Good morning Newcastle, welcome back to the Newcastle Digest.

Plenty in this edition as always, let's get into it.

Full Throttle Beresfield — Brisket & Cheese Pie $9.00 | Score: 49/70

Full Throttle isn't a bakery. That's worth saying upfront, because once you understand that, the pie makes a lot more sense.

I made the trip out to Beresfield on Saturday morning, with pie in mind, brisket, cheese and jalapeño. Sold out by 10am. A promising sign for the place, a disappointing one for me. I settled for the brisket and cheese and got on with it.

The pastry is where this one has its limitations. The base held up well enough through the first half but started falling apart toward the end, not ideal for a $9 pie. The flavour was there, but structurally it's not competing with your dedicated bakeries. That's not entirely a criticism, as it's a smokehouse first.

Where it earns its keep is the filling. The brisket is the real story here. Smoky, well-seasoned, and generous, seriously, really good filling. The cheese pulled it together nicely. I missed the jalapeños, and I suspect they would have been a great addition.

No sauce needed. Didn't even consider it.

At $9, it's on the pricier end of this list, and the pastry doesn't quite justify the premium on its own. But the filling quality is hard to argue with.

The X Factor? There's a proper thick cut of brisket in there. You hit it, and you know you're not eating a plain mince. That counts for something.

Pastry 11/20 | Filling 17/20 | Sauce 8/10 | Value 5/10 | X Factor 8/10 Total: 49/70

Pie Leaderboard

Hayl Mary opened at the end of last month, and Newcastle took notice quickly. The team behind Praise Joe have gone bigger with this one, and the city clearly came out to support it. We went on opening weekend, and it was full by 9am on Saturday morning. I went back on Sunday at 7am to beat the crowd.

No bookings yet so it is walk-in only for now, worth keeping in mind if you're planning a weekend visit.

The coffee is Pablo & Rusty, same as Praise Joe, so if you've been there, you know what you're getting. The food menu is a solid step up, though, with all-day breakfast and lunch with a decent range, plus a large selection of pastries and sweets. I ordered The Spiced Yolk, which is garlic labneh, poached eggs, pickled red onion, paprika flatbread, and lemon-herb salad for $26. A fresh alternative to the usual breakfast options, and well worth it.

The drinks menu is worth a look too, crafted thickshakes, a Yuzu cold brew, a Honeybee latte with honeycomb cold foam, and a White Chocolate Pistachio Matcha among the highlights. Not your standard cafe offering.

One to add to the regular rotation.

📍74 The Ln, Maryville NSW 2293

Star Struck 2026: Out of the Ordinary – Newcastle Entertainment Centre | 12–13 June, various times NSW public school students from Kindergarten to Year 12 take the arena stage for two nights of dance, drama and music. Tickets from $42.70. More info.

Kids Disco – Mayfield West Bowling Club, Mayfield West | 13 June, 4pm – 7pm Dress up as your favourite superhero or princess for an afternoon of dancing, prizes, an ice cream truck and show bags. Parents must supervise. More info.

Raymond Terrace Chill Out – Boomerang Park, Raymond Terrace | 13–14 June, 12pm – 9pm Two days of free entertainment including a fire show, magic, circus play space, roving performers, gourmet food stalls and amusement rides. Entry $2. More info.

Winter Community Market – 943 Paterson Rd, Woodville | 14 June, 9am – 1pm Homemade, homegrown and handmade stalls, a nursery full of plants and pots, alpacas from Gumnut Valley and animals to meet. BYO picnic blanket. More info.

Club Kotara's Biggest BBQ – Club Kotara, Kotara | 14 June Beer or spritz jug, two sausage sangas and a choice of salad for $30, with proceeds supporting the Cancer Council and local sports clubs. More info.

Maitland Heritage Fest Free Family Day – Church Street precinct, Maitland | 14 June, 10am – 3pm Performances, heritage displays, face painting, treasure hunt, penny farthing demonstrations, steam engines and more across multiple venues. Mostly free, some ticketed extras. More info.

Ashton's Super Cirque – Richardson Park, Hamilton North | 8–28 June, various times Flying trapeze, the Wheel of Death, acrobats, aerialists and comedy under the Big Top. More info.

Bron Lewis: Chaos – Civic Theatre, Newcastle | 10–11 June New shows added to Bron Lewis' Chaos tour. Tickets $40.40. More info.

Coffee and Claytime Workshop – Grounded By Designs, Carrington | 11, 13, 18, 27 June, 10am – 12:30pm Slow down with a coffee and make your own hand-built pottery in a calm, supported workshop. All materials provided. Tickets $120. More info.

Wine Club Night: Side by Side Comparison – The Press Bookhouse, Newcastle | 12 June An interactive tasting night exploring four grape varieties through comparisons — young versus aged, classic versus unexpected, Australian versus international. More info.

Melanie Bracewell – Newcastle City Hall | 12 June Melanie Bracewell returns with a brand-new hour about returning to unfinished things later in life. Tickets $40.40. More info.

Bouzouki by the Bay – Atmos, Shoal Bay | 12 June A Greek feast, three-hour beverage package and live bouzouki music for a full island-inspired evening. Tickets $145. More info.

Artist Talk: Jono Everett – Straitjacket, Broadmeadow | 12 June, 5pm – 7pm Meet artist Jono Everett in his solo exhibition Sacred and hear about his process and inspirations. Free. More info.

Big Hands Improv Comedy – Thirsty Messiah Brewery, Broadmeadow | 12 June, 7pm Completely improvised, ludicrously absurd comedy built from your suggestions. Free entry. More info.

Artist Studio Visit: Vera Zulumovski – Straitjacket, Broadmeadow | 13 June, 11:30am A small-group visit to Vera Zulumovski's home studio where she'll demonstrate her printmaking technique. Bookings essential, numbers limited. More info.

Y.O.G.A DJ Set: Country x Rave Night – Kahibah Sports Club, Kahibah | 13 June, from 8:30pm Reuben Styles from Peking Duk brings his solo project Y.O.G.A to Kahibah — outlaw country energy meets late-night festival chaos. More info.

Lake Mac Meet the Makers – MAC yapang, Booragul | 13 June A handmade market with 50+ local creatives across ceramics, jewellery, textiles and artworks, plus live music and food. Free. More info.

EXP. x Maxwell Wines Collaboration Dinner – EXP. Restaurant, Hunter Valley | 14–15 June, from 5:30pm Hunter Valley's EXP. Restaurant joins forces with McLaren Vale's Fabian Lehmann for a multi-course seasonal dinner with optional wine and non-alcoholic pairings. Tickets $225 per person. More info.

Explore Throsby Food Tour – Wickham & Carrington | 14 June, 11am – 3pm A guided 4-hour walking food tour through the Throsby villages with tastings at five local venues, two drinks included and stories from the people behind the food. More info.

Dave Hughes: Cooked – Civic Theatre, Newcastle | 14 June, from 7pm Hughesy brings his latest stand-up show to Newcastle — sharp observations and honest storytelling. Tickets from $49. More info.

Saturday Night Comedy Club Showcase – Newcastle Comedy Club, Islington | 14 June, from 8:30pm Five to six acts from local, Sydney, interstate and international comedians. 16+ with parental discretion. Tickets from $32.35. More info.

Emo Night – Bernie's Bar, Newcastle | 14 June, from 9pm DJ Kittamine plus performances from David Mowie and Carmilla Vein. Come ready to feel everything. More info.

Homegrown Markets – The Station, Newcastle | 13 June, 10am – 2pm Celebrating their 7th market-versary with 100+ stalls of handmade goods, street food, live music, permanent jewellery bar and face painting. More info.

Hawker Street Food Markets – James Street Plaza, Hamilton | 13 June, 5pm – 9pm An Asian walking street-inspired night market on Beaumont Street with hawker booths, live entertainment, roaming performers and free sideshow alley games for kids. More info.

Newcastle City Farmers Markets – Broadmeadow Showground | 14 June Shop direct from local farmers and makers with unbeatable freshness and a genuine community atmosphere.

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Newcastle's four-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night, losing 32-30 to Melbourne in a match that could have gone either way. The Knights had it back to two points with seven minutes to play after Jacob Saifiti ran onto a Kalyn Ponga grubber, but the Storm held on.

Eleven tries across the night and rarely more than a converted try in it. Ponga was at the centre of everything: a brilliant try-saving tackle, a hand in multiple tries, and a possible shoulder injury late in the game that he played through.

Phoenix Crossland was taken from the field on a medicab early after a collision and was taken to the hospital as a precaution, though he had feeling in his limbs.

Knights have the bye this weekend before hosting St George Illawarra at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday, June 19.

A mixed weekend for the Northstars at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, a convincing 7-4 win over the Sydney Bears on Saturday. Followed by a shock loss to Melbourne on Sunday to close out the double-header.

The Northstars remain in the hunt at the top of the AIHL table but will want to bounce back quickly.

If you're looking for something a bit different for a night out, Islington Barracks in Islington has quietly become one of the better options in Newcastle. The pub has partnered with Newcastle Comedy Club to turn its upstairs space into a dedicated comedy room, and by the sounds of it, it's working well.

The format features six or seven comedians over the course of the night, with an MC holding it together, inspired by the showcase model you'd find in LA or New York clubs. The range of acts is part of the appeal, everything from deadpan to musical comedy, emerging locals to established names. Tom Ballard has already played there with multiple sold-out shows.

The setup works as a full night out too. Dinner and drinks downstairs, catch the show upstairs, then back to the bar. The kitchen runs seven days, and there are weekly specials rotating throughout.

Worth checking out next time you want something different on a weeknight.