Crystalbrook Kingsley general manager Josquin Crepelliere is busy brainstorming more seasonal ideas for the Newcastle hotel's outdoor terrace area.
Winter is sorted. He came up with the Kingsley Winter Lodge idea himself: three warm and cosy "dining domes" on the ground-floor Ms Mary outdoor terrace.
He's still seeking inspiration for the warmer summer months.
A collaboration with Monkey 47 Gin, the three Kingsley Winter Lodge domes allow groups of five to eight guests to enjoy a unique two-hour dining experience in a contemporary chalet-inspired haven.
Each lodge is decorated with wooden accents and plush furnishings, has soft ambient lighting and an electric flame-effect heater, a Bluetooth connection for guests, and has its own buffet housing crockery and cutlery.
Food and drinks are delivered to each lodge. There are two menus on offer and both are designed to be shared.
The European-inspired Winter Warmers menu includes a delightful whipped ricotta and green pea bruschetta with mint and roasted almonds, a Blue Swimmer Crab quiche with crème fraiche and chives, and the (highly recommended) gin macerated strawberry and lavender tart. The Kingsley pitcher cocktail on arrival is the very tasty Monkey Business (Monkey 47 Dry Gin, Creme de Mere, lemon juice, simple syrup and berries).
The Winter Lodge High Tea includes lighter options such as the pork sausage roll with fennel jam, the confit ocean trout rillette with red pepper chutney, and a Callebaut dark chocolate cake with caramelised white chocolate.
Specially curated Monkey 47 gin-infused cocktails can be paired to menu highlights, and there's the option of adding bottomless bubbles and rosé.
The food and drink offering has been thoughtfully considered and the service couldn't be faulted when this writer visited last week.
Read more: Meet Kingsley's executive chef Matthew Smith
Crepelliere is happy with the way Kingsley Winter Lodge has been received.
"We've doubled our bookings in the past week," he says.
"It's about getting people together in a luxurious and convivial environment, about beautiful food, and about having fun. We've tried to keep it more approachable and down-to-earth than Roundhouse, which is more refined."
As for the origin of the idea, he has this to say.
"I don't like to take credit for things normally, but this was my idea. Originally, anyway," he says, laughing.
"There were a lot of people to get on board and a lot of work to do but it started with me.
"The terrace is a beautiful place and looks amazing but knowing winter was coming, I didn't want to tell my boss 'Oh it gets cold and we can't use the terrace as much'. So it was for practical reasons, originally.
"I started a similar concept years ago at another venue and it was really popular so I thought I'd look into it. I realised that Newcastle had never had anything like it here before.
"Step by step I came up with the right concept and I found the right supplier. The domes are really good quality. They're very strong, firmly built, and well set up inside. We tried to come up with a very luxurious experience that was very approachable as well.
"It's something for everyone to enjoy."
Read more: A look inside the Kingsley
As for Crystalbrook Kingsley, which celebrated its second anniversary this month, he says it's "going well".
"We're having a really, really good run. A very strong middle of the year. We've got some large bookings in-house at the moment. We're continuing to build momentum.
"We have a really good team. Everyone is committed to continuing the hotel's growth, and Newcastle's reputation as a destination.
"We've also got very good staff retention. Some businesses still have issues with finding people, and finding the right people. We don't. People apply to all our jobs. It's something we do well.
"It might be the culture, but it's also us being clear on our expectations."
Read more: Crystalbrook Kingsley owner plans new five-star hotel, beach resorts in Newcastle
Crepelliere relocated to Newcastle with his family last year when he accepted the general manager position and says he is enjoying the lifestyle.
"It's close to Sydney, it's a beautiful environment and it's got everything you need. The people are friendly too, which is unusual [laughs]. They say hello to you on the street, it's strange!
"At Crystalbrook Kingsley we are in the heart of the city. Everything is happening around us. We want to offer the best dining experience, not necessarily the most expensive. We want to be popular but for good reason.
"Our Winter Lodge campaign runs until September 17 and after that, if the concept of activating the terrace is working (as it seems like it is) we might build on that and do something for the summer as well. Not an igloo, obviously, but a lot of ideas are being thrown around.
"A lot of wild ones, too.
"We want to do something unusual on the terrace for the summer. Maybe a Bali beach hut activation ... who knows?"
Kingsley Winter Lodge
- Two-hour time slots daily at 11am, 1.30pm, 4pm and 6.30pm
- 8 person dome: $500 minimum spend to reserve
- 5 person dome: $400 minimum spend to reserve
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