Australian Venue Co has announced historic Brunswick landmark the Sarah Sands Hotel will re-open to the public this weekend, for the first time in four years.
Closed since 2017, AVC took on the dormant pub in late 2019. It has now seen an extensive renovation, circa $3 million, and is ready to resume its role as a popular local.
Established in 1854, the hotel on the corner of bustling Sydney and Brunswick roads has operated under many names and concepts, but will now return to its original moniker as the Sarah Sands.
AVC worked with architects Studio Y to breathe new life into the Hotel while preserving its character and heritage features. The ground floor finds a warm and inviting public bar with brass details and traditional timber panelling, an intimate 38-seat dining room and a private dining room for 20.
Upstairs offers a second bar, a second private dining room, seating 16, a light-filled atrium featuring a mural by Loretta Lizzio, and a winter-friendly enclosed courtyard.
The menu is positioned as high-quality pub classics, and hearty, flavourful vegetarian mains.
“It’s a little bit nostalgic and a little bit new,” suggests executive chef Telina Menzies.
“I want people to feel at home right away at Sarah Sands, but also keep things fresh and help make everyday occasions with friends and family feel a bit special.”
This is seen in the counter meals, including a Steak & Ale Pie with braised Victorian beef, mushy peas and buttered mash, the classic Chicken Parma, or an Eggplant Parma. There are eight pizzas available, half are vegetarian, and vegan on request.
Snacks include Scorched Padron Peppers, Keen’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pink Pepper Calamari and a generous Grazing Plate.
Doors open at the new Sarah Sands Saturday, 12 June, but re-opening celebrations will continue for a while.
The official ‘Welcome Weekend’ will be 25-27 June, when patrons will receive complimentary Chefs Snacks with their first drink purchase (5-7pm), and tables of four or more will receive a complimentary round of desserts.
From 1 July, as lockdown restrictions ease, the pub will offer a classic line up of weekly pub specials, including vegetarian alternatives for parma night and the Sunday roast, to further reflect evolving preferences.
Even the trusty pub Meat Raffle has been reinvented, now offering a farm-fresh box of fruits and vegetables on Fridays, with all proceeds going to local not-for-profit organisation QueerSpace.
