So when I was given the task of helping to organise a media famil around this interesting village of Sydney – inviting media guests to discover the brilliance of Pyrmont, it’s safe to say basically everything was a discovery for me too!
Pyrmont, I soon learned, was bought in 1799 by Captain John Macarthur for a gallon of rum and is a diverse and fascinating part of the world. Once a thriving industrial community, the suburb went into a slow decline following World War II and in 1990 was a ghost town with a population of around 900. Fast-forward twenty years and, thanks to a few successful government initiatives such as The Better Cities program, Pyrmont is now Australia’s most densely populated suburb.
This is one of the many interesting facts and stories we shared with the 11 business, lifestyle and travel journalists from great publications such as NewsLocal, mX, BRW, Take 5 Magazine, Escape Lounge, Out in Sydney, Social Sneaker and Dynamic Business who joined us on Friday May 9 in discovering Australia’s own entrepreneurial hub.
It was universally agreed by all that attended that wining and dining was the best way to ease into the weekend and so far, we’re excited to have Pyrmont’s cutest fashionista, St. Frock Boutique’s mascot Fashion Dog, profiled in mX and a guide to visiting Pyrmont featured on Escape Lounge.
Here’s just some of what we managed to fit into a single afternoon, and what I can now confidently recommend to everyone wanting to #DiscoverPyrmont!
A tour of the Sydney Fish Markets
The Sydney Fish Market, once you get over the smell, is pretty incredible. I can’t believe this was my first visit to this Sydney institution which is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and trades over 14,500 tonnes of seafood annually. The best time to visit is in the early morning when the place is packed with wholesalers bidding on the best seafood – it’s the Wall Street of fish! If you’re looking to indulge your tastebuds, the newly refurbished Sydney Seafood School holds cooking classes, and the best part is the tasting afterwards!
A private dining experience at The Sokyo
One of The Star’s premier restaurants, Sokyo is Japanese dining at its best. World renowned head chef Chase Kojima treated us to an incredible 10 course tasting menu which was cooked to absolute perfection and washed down with some Moet. Previously I’ve shied away from raw fish, but this was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had and is a job perk I’ll take any day!
Mudgee wine and cheese tasting at the world’s first ‘Instagram Hotel’
Taking it name from both the year the heritage building was built and the year Kodak released its first box and roll camera, 1888 is the world’s first ‘Instagram Hotel’. The selfie space in the lobby is just the beginning of this insanely beautiful hotel, which has clearly made every aspect aesthetically pleasing in order to get you the most ‘likes’. A free night’s stay is on offer to anyone with over ten thousand followers, as is the best Instagram picture of the month as long as you hashtag #1888hotel.
We finished up our famil here with a relaxing (and delicious) wine tasting courtesy of Huntington Estate, to help promote the upcoming Pyrmont Food and Wine Festival. The perfect Friday afternoon after a long day discovering the magic of Pyrmont!
