magnetic about its lakeside setting," he said.
"The panoramic water views, a rich story behind the building's heritage and an atmosphere that feels both peaceful and full of possibility."
Barclay said the company's vision was to "showcase the best of regional NSW, with menus built around local growers, artisans and native Australian ingredients created by the landscape around us".
"We're reimagining Awaba House as a true lakeside destination, where great food, creativity and community come together," he said.
"Visitors can expect an experience that shifts with the day: sun-soaked brunches by the water, long lunches that feel like mini getaways and intimate open-air dinners where the lake becomes part of the atmosphere."
"The alfresco deck will be one of those rare spots where you can watch the light change over the water and never want to leave."
Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said The Catering Group's lofty vision was befitting of such an important site.
"It has been fantastic to see the building taking shape in the countdown to its opening in mid-2026," he said.
"But equally exciting is the direction the venue is headed in the hands of The Catering Group."
"We wanted this to be a destination people talk about and travel to, and we're confident Greg, Adham and their team can help us realise that goal."
Lake Macquarie City Council has granted The Catering Group a five-year lease, with a five-year option at its conclusion.
The Awaba House rebuild, sitting beside the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, and MAC yapang Sculpture Park, is almost complete, six years on from a fire that gutted the building in August 2019.
Its heritage façade and iconic round portico remain, but the rest of the building is state of the art.
It includes a 120-seat restaurant overlooking the lake – a space that can be transformed into a function room for up to 120 people.
"The scale and flexibility of the venue, capable of hosting everything from boutique weddings to open-air dinners, community events and live music sessions, will create a cultural hub that's both elevated and accessible," Barclay said.
Among its striking features are a curved rammed-earth wall, a deck on the north-eastern corner and an atrium charting the site's colourful history.
Final fit-out and installation of the venue's commercial kitchen will take place early next year, ready for a grand opening in mid-2026.
Council will provide further updates when bookings open for Awaba House dining and functions.
