Tocal Homestead’s popular wedding and function centre will be managed and operated by a Newcastle catering and events company from early next year.
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Sprout Hospitality Group has won the contract to cater at Tocal through a competitive tendering program completed early this year.
“The Tocal Function Centre has become very popular for weddings and it is envisaged that its use for weddings and events will be the way the Tocal Homestead, as an historic site, will flourish into the future,” Tocal director Cameron Archer said.
“The site has to be financially self-sufficient for its ongoing operation and its operation as a wedding venue will provide most of its income.”
Dr Archer said the arrangements were based on the Belgenny Farm site at Camden.
“We learnt from the success of Belgenny Farm and applied it to Tocal,” he said.
The remainder of Tocal Homestead will operate as it has in the past. The site attracts about 15,000 visitors each year and is supported by a group of dedicated volunteers through Friends of Tocal.
During the past decade the Tocal Function Centre has become an increasingly popular venue for weddings with the centre sometimes catering for one or two weddings a weekend.
“Tocal Homestead is one of Australia’s most intact colonial farm sites and it is important that is be conserved for future generations,” Dr Archer said.
“The only way that this can be achieved is through it becoming financially self-sufficient.
“Weddings have proven to be the best way of having a regular income.”