Emma Young is buzzing around the recently renovated Kiama Golf Club bistro, offering cheese platters, share plates and a glass of bubbles to a group of hungry (and thirsty) golfers.

The lucky bunch happened to walk into the club’s bistro at the end of a photo shoot to promote the club’s new menu and opening hours.

Rather than have the food go to waste Emma urges the group to dig in.

“You can be our Guinea pigs,” jokes the founder and former owner of beloved Kiama Downs coffee shop Stacks.

Emma is now bringing her cafe expertise to the golf club, with the bistro open from 6.30am for “grab and go” coffee, bacon and egg rolls, yoghurt and granola bowls.

It’s one of only a handful of licensed NSW venues open for the early morning brekky trade.

It’s a project Emma and golf club general manager David Rootham have been working on to coincide with the completion of stage one of the large-scale renovation.

Emma and her team have created a menu to match the club’s refined new look.

The oak-lined walls, blackbutt timber fittings and crisp white tiles give the light-filled space warmth, while display cabinets filled with the Club’s historic golfing memorabilia provide a touch of nostalgia.

“We’ve got a great club, and so we want the menu and the service to be in line with that as well,” says Emma.

The Youngs successfully built up Stacks from scratch after moving to the area in 2018.

Their successful business was beloved by the local community but after Emma’s husband became so unwell his airway collapsed, the pair knew it was time to sell Stacks.

“It was quite a big thing with his health so we had to move on from Stacks at that point.

“I’ve been speaking to the golf club for a little while about the opportunity to introduce a cafe breakfast menu.

“So David got me onboard to help launch the space with a new menu and help train staff.

“It’s the first time a club's really opened for a cafe sort of style service, so it is a new adjustment for members and the local community to get their head around.”

Now golfers can come in before their round and grab a coffee on the way out to the golf course.

“We want to focus on what cafes do well and that’s the grab and go sort of style.

“So everyone who’s coming to the golf course, they don't actually have to go to another space first for their coffee,” says Emma.

“They can come in, set up, get some nourishing food into their stomachs before they start their game.

“We’ve got lots of healthy options like poached eggs, boiled eggs, yoghurt and granola, fruit bowls, that can still be grab and go and the kitchen can make from 6.30am.”

The kitchen will then have table service from 8.30am and Emma is hopeful that the new menu and new opening hours will attract local residents looking for a relaxed breakfast option as well as golfers out in the course early.

“It’s opening up the golf club to a whole new market that they haven't tapped into yet.

“Then we’ve brought back the popular lunch and dinner service with a revamped menu.

“There’s a new pizza section - everyone loves the pizzas here - and they’re made fresh each day.”

Emma’s role has included helping to redevelop and streamline the kitchen so staff can have a faster and higher service turnover.

She has been working closely with the team to source the best suppliers, highest quality stock and ensure the catering staff and kitchen team are focused on “quality of the service as well and the products”.

“We also want to make sure in the coming weeks that everybody's aware of our new menu and opening hours,” says Emma.

“It’s such a beautiful spot to sit on the balcony and we want locals to come and enjoy what we have to offer.

“There are a lot of cafes in Kiama but a lot of them don't have a view like this, north facing where people can sit in the sun while enjoying their food.

“We want to really engage our community and make sure that the golf club is their first choice if they want to go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner.”