The pair recently purchased the prominent 1860s building at 103 Vincent Street, which has operated as a hotel, guest house, milk bar and gift shop over its 150-year lifespan. 

The venue was originally called the Golden Fleece Hotel before changing to the Fire Brigade Hotel in the 1930s, which was the last time the building operated as a pub.

Wombat Gifts was the building’s most recent incarnation, however the business only occupied around a quarter of the 724 square metres.

Mr Gill said while there was plenty of work to be done on the building, they were looking forward to restoring the old hotel to its former glory.

“It needs an awful lot of work done on it to get it back up to scratch because parts of it have sat idle for decades,” Mr Gill said.  

“The old building suits the brand of our beer, and we want to tie it back with the history of Daylesford and the gold rush.”

When completed the premises will be Daylesford Brewing Company’s first permanent home.  

The business has relied on contract brewing for the previous 18 months, which involves using equipment at established breweries.  

The couple hope to restore old elements of the building such as a balcony pictured back in the mid-1930s, with the aim of having the venue completed within 18 months. 

“The location (was a big attraction) because this strip is going to be an up and coming foodie strip and it's away from the other pubs,” Ms Holmes said.  

“It’s the entrance to the town in a way, and would have been one of the first pubs in Daylesford.” 

Mr Gill said while the company had enjoyed strong support from local pubs and restaurants since their launch, establishing a permanent brewery would allow them to make a push into the Melbourne market.

“Contract brewing is tough in that your supply is at the mercy of others and your brewing days can be cancelled suddenly, so to have our own space will make things a lot easier.”