A newly opened Home Nations-style pub in Airlie Beach is shaking things up by offering something the town has been missing. A laid-back venue serving traditional British food, independent beers, and live sport deep into the night.
Created by three blokes who love a true pub-going experience. Ivan Lonsdale, Matt Bayford, and Rogan Hunter designed The Pitch and Wicket to fill a long-standing gap in the market, a quality pub where sports lovers, shift workers and locals alike can unwind without thumping music, chicken parmies or schooners. Pints and half-pints only.
“I’ve had the idea in my head for years,” Ivan said.
“I thought that there was a gap in the market in Airlie Beach, in that front.”
Armed with a 3am licence, the venue caters to sports fans of all kinds, from Premier League and Formula One to Gaelic football, NBA, AFL, and UFC. With commentary playing and multiple screens in each section of the venue, it's becoming a haven for serious fans, especially during European matches that air late into the night.
The kitchen stays open from midday to 9pm without a break and offers a fully British menu, from steak and Guinness pie, lamb shanks, curries, toad in the hole, and a full English breakfast that can be ordered well into the evening.
“We’ve had fantastic reviews, we’ve had a lot of Australian customers in, and the reviews we’ve got back from them have been great, especially with our steak and Guinness pie,” said Matt
“Australians do love their pies, and now we’ve given them a taste of our British traditional kind of pie.”
The homemade curries are also extremely popular.
No pub would be a pub without drinks, and at The Pitch and Wicket, they have a strong focus on quality drinks. The pub offers independent beers, including exclusives from Goanna Brewing in Mackay, an extensive single malt whisky range, and even a local-only agreement to serve Travla Lager on tap.
While sport is a big drawcard, the owners are clear, it is not a sports bar, it is a pub that shows sport.
“I’ve always said that I wanted the pub to be a British pub, great food, great beer,” said Matt.
"We’re a British pub that shows sports. We’re not a sports bar.”
Offering peaceful seating areas, pool tables, a private back bar known as The Bunker, and thoughtful service, the pub has quickly become a favourite among hospitality workers, tourists and locals seeking something outside the usual late-night scene.
“By filling the gap in the market, we’re just trying to stick to what that gap is,” said Rogan.
The Pitch and Wicket owners Ivan Lonsdale, Rogan Hunter and Matt Bayford have hit the ground running. Photo credit: Daniel Heggie
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