Healesville Hotel, one of the Yarra Valley’s most treasured country pubs, has reopened its doors this week under new ownership.
A local icon with over 100 years of history, after two months of restorations, Healesville Hotel returns with a fresh interior and menu, intending to hold a firm place in the heart of the local community for years to come.
Behind the recent takeover are mates and publicans Matt Vero (Marquis of Lorne, Union House, Mt Erica Hotel) and Scott Connolly (Moore St Tavern) – who are also co-owners of Armadale’s much loved The Orrong Hotel. With a wealth of experience in restoring old pubs, the pair jumped at the chance to revive Healesville Hotel. “Both Matt and I have fond memories of visits to the Healesville Hotel growing up,” says Scott. “What we loved most was that it has that strong sense of familiarity – whether you’re a local or a visitor, you walk into the pub and instantly feel at home.”
Located in the heart of Healesville, at 256 Maroondah Highway, returning visitors to the pub will recognise the iconic entrance beneath a beautiful centuries-old tree. As for the interior, it has had a light refresh whilst maintaining its historic charm, with soaring vaulted ceilings and large windows that nod to the grandeur of architecture when the pub was built in 1912.
Acknowledging the existing heritage bones of the building, Matt says, “We didn’t want to mess with what was already a beautiful pub. Our motto is always ‘restoration over renovation’ and that’s how we’ve approached Healesville Hotel.”
Known for its homely bistro dining room, public bar and iconic beer garden, patrons can choose their own adventure at Healesville Hotel with multiple areas restored for drinking and dining. Bringing some colour to the beer garden is a new kids play area, encouraging a more family-friendly component to the outdoor area.
On the food front, bringing new life to the Healesville Hotel kitchen is chef Ella Stevens who’s reimagined two entirely new bistro and pub menus, bringing an elevated Italian take on classic pub fare. Highlighting seasonality and fresh produce, the food and drink ethos heroes local suppliers. “We’ve got so many incredible suppliers right on our doorstep in the Yarra Valley, so making that our focus was a no-brainer. It all comes back to supporting our local community and the best wine and produce the region has to offer,” says Scott.
To start, patrons can choose from a variety of delicious bar snacks such as nduja sausage rolls to a chicken liver parfait with pickles, toasted sourdough and kumquat jam all made on-site from Healesville Hotel’s very own kumquat trees. Leaning into the Italian focus, a lineup of fresh pastas made daily on-site range from a pork & fennel ragu reginette, to a vegan broccoli creste rigate. For something more substantial, a pork schnitzel with caper & parsley slaw and garlic butter is a pub menu highlight, and on the bistro menu – a 400g Galiciana Vintage Beef Co. club steak that can be paired with any number of sides made from locally grown vegetables. For a sweet finish, there’s no going past the Yarra Valley honey panna cotta with poached quince and ginger crunch.
As for drinks, a local-leaning wine list is front and center, celebrating regional varietals including drops from Seville Hill and Soumah, and minimal intervention skin contact wines from the likes of Fin and Yūgen, plus a number of Italian wines in keeping with the Italian food lean. Watts River Pale Ale and Matilda Bay Redback are some of the local beers available on tap, and the usual suspects are covered on the spirits front.
For those who fancy a weekend of exploring the best of the Yarra Valley, the pub is also home to accommodation upstairs, with 10 rooms available to book all year round. Perfect for weddings and culinary weekends, the accommodation can also be booked out entirely for larger groups.
“We’re excited to welcome new and returning visitors back to the pub and to celebrate what is an exciting chapter for Healesville Hotel,” adds Matt.
Healesville Hotel, 256 Maroondah Highway, Healesville VIC 3777
For more, visit www.healesvillehotel.com.au
Image credits: Pete Dillon
