Raymond Vassallo has gone from the life of preparing meals for fine-dining, to whipping up pub classics.

And it's something that Mr Vassallo said presented a whole new set of challenges - challenges he hasn't faced in his almost 40-years' experience in the industry.

"It's a long time since I've done a pub, I have a fine dining background," he said.

"So, it's been a bit of a learning curve for me going into a pub, but at times it has a cool vibe here, and it does represent a bit of a challenge."

But it's one he said he was up for, especially considering his life before coming to Bathurst could often be "really lonely" while working on boats for influential clients.

"I've been all over the place. For probably the last 10 years I've worked the Superyachts out of the Gold Coast, so I've worked for some pretty high profile people," he said.

"There's been some big business people, sportspeople, television and movie stars, you name it, I've been on a boat with some of them."

And, though Mr Vassallo said he couldn't name anybody specifically for privacy reasons, he said during his time, he has certainly "seen some things."

"Some of them, there's Non Disclosure Agreements, and the less you say, the more inviting you are," he said.

"You'd go on some boats and there would be a no camera policy and you would have to sign a document, but yeah I've met some A-listers, and obviously it's a luxury lifestyle."

This lifestyle was one that he said was comparable to a popular reality television series.

"It is like Below Deck vibes, and I've only seen about half an episode of it, and I thought 'why watch it, when I've lived it?'," Mr Vassallo said.

"If you've seen Below Deck, it's exactly like it. You have several people in a confined space, and that's where the drama comes."

Now, he's decided it's time to settle down, and has found himself in Bathurst, taking care of family and working at The 1880, where he has been employed for around three months.

He joins well-known manager Robert "Stumpy" Taylor, who was called in by the owner to transform the pub late last year.

When Stumpy came on board in late 2023, he spoke of his plans to bring the 1880 back to a traditional hotel... "with good food and good entertainment."

It's a plan that appealed to Mr Vassallo, who wants to stay for a while, after growing accustomed to everything that the city has to offer.

"I like the proximity to Sydney, so it has a lot of good things, it has a nice countryside and I particularly like the architecture in the town," Mr Vassallo said.

He said he was looking forward to seeing The 1880 Tavern continue to progress in an upwards trajectory, and will be introducing a new winter menu for the venue in the coming weeks.

And with "Stumpy" at the helm, Mr Vassallo said they were the best team to steer the tavern in the right direction.