Business Career

Roy’s most recent business activity has been his involvement in mining company, Barrington Resources, which holds leases on magnetite deposits in the Hunter Valley and New England areas of New South Wales, Australia. Barrington Resources is a tightly held private company of which Roy  was founding Chairperson  He has other interests in coal-related mining projects in the eastern states of Australia.

In his earlier business career, Roy  established his own contract catering company, Kary Pty Limited and secured several high profile catering contracts in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley area.    Over the years he secured catering contracts at Maitland Trotting track, Newcastle Jockey Club, Beaumont Park Greyhounds, Newcastle Showground and the Newcastle Knights Stadium.  Roy Duffy often oversaw catering for crowds up to 30,000 people, and was considered the premier caterer for larger crowds and “Special Event Catering” in the Hunter Valley region.

Roy  established Australian Spitroast Professionals (now known as Grinners Catering) in 1988. He later developed the concept into Australia’s first National Home Based Catering Franchise which grew to more than 60 franchises throughout Australia.  The National operation was the largest of its type in Australia.  Marketing and Administration for NSW operations was co-ordinated out of Head Offices in Newcastle and oversaw master franchises in Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia was well as franchises in Queensland and Tasmania

Australian Spitroast Professionals won several national business and franchising awards and Roy’s design of a non-rotating spit roasting oven was recognised by the NSW Government for its innovation.

A prototype is in the Powerhouse Museum collection at Ultimo, Sydney.

The business established a high profile thanks to its marketing and franchise support services and was recognised by the Commonwealth Bank, the Bulletin Magazine and other national dailies for its professionalism. Roy also undertook speaking tours as a business expert with Commonwealth Bank advisory panels.

Australian Spitroast Professionals made forays into New Zealand and Texas (USA) at the urging of Austrade,(Australian Government Export Advisory Service) but curtailed these expansion plans when it became evident that the family would need to re-locate to the USA, a sacrifice he was not prepared to make.

He sold the franchise to one of the company’s consultants in 1994 and was then able to concentrate on community activities.