The lowdown
Turning a rural pub into a destination food and wine attraction for travellers along the Hume Highways has occurred thanks to placing serious attention on local wine producers, spirit makers and food providores. The Sir George Hotel at Jugiong has achieved all three, and now benefits from a strong influx of visitors for stylish meals, overnight accommodation, monthly produce markets and specialised local wine dinners.
The regular’s tip
Local winemakers from the ACT and regional NSW are on site every Saturday doing tastings – and local flavour continues with wine flights showcasing five local wines for $45, plus gin flights showcasing three local gins with assorted garnishes and tonics.
On the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, in a beautiful quiet valley at Jugiong in central New South Wales, The Sir George Hotel stands as an oasis between Sydney and Melbourne. While this grand old pub was established in 1854, the current Sydney-based owners – general manager and wine buyer Leonie Sassall and executive chef Anthony Davis – bought the business in 2021 and introduced new energy and vision. “We are endeavouring to make this pub a food and beverage destination in addition to offering 5-star accommodation in an award-winning garden setting,” says Sassall.
She places a strong focus on showcasing wine producers from the surrounding regions in New South Wales and Canberra, with all but two of 40 wines on the list coming from local producers, along with local spirit producers. “These local winemakers support us by offering wine tastings to our in-house guests and make appearances at our local produce and maker’s markets that the pub hosts on the second Sunday of each month, which attract hundreds of people from far afield and have helped build the pub’s community focus.”
The wine list changes frequently to ensure it captures seasonal offerings and the best of the latest vintages. “We offer a lot of wines by the glass because our guests are often driving – we’re located only a few minutes away from the Hume Highway – and we want to ensure they can always get a great glass of wine. We also promote that guests are always welcome to try our wines before purchasing.”
The food offering highlights seasonal local produce in an array of mod Australian dishes alongside classic pub staples, with the menu changing about every eight weeks. “We feature a lot of dishes from our Josper oven, with our steaks and roast night on Fridays being very popular, and the Yorkshire puddings are raved about. And our frequent wine-matching dinners featuring local vineyards and winemakers are always quickly booked out.”
