Ballarat’s Western Hotel has been awarded the best pub in Australia for presentation and service at the Australian Hotels Association’s (AHA) National Awards for Excellence.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Western Hotel came out on top of more than 5000 member pubs and clubs from all over Australia.
Senior Manager of Membership and Industry Engagement for AHA Victoria Kimberley Malcolm said the competition from the regional pubs was strong.
“Seeing smaller regional pubs take out the big awards on the national stage is incredibly heart-warming and inspiring," she said.
"When you understand the sacrifices smaller family owned businesses, like The Western Hotel make and their contribution to the community, seeing them rewarded as being the best in the country is such a wonderful result for them.”
Director of The Western Hotel, Simon Coghlan, said the staff at the pub are the real winners.
“Obviously we are very proud of the hotel but mostly of the staff,” he said.
“The award is a recognition of the service they give to people to enjoy when they visit; it’s a terrific accolade for guys here that work really hard.”
“I think we have a really strong focus on the customer experience and we are very aware it's a competitive market in town so we need to make sure everyone leaves having a memorable experience.”
“We are so lucky we have terrific staff who are all committed hospitality professionals.”
“I want to especially acknowledge our venue manager Dan Cronin, this award is as much a credit to Dan and the staff as it is the venue.”
The pub has been under the same ownership for about six years and the owners undertook major renovations about three years ago.
Judges' comments from the awards show that the AHA were impressed by The Western’s design that incorporates the pub and bar area with the bistro in a “funky modern vibe.”
Other aspects of The Western noted by the judges was the outdoor area, the lighting, and the warm room with comfortable couches and inviting tone.
“The venue has friendly staff who gave good old-fashioned service and even knew our drink order when ordering a second round,” the comment read.
Mr Coghlan said the team at The Western will be working hard to maintain their title.
“We certainly use the awards as a way to benchmark ourselves against the competition and as a great way to motive the staff,” he said.
“We definitely want to hold on to it in the next 12 months.”
