We first heard noises that someone was planning to bring craft beer to outer suburban Melbourne a few months back. Soon afterwards, we heard that they were doing it with a venue that was rather different, quite unlike any other craft beer venue anyone had seen. And, boy, were those noises right: the Woodlands Hotel, which holds a soft opening tonight before opening to the public on Saturday, flies utterly in the face of convention.
Taking a classic 1850s hotel located pretty much midway between the hubs of Coburg and Brunswick (in other words not very near any other craft beer venues at all) as a starting point, new owner Hayden George brought in the designer responsible for turning the Carlton Hotel in the CBD into a surreal tropical jungle and let them loose. The result is a series of experiences that is part Alice in Wonderland, part industrial warehouse, part jazzed up cocktail bar and, according to one brewer, part LSD trip.
“I wanted something fresh in the area,” says Hayden, who has been in hospitality for 14 years here and overseas, including six years at the Belgian Beer Cafe in St Kilda Road. “All the pubs along Sydney Road are CUB pubs, so I wanted to offer a point of difference. My background is very much in Belgian beers but I wanted to move on and at the same time keep things as sustainable as we can by supporting local breweries. We are an outpost, but I’ve seen what the Post Office [a little further north along Sydney Road] has achieved with its food.
“When we bought the hotel, it was just your average run of the mill pub. It has quite a bit of history and a heritage overlay and was quite popular when called the Palms in the 80s. As the previous owners got older, they didn’t really dedicate enough time to it and, although it was clean, it was ugly.”
The Woodlands Hotel
So they gutted it, Hayden giving the designer free rein with the only guidance how many bums he wanted on seats. Gradually, each room took on a different theme and the building was filled with fantastical artworks and furniture from BLOKK the artist, including giant wooden toy soldiers, imposing winged chairs, a dragon’s head, mirror-fronted bars and a big old film projector – among myriad other things. It’s a family affair, with Hayden’s dad helping to fund his son’s inspired vision as he nears retirement, and one that’s set to turn heads.
“Everything you see here has been created for the pub or found in some way,” says Hayden. “My dad’s got a presswork engineering company and my brother’s an engineer so we ended up make lights out of interesting things and all sorts of mirrors.”
At its heart is a commitment to Victorian craft beer that has resulted in a 65 bottle beer list featuring most of the state’s micros plus a fair few brewing companies and six rotating taps. All wines are also Victorian. On the food side, they’ve brought in Jocelyn Riviere, who previously picked up a Chef’s Hat when working at North Melbourne’s Courthouse Hotel, who’ll be serving up modern Australian cuisine with a Mauritian influence.
Owner Hayden George at the downstairs bar
Alongside the craft beer, there is one concession to mainstream beer drinkers too. They’ve got 500ml Melbourne Bitter cans they’ll be serving in a selection of old school stubby holders. Oh, and there are options for light beer drinkers; just look under “Weak As Piss” in the menu.
“I’m really excited about it. It’s so different to what’s in the area so it’s just based on a gut feeling. I’m hoping that people like what we’re trying to do. I love this area and the pubs down the road and hope this goes a step further towards bringing something better to the area.”
The Woodlands Hotel is at 84-88 Sydney Road, Coburg, and is holding private “soft launches” tonight and tomorrow and opens to the public on Saturday. Initially, only the downstairs bar and rear beer garden are open, with the restaurant / cocktail lounge to follow soon.
