Owner Scott Tracey said he had been in Mudgee for 13 years, owned the business for “just over 10”, and thought a party was a great way to say thank you for the support the local community has shown has shown the business over the years. 

“I’ve seen so many changes over the years. When I originally took over the business, there were no rooms upstairs and only three hotel rooms all up. There have been ups and downs like every business but we’ve been lucky to grow from a smallish business to a medium one, going from five or six staff to over 20,” he said. 

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is Scott’s approach to local produce and wines. 

The Wineglass Bar and grill is well known for stocking a wide variety of local wines  and Scott said the kitchen uses quality, local products whenever they can to provide the best possible dining experience for their customers. 

Cobb and Co Court PR Manager, Nicola Marter, said the changing seasonal menus full of locally grown food had been a big selling point in making the restaurant as popular as it was. 

“This whole idea for a birthday celebration came about because we started a Birthday Club, offering a free meal to people once a year for their birthdays.  It’s a way for us to connect with our customers on a slightly more personal level and we eventually thought it would be a good idea to thank everyone with our own birthday celebration,” she said. 

Over the years, the Wineglass has been a key player in bridging the gap between wine and food, offering wine nights with matching food, Melbourne Cup events, and food critic nights to their customers. 

“We just keep trying to create new events to keep our customers happy,” Scott said.