So, when was the last time we had a talk about pubs in Adelaide? It seems like all Adelaide wants to do at the moment is talk up the new; small bars, restaurants, pop ups and events. And why not? There have been huge strides forward in diversify our evening culture, large innovations in design and utilisation of space and the incredible food that’s available across Adelaide speaks for itself.
But when it comes down to representing the community, a homely pint, a warming meal and simple pleasures, pubs remain the backbone of our city. Perhaps we don’t think about it as much as well, but many of the best in Adelaide remain independently owned and operated by families and entrepreneurs who equally share a passion for hospitality.
Business partners Kat O’Doherty and Darren Gitsham had collectively spent almost 30 years in hospitality, building their careers and working their way up through a host of venues across Adelaide when they began to talk about ownership. Gitsham recalls his journey as being framed by something he was told during his formative years as a hotel manager, “that everyone effectively pours the same drinks, it’s how you pour them that counts.” It’s hardly an original mantra, but one that certainly reflects both the positive and negative sides of growth in Adelaide’s late night culture.
When the opportunity arose for the pair, they were not seduced by the allure of a small bar license. “Fundamentally, we didn’t want to overcomplicate things,” explains Darren. “Pubs are our background, we’d worked exceptionally hard in them. So we wanted to do something that was just a little bigger than a small bar. We were looking for a small bar with a small restaurant, small dining room and small band room.”
And they weren’t willing to settle. “We looked at a couple of places, and we had another deal fall through at the eleventh hour,” continues Kat. “Then we saw the opportunity for the Sceptre. It had been on the back burner for 18 months. A lot of people had passed on it; it had been purchased but never reopened after receivership. There was a lot of work when we arrived, stripping floors, repairing bathrooms, repainting, replacing the floor boards that had been eaten by white ants and the main fridge needed to be brought up. But it was a good challenge.”
Reopening their doors in 2014, it would be fair to say that Kat & Darren’s vision hasn’t wavered. “Do people feel welcome, are they comfortable, is the venue clean? It’s basic stuff, but it builds a great hospitality venue.” Again, this ties back into every new expansion across Adelaide’s hospitality industry, but Darren is not interested in emphasising the new. “It’s not about being new, or gimmicky, or showing flare. Good is good, great is great, new is new; a spade is a spade. What we have worked on is high quality food offering, a balance of craft and mainstream beers for drinkers, a comfortable, cheery and safe environment for punters. And we really worked to improve the live music space for our punters and artists.”
Look outside of the main precincts running the length of the North of Adelaide, and you see that the opportunities to enjoy live entertainment in the heart of the city and towards the South are still limited. The industry noticed this as well and have embraced the Crown & Sceptre in a way which arguably betters their strong reputation of the 2000s because of its organic development. While back in the day named bands such as the Cat Empire, Machine Gun Fellatio or Thievery Corporation might have been the draw, the attraction now is the venue itself, which is something Darren is especially pleased to see.
“We wanted to create a home for communities outside of where they live, because there are so many opportunities to do so when you create a good atmosphere. We work with everyone from South American students to alternative pop bands, and they’re not forced communities. We try to spark people to get involved and at the moment we couldn’t be happier with the response.”
As new establishments seek to compartmentalise their food and drink in search of points of difference with potential customers, the question arises how best to communicate a location that seeks to cover all of the bases? It would be fair to say that hotels have been left playing catch up in recent years with rapid menu changes and renovations feeding into the new language of Adelaide hospitality, but altogether still struggling to cut through against the countless new ventures with tailored offerings.
“Sure, the psychology of Adelaide has changed lately,” Darren agrees. “New venues and trends are important for development and evolution of the industry and for experimentation. But in all of that, if you lose your drive to just be the best at what you do, you won’t cut through regardless. A hotel is a symbiant between community, food, drink, and live entertainment. It has to be. It was lost through the last two decades somewhat from poker machines. But today, there are opportunities to recreate what a pub used to represent.”
By focussing on the bringing a bit of the best of everything together, it would be hard to argue that the Crown & Sceptre aren’t achieving exactly what Kat and Darren had envisaged when they took on the space. And when you think about, which small bars or new venues can boast that they offer a bit of the best everything? Now, there’s a point of difference.
The homely front bar of the Crown & Sceptre. Photo by Crown & Sceptre.
The epic Sceptre Burger @ Crown & Sceptre.
Pie Of The Week @ Crown & Sceptre.
Live Music At Crown & Sceptre. Photo from Crown & Sceptre.
The Crown & Sceptre is located at 308 King William St, Adelaide. For more information on their menu, functions and entertainment visit their website, or follow them on Facebook & Instagram.
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