The best cheap eats for under $20 across NSW revealed

As the cost of living hits, Kitchen Confidential checks out the best value meals meals under twenty bucks in the upcoming AHA NSW Awards for Excellence and the pubs that are serving them.

A full meal for under $20? Sounds good to us.

Weeks out from The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) NSW Awards for Excellence, Kitchen Confidential can reveal the 15 finalists vying for best Cheap Eat Meal for Under $20.

From Coonabarabran to Newtown, Cringila and Teralba, much of the state is covered.

“These pub meals under $20 are great value,” AHA NSW chief executive John Whelan said.

“Today, every dollar counts, and NSW pubs are working hard to produce restaurant quality meals for those on a tight budget.”

The Bradford Hotel in the Hunter Valley is nominated for Cheap Eats Top Pubs at the AHA NSW Awards for Excellence.

Some 35 were received in the category ahead of the awards to be held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on October 29.

Awards will be handed out across more than 40 categories, among them Best Steak and Best Parmi.

Deepwater Hotel owner Stuart O’Neill noted an increase in punters seeking meal deals.

“It is such an important thing to be able to eat cheaply, otherwise people don’t go out,” he said.

The Deepwater Hotel north of Glen Innes has multiple offerings under $20.

“We never turn our kitchen off, it is an all-day menu. Some people come to the pub not just because they want a beer but because they need social connection and they don’t want to spend $40 on a meal so we’ve got at least 10 things under $20.”

The Tahmoor Inn is nominated for a second year running for its Malaysian Stir Fry Noodles Lunch Special that costs $15.

“It is one of the most popular items on the menu,” general manager Sarah Hanania said.

“People are now looking for deals more than they have in the past, maybe because of cost of living. We do lunch and daily dinner specials, kids eat free on Sundays and there are deals with complimentary drink and ice cream.”

Tahmoor Inn’s Malaysian stir fry noodles.

Given the size of the state, awards in the category are handed out across northern, southern and western areas. Last year’s winners in that order were Hotel Gosford, Central Hotel Shellharbour and Imperial Hotel Coonabarabran.

Bellbird Hotel near Cessnock is nominated this year for its $15 Ladies & Tradies Menu.

“We are constantly being told the meals are oversized for the price,” venue manager and licensee Gareth Wilkinson said.

The Rutherford Hotel in the Hunter has chicken schnitzel or beef lasagne under $20.

The Bellbird Hotel near Cessnock has a $15 Ladies & Tradies lunch menu.

“We do full size for all of the meals. We are getting a lot of good input from our over 55 crowd. Tradies and local businesses in the area are really into it as well. You can order on the app so a lot are ordering online and picking it up.”

Here is a full list of the 15 nominees in the Cheap Eats Under $20 category:

* Australian Hotel and Brewery – Rouse Hill – 250g Rump Steak

• Bellbird Hotel – Bellbird – $15 Ladies & Tradies Lunch Menu

• Bradford Hotel – Rutherford – Grilled Barramundi or Chicken Schnitzel

• Bushrangers Bar and Brasserie – Largs – $15.99 Lunch Menu or $19.99 Dinner Menu

• Carousel Inn – Rooty Hill – Cheese Burger

• Clarendon Tavern – Clarendon – 12 for $12 Lunch Menu

• Crown Hotel – Grafton – $17.50 Lunch Specials

• Deepwater Hotel – Deepwater – Multiple Offerings

• Five Islands Hotel – Cringila – 12 for $12 Lunch Menu

• Great Northern Hotel – Teralba – Lunch Specials

• Imperial Hotel Coonabarabran – Coonabarabran – BLT Panini

• Rutherford Hotel – Rutherford – Chicken Schnitzel or Beef Lasagne

• Shortland Hotel – Shortland – Shorty Moroccan Chicken and Rice Bowl

• Tahmoor Inn – Tahmoor – Malaysian Stir Fry Noodles Lunch Special $15

• The Coopers Hotel – Newtown – $14 Lunch Menu