Applejack Staff Party 2025

Applejack made waves with the 2025 ‘Shipwrecked’ staff party!

Ahoy matey! From pirates to sailors and mermaids, the 2025 staff party was a nautical event to remember.

After an incredible 2024, we celebrated the hard work of all the Applejack teams with an epic staff party and awards day. The theme for the party was ‘Shipwrecked’ and it was truly a blast seeing how our 350 AJ staff members got into the spirit with their nautical outfits. The crews from Forrester’s, The Butler, Bopp & Tone, RAFI North Sydney & URBNSURF, SoCal, The Botanist, Hester’s, June’s, Taphouse, Sandy’s and Applejack HQ transformed into pirates, mermaids, jellyfish, sailors, and we even spotted a lobster and Nemo making a splash!

We set sail on Seadeck – a three-level boat with Mediterranean-inspired interiors and oceanic bar, cruising under the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House on a picture-perfect, sunshine-filled afternoon in February 2025.

The boat included roaming canapés including spicy tuna tartare rice cakes with avocado and chives, chorizo croquettes, duck spring rolls, fish and chips baskets, BBQ pulled pork sliders, and falafels. The drinks flowed freely with Aperol Spritz, Hugo Spritz, Jack Of All Haze session pale, G&Ts, wines, vodka sodas, and more keeping everyone in high spirits.

The highlight of the day was our Applejack Awards, recognising outstanding team members across all venues. From star managers and chefs to waitstaff, the Applejack culture queen and oracle – there were plenty of well-deserved accolades to celebrate.

Without further ado our Applejack Award Winners are:

Venue of the year: RAFI North Sydney

Master Manager: Rebecca Lynch (RAFI North Sydney)

Chef Of The Year: David Lopez (RAFI URBNSURF)

AJ Oracle: Achilleas Symeaonidis (Taphouse)

Bar Star: Alastair James (Forrester’s)

Rising Star Manager: Jorja Naidu (The Butler)

AJ Culture Queen: Barbara Bicalho (SoCal)

HR Unicorn: Abigail Lapointe (The Botanist Kirribilli)

Venue Marketing & Events Star: Jane Hacquoil (Bopp & Tone)

Best Dressed: Ella Hall (RAFI North Sydney)

Rising Star Of The Kitchen: Erick Djap (Taphouse)

Applejack Team Player: Jono Buttigieg (Head Office)

Our incredible Group People and Culture Manager, Maria Strudwick, orchestrated the entire event – from styling to awards coordination. She capped off the ceremony with a show-stopping performance of ‘You’re Simply the Best’ before everyone hit the dance floor for an afternoon of celebration. DJ Dan Discoloro brought the vibes with a groovy mix of nostalgic favourites and current hits that had everyone moving.

A massive thank you to everyone who made this nautical adventure unforgettable. The countdown to next year’s party has already begun!

Keen to join the Applejack family and enjoy epic parties like this one, great work perks and a supportive work culture? Head to our jobs page to see which roles we’re hiring for and apply today!