The pastry and coffee king and queen of Tighes Hill
It’s that time again where we’ll be taking you behind the scenes with our favourite local business owners and creatives to find out where they go to eat, what playlist they’re listening to, where they take their out-of-town friends, and ultimately, what makes them tick.
For our 20th instalment of SPILL, we’re catching up with the pastry and coffee king and queen of Tighes Hill, Hayley and Phil Gameson of Praise Joe Urban Pantry.
Firstly, what and where would people across Newcastle recognise you from?
H: Praise Joe Urban Pantry either from our Tighes Hill or Westfield Kotara locations.
Where are you from originally?
H: Born and bred in Adelaide before moving to Newcastle
P: Born in the United Kingdom, then migrated to Perth, and grew up in Darwin. I’ve spent most of my adult life living in the UK and Bali before moving to Newcastle nine years ago.
What made you decide to make Newcastle home?
P: I had a mate that lived here and wanted a change so decided to try Newcastle for a bit. So, myself and Hayley moved here together.
Do you consider yourself more of an early bird or a night owl?
H: We’re both early birds!
What’s your morning ritual?
H: I’m up at 2am on weekdays and 12.30am on the weekends to get into the kitchen to start cooking for both shops.
P: I’m up at 4am to walk the pooch and get into work.
Where’s your late-night hangout spot?
H: We both don’t drink and get up so early so 7pm is a late night for us!
What’s your coffee order?
H: I’m officially off the coffees, maybe I drank too much and my body started to repel it!
P: Double espresso filter followed by a piccolo.
Speaking of coffee, which local venue knows your order off by heart?
P: Praise Joe of course! (to be fair, we’re always at work so don’t get a chance to go anywhere else).
Tell me about your biggest career highlight…
P: Creating a successful business with my partner.
In your spare time, what are your THREE top favourite things to do in Newcastle?
H: Gym, walking the coastline with friends, and eating out.
P: Playing bat ball at Bar Beach, going out, and going to Hard Gym.
If you wanted to dazzle your out-of-town friends and family, where would you take them?
H: Praise Joe
P: Humbug
Beer? Wine? Cocktail? Mocktail? What is your tipple of choice and where do you frequently visit?
H: It’s the mocktail life for us and either Humbug or Signal Box.
On the daily, what’s guaranteed to make you smile?
H: Our dog Kujo!
What do you NEVER leave the house without?
P: My keys, a kiss from my wife (Hayley), and a smile on my face.
We’re all about keeping it local here at HUNTERhunter – tell me THREE of your favourite local businesses that you live and breathe by and why you couldn’t live without them…
P:
1. Mayfield West Kebabs & Charcoal Chicken have the best chooks and chips in town
2. Hard Gym keeping me trim, taut, and terrific
3. And Praise Joe’s of course!
What are you reading / watching / listening to now?
H: Watching MAFS and White Lotus and listening to The Weeknd
P: Reading The Summer Night by Jim Butcher, watching Landman, and listening to Des Rocs.
If you’re needing a short break away from Newcastle, where do you go and why?
H: Sydney for some shopping and good food.
What’s your go-to playlist?
H: At the moment, it’s The Weeknd on repeat.
What would you like to see more of in Newcastle?
P: Carparks lol.
Lucky last – who would you recommend we interview next for SPILL?
H: Amy from Bistro Penny.
