Unique agricultural experiences alongside modern city-style food and beverage offerings with a side of country hospitality are becoming one of the lifelines for regional tourism, adding diversification to local businesses offerings.

According to the CSIRO, the agritourism sector is on track to contribute $18.6 billion annually to the Australian economy by 2030, growing at a rate of 5 per cent per year. This growth is fuelled by domestic and international travellers seeking authentic connections to food production, farm life, and paddock-to-plate experiences.

Examples include Eastcoast Beverages on the NSW Central Coast which is blending its agricultural heritage with innovative tourism initiatives, while in Uralla, in the New England district, a local grazier has saved a faded pub and not far away, in Armidale, an old motel is being refurbished to offer a city-style hotel.

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Down on the farm

Eastcoast Beverages has leveraged its agricultural business to create a wider appeal.

At Eastcoast Beverages, the family-owned business has created a suite of experiences that celebrate local produce, sustainable practices, and community spirit, including Rock the Farm, a music festival hosted on the family property with past performances hosted by stars such as Daryl Braithwaite and Bachelor Girl, plus Day on the Farm, where guests are invited to explore citrus orchards, learn about sustainable farming, and enjoy freshly picked produce. Visitors can also choose a behind-the-scenes factory tour to see how their juices and beverages are made or enjoy a unique outdoor cinema experience with family-friendly movies under the stars.

At Alluna Motel, Armidale local and hotel operator Phill Mitchell is undertaking a reimagining of the venue and transforming it into a modern stylish, relaxing retreat under the Choice Hotels Asia-Pac umbrella.

With renovations set to finish next year, the venue should re-open in mid-2025 as part of Choice Hotels’ upscale Ascend Hotel Collection, a selection of soft-branded independent boutique, historic hotels and resort hotels.

“We’re excited to bring something new and fresh to Armidale,” Mitchell says. “We want to create an experience, so people leave feeling like they want to come back. There’s nothing like the wellness centre and bathhouse and it will give locals and visitors a new way to unwind.

“This motel is a key part of the broader economic growth in Armidale and the surrounding New England region. The property’s proximity to New England’s renewable energy zones means it is well-positioned to cater to the influx of workers in the area, as well as leisure guests.”

Giving back to the bush

Sally and Peter Strelitz have invested time and money into their community, via The Bolt Inn in Uralla.

Peter and Sally Strelitz have likely spent a substantial amount on renovating the decaying Imperial Hotel in Uralla to create The Bolt Inn, named after local outlaw Captain Thunderbolt.

Peter Strelitz, an Armidale grazier and owner of the Milly Hill Lamb brand which is often seen in Sydney’s top restaurants and hotels, decided that the opportunity to own a pub was too good to miss.

Now The Bolt Inn, an historic Victorian-style hotel set in the heart of Uralla, at the corner of the New England Highway and Thunderbolt’s Way, has had locals and visitors talking since it fully reopened in October.

“We draw from areas including Walcha, Tamworth, Armidale and Inverell, but a lot of people are travelling through from Sydney to Toowoomba, to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast routes,” he says. “That includes a range of touring motor groups and grey nomads.”

The renovation was a huge undertaking, not only to reinstate the grandeur of this magnificent country pub but to maintain its character, and give it some much-needed love, while offering country comfort and a little city class.

The historic wraparound balcony was fully restored, the bars and dining areas totally refurbished and a new kitchen created to deliver the best that the bush has to offer when it comes to local produce.

The Bolt Inn publican Peter Strelitz (centre) is flanked by consultant chef Justin North (left) and head chef Robert Taylor.

He engaged well-known chef Sydney Justin North into the pub, alongside head chef Robert Taylor, to offer a menu featuring fresh local ingredients, used with simplicity, from a shared Milly Hill Lamb shoulder to pub classics, including legendary steaks. The pub also offers several meticulously restored rooms, plus a two-bedroom apartment, all full of character and charm.

“What I found was that local people were excited to have the pub back and it was the talk of the towns around it too,” says Strelitz who spends many of his other working hours knocking on doors of Sydney restaurants and speaking to high-end chefs. “But once we opened we were inundated from people far and wide.

“I’ve been here all my life, and I also spend a lot of time in Sydney, and I wanted the best of both worlds at The Bolt.

“But what has pleased me most is that it is bringing new people to Uralla, a place that many would not have heard of, that’s the thing that has surprised me most.

“There are so many other things to see in and around Uralla as well. We are another drawcard for this town that is becoming a vibrant destination. It’s just becoming better and better.”

The restored Bolt Inn has helped revived a country town.