Wagga restaurateur Jamie Shepley is set to unveil his latest venue ‘The Spare’. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Wagga restaurateur Jamie ‘Shep’ Shepley has built a reputation in the Riverina as an innovator and a pioneer in the city’s recent food resurgence.
The brains behind popular venues such as Mr. Lawrence and HIDE Steak & Bar decided to take on a new project, breathing new life into the dormant restaurant at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
“I’m really excited about this one,” Jamie said ahead of the grand opening.
“We took over the hotel and realised quite early on that this is a gem. This space hasn’t been utilised in a really long time.
The Spare’s dining space will accommodate 40 patrons.
“It stopped being Barter’s back in ’96 I think and as most people know, back in the day it was the best restaurant in town. Someone attempted to get a restaurant back up and running in the early 2000s but couldn’t keep it going.
“We’re talking like 20 years since it was a restaurant open to the public and when you look at the building and the beautiful rooms, it’s such a waste for it just to sit here.”
Renovated, refurnished and reimagined, the Prince of Wales’ new restaurant has been cheekily named ‘The Spare’, winking at the royal maxim for redundant second sons, ‘the heir and the spare’.
Capturing the feel of an aristocratic British library, The Spare is fitted with ceiling-high bookcases, antiques and plush furniture which helps fill out the heritage-listed venue.
“Obviously it’s an old space so we wanted that old library feel,” said Jamie.
“All the different little trinkets and old books we’ve got in here all feed into that old British vibe.
“When I was a young chef coming through from Beechworth and Melbourne, I’d look at this building and think, ‘Jeez, a dining room on that corner would be fantastic!’
“It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time and I’m really happy with it.”
The hidden staircase was discovered only a short time after the hotel was purchased. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Initially slated to open in March, the launch was shifted to May as Jamie and the team wanted to make sure it was fit and firing before opening the doors.
Jamie said it had been a hands-on labour of love.
“I’m proud of how it turned out. It took a fair bit of time getting right,” Jamie admitted.
“I’m not a carpenter, I’m not a joiner and I’m not a plasterer but everything in here, including the bookcases was all built by us.
“Yes, it took some time but I’m particularly proud of the cabinetry throughout the venue.
“I see the finished product and I think, ‘Man, I can do anything!'”
While he’s not giving a lot away about the menu, Jamie said he considered several ideas before deciding to focus on quality food over a particular themed cuisine.
“Lots of people asked me what the style of food is going to be; originally I was going for something a bit more British but then I found myself getting too bogged with what ingredients and things that I could use.
“I pretty much reverted back to the way I operate.
“I think of food in my mind, I put it on paper and I think of ways to make sure that it’s top quality.”
Jamie said he was excited for people to visit the venue to sit back and relax or enjoy a meal. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Jamie hopes to lift the profile of Wagga’s dining spaces and is confident that everyone who visits The Spare will know they can trust his food.
“The number of high-quality venues in Wagga is continuing to grow, and we’re getting to a level now that comments like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t feel like Wagga’ are invalid,” he said.
“The conversation has now shifted to, ‘You know what? We’re in Wagga, and this is what Wagga has become.'”
The Spare opens its doors to the public on Thursday 16 May and can be found at 143 Fitzmaurice Street.
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