Camelia Grove Hotel split as Adgemis lenders go head to head

An embattled hospitality baron’s popular Sydney pub has become a battleground for his aggrieved financiers, with a fence put through the middle of the venue after his empire collapsed into administration.

The newly renovated Camelia Grove Hotel in Alexandria in 2022. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

One of embattled pub baron Jon Adgemis’ Sydney pubs has become a battleground for his aggrieved financiers in the wake of his hospitality empire collapsing into administration.

Jon Adgemis’ Public group lost control of Alexandria’s Camelia Grove Hotel and four other venues after American private investor Muzinich & Co withdrew from a deal to refinance the company’s substantial debt.

Now, two of Adgemis’ lenders are at odds over the pub’s future, with literal battle lines drawn – by way of a fence – by one set of administrators before the NSW Supreme Court ordered its removal.

When his businesses went into administration in September, Adgemis owned both the Camelia Grove Hotel and the property next door, which housed its beer garden and bottle shop.

The two separate properties were financed by different lenders, with BDO in Australia appointed as administrators for Adgemis’ hospitality group and the pub, and Hall Chadwick appointed for the property next door.

Ex-banker Jon Adgemis. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

On Monday, BDO in Australia launched urgent NSW Supreme Court action to stop administrators and lenders from “impeding their access to the terrace” – including the beer garden and bottle shop – after they fenced off the property and affixed a notice of possession.

Justice Ashley Black ordered the defendants – receivers Richard Albarran and Kathleen Vouris, and the company 152 Henderson Street Pty Ltd – to be restrained until a final hearing from taking possession of, or otherwise recovering, the terrace.

The Camelia Grove Hotel on Tuesday.

The notice of possession affixed to the terrace property.

They were also ordered to provide keys to the Camelia Grove Hotel’s administrators for the locks to the terrace, and remove the notices of possession and wire fencing erected between the bottle shop and the hotel by 11am on Wednesday.

Repeated efforts to contact Mr Albarran and Ms Vouris were unsuccessful.

On Tuesday, a representative for the pub’s administrators arrived and spoke with tradesman outside the terrace property, where the notice of possession remained on the door.

The pub in 2022. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The tradesman said they were waiting for instructions from their solicitor before acting on the notice of possession and fencing.

Black hoarding was still in place blocking access from the pub to the bottle shop and outdoor terrace.

The pub was otherwise open for business as usual by 10am.

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Originally published as Camelia Grove Hotel split as Adgemis lenders go head to head