Lake Macquarie’s historic Awaba House will rise from the ashes as a lakeside landmark with the plan to offer 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 CEO Greg Barclay and Chef Adham Aston, the company already has five venues in Sydney, including the Lantern Club at Roselands and Iluka on Baywater at Wentworth Point.

Adham 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.

Greg said Awaba House captured his attention from the moment he saw it.

“There’s something magnetic about its lakeside setting,” Greg said.

“The panoramic water views, a rich story behind the building’s heritage and an atmosphere that feels both peaceful and full of possibility.”

Greg 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,” Greg 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,” Adam 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.

IMAGE | Catering Group CEO Greg Barclay and Lake Macquarie Mayor, Adam Shultz.