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Tony Leonard’s Pub of the Week 2025

pub of the week
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DE BORTOLI PUB OF THE WEEK: 2025

Welcome to the 3AW/De Bortoli Pub of the Week/Year for 2025, a segment that has been running since 1991 through both Neil Mitchell and now Tony Moclair programs.

Since this date De Bortoli has been our sponsor, with a view to finding the best traditional pubs throughout Victoria, along with some brewpubs, taverns and clubs. We thank Vince Gurcullio and the team at De Bortoli.

The fundamentals are still there: Good beer/food/wines/service that is best summed up as hospitality to finally acknowledge at year’s end, the best of the bunch.

As is the case with the reviews, my scoring relies heavily on better level food and drink, but cleanliness of venue, staff attitudes to customers are important factors in consideration. It is not an exact science.

Final mark is scored out of 20, but any pub scoring 15 and above is really delivering in spades.

Again I reiterate, any pub review 18 months or older should be treated cautiously or disregarded. Totally and absolutely ignore anything pre-Covid.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2025:

In stating the bleeding obvious, there is little relief on the horizon for costs as far as pub owners and the paying public are concerned. Insurance, utilities keep rising, cost of basic produce shows no real signs of letting up. Therefore;

BE PREPARED TO BE SURCHARGED – CARDS/WEEKEND/PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

There is no relief here. Cards will be charged upwards of one per cent, weekends may attract anything up to 10-15 per cent, and you will pay extra on public holidays.

(As an aside, the weekend surcharges are essentially to cover extra labour costs, but what happens when these costs are met? The surcharge is not removed for the remainder of the day. Hmmm).

MORE THAN EVER LOOK TO PUBS SOCIALS – WEB PAGES/FACEBOOK FOR MEAL/DRINK DEALS

Smart pubs can’t price themselves out of business but smarter pubs use their social platforms to promote themselves and during the week you will nab a bargain. (Subjective, I know).

PRICING OF BEER

Fact is it rises twice a year due to federal excise. The mean price is around $7.50/pot.

Standard commercial beer is my benchmark and more will be charged for boutique brands/higher alcohol.

This will rise in February but to what levels? Fact is publicans are very nervous about raising this anymore than what exists now.

Has it reached a tipping point? As another aside, publicans who apply surcharges to beer on weekends/public holidays take the price to $9/pot.

This is miserable in the extreme.

CORPORATISATION CONTINUES

The value of the pub (bricks and mortar) remains ever so attractive to bigger companies whose appetite for acquisition remains ravenous.

So if you have a local owner/operator, try to support them.

The local governor/ess slowly fades away, replaced by managers from big companies that are moved around before any real attachment to locals is established.

Still, the role of the pub in the community is never better exemplified by efforts in smaller communities to keep them as a focal point for a town.

Fine examples such as the Springs Hotel, Waubra and Lockington Hotel confirm the importance of your local pub.

Always looking for suggestions so please email tony.leonard@nine.com.au.

Each week, the Pub of the Week will be broadcast at around 1.45pm on Tony Moclair’s Afternoons program.

Date: Venue: Score:

January 24 – Pub of the Week opener

January 31 – Morning Star, Williamstown – 16

February 4 – Elephant and Castle, Geelong – 14.9

February 11 – Cricketers, Port Melbourne – 16

 

 

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