A sporting tribute at Jamberoo
CHARACTER and cuisine are the headline acts at the Jamberoo Pub, attracting locals and interlopers alike to the historic South Coast setting.
Ross and Nola Warren and their young family bought the pub in 1985, and just recently won the Australian Hotel Association's award for best casual dining venue in its region.
Historic Jamberoo Pub (Est 1857) (Photo : Jamberoo Pub)
Ross's daughter Erica took over the licence seven years ago from her brother, Jamie.
The building, erected in 1843, was in a terrible state, and Ross vowed to breathe new life into it, including a few personal touches.
He replaced the roof, put a new floor in the bar area, demolished the kitchen and began again, and oversaw the addition of a modern sewage system.
With time he added a 3.5 star hotel, decorated the main bar with sporting and horse racing memorabilia, created a large beer garden with and more recently, created a room dedicated to his younger brother and Australian football player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster, the late Johnny Warren.
"The place was in a hell of a mess when we got it," Ross said.
"The bloke who sold it to me at the time said you've paid too much for this, but I didn't seem to mind because I knew we could turn it around."
And with the help of his family, he did.
Today, the pub is packed to the brim every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights with local families, friends, sporting teams and travellers.
Nestled between Kiama on the South Coast and Robertson in the Southern Highlands, the pub attracts many weekenders in the form of motorbike riders, golfers, and families visiting the local action park.
The pub sponsors almost every sport in the town, including touch football, which has 750 players in the club.
Not bad for a town of 900.
Erica said the pub was in the best shape it has ever been in.
"I've increased the business in the past couple of years by three-fold just by doing things a little differently," Erica said.
Source : The Land Jessie Davies January 6th 2015
