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The Bowning Hotel – previously operated as the Commercial Hotel, Bowning – has a very long history.
Established in 1870, the building is still recognisable even after multiple refurbishments and minor changes.
The most recent major refurb’ was in 2011, and Chris Clarke has been the licencee for the past 15 months.
He’s been making improvements to the inside too.
Examples of this include adding another fireplace only last week, bringing some history back into the hotel, and recruiting chef Cheryl Darby (formerly from the Murrumbateman Inn).
Chris is really proud of what Cheryl has done. “The food that’s coming out is sensational” he says.
Wednesdays are now roast night, and then there’s soups on Thursday. Friday has the meat raffle “and Saturday is just a kick-back night” says Chris.
The hotel’s hours have been extended too, with the opening time bumped forward to 3pm on Monday and Tuesday, and 11am on Wednesday to Sunday.
The dining room is open from 6pm to 8.30pm Wednesday to Saturday, and for lunch on Friday to Sunday from noon to 2.30pm.
Bowning is only 10 minutes up the road from Yass and there is a courtesy bus that can be booked on Wednesdays, plus it runs every Friday and Saturday night.
The hotel has a great function room for events like Christmas in July (details coming soon) or Melbourne Cup, and you can book it for an engagement, birthday or any other gathering.
They’ve been changing that room’s appearance to a woolshed style. “It’s got a nice big fire in it as well,” says Chris, and a there’s a big screen for showing the footy and other events.
You can also get “good, clean pub accommodation,” says Chris. There are four rooms available. Three of them are queens and the other is a twin.
As for that earlier mention of bringing back some history, “I’ve got a bunch of old photos that the locals have brought back to me.”
One example of this is “We’ve got a beautiful old photo in the dining room of the railway station in its heyday,” he said.
That image was captured way back in 1877, and the station had only opened a year earlier. “You can see all the sidings and everything else around the station.”
Chris also says he’s “Really happy with the way the lounge and bar are working with the two fires instead of the one. That’s really improved it a lot.”
He has already noticed patrons going down from the bar to sit on the lounge around the new fire, so it was definitely worth adding.
- The Bowning Hotel is located at 2 Leake Street.
- For enquiries or bookings call 02 6227 6008.
Visit bowninghotel.com.au