Clubs Serve Up Sold-Out Christmas Day Lunches Across Regional NSW

Venues hosted sold-out festive lunches that allowed families to enjoy the day without the stress of cooking or cleaning.

Speaking on NBN News on Christmas Eve, Gosford RSL CEO Russell Cooper said demand for Christmas Day dining continues to grow each year, with the Club hosting a record crowd of almost 500 people in 2025.

“People are finding it really hard to cater for themselves at home these days, the cost of living and the amount of work that goes into it,” said Russell.

“So, a lot of people really enjoy coming to the Club, having a full Christmas buffet lunch.”

In the state’s Central West, Cowra Bowling Club is building a Christmas tradition of its own, hosting its second buffet-style Christmas Day lunch after overwhelming success in 2024.

“We’ve got 150 kilos of prawns, 120 dozen oysters, hams [and] turkeys,” Cowra Bowling Club Secretary Manager David Hart told 7 News Central West on Christmas Eve.

After welcoming two hundred Christmas diners in 2024, the Club decided to bring the event back — and demand quickly surged.

“We ended up with about 230, 240 people and we’ve done it again because everyone loved the buffet and from there on it went crazy,” said David.

“We’ve ended up with 400-plus people this year.”

For many attendees, the appeal lied in simplicity and connection.

“They don’t have to do the dishes, they don’t have to prep the food, they don’t have to do anything basically,” said David. 

“All you have to do is come in and eat the food and walk out.”

Large, shared tables also helped to create new friendships, with visitors travelling from towns including Townsville, Deniliquin and Temora to take part.

“We’ve got a table of 32 and they’re coming from a distance and then we get the individual people and we’ve bundled them up together,” said David.

“In that period of time I don’t think I’ve had one bad comment.”