Meet the new owners of historic Customs House in Newcastle

Customs House has new owners and a new executive chef.

Stehr Hospitality purchased the Bond Street, Newcastle, venue last year from previous owners Kim and Mick Starkey.

Sean Townsend, most recently the executive chef at Brokenwood Wines at Pokolbin, is now Stehr Hospitality's executive chef and has taken charge of the food direction at Customs House.

He is also a part-owner of Customs House.

"Sean's experience speaks for itself, but for those who've not had the fortune of dining in one of his venues, expect classic, simple Australian cuisine using the best quality produce, executed perfectly," Stehr Hospitality director Ben Stehr said.

"Further to this, and to elevate the guest experience and further complement our new direction, Amy Evans-Bird (formerly of Bistro Penny, QT Newcastle and The Edwards) is joining us as general manager of Customs House later this month.

"The vision is simple: an elevated but approachable dining experience."

Stehr Hospitality also owns TINTA Belmont, Paddington's Village Inn, and Redfern's Surrey Club Hotel.