November 22nd, 2021Megan and Tom excited to take on The Guilly

THERE is a real vibe happening at Guildford. And driving around you get the feeling it’s about to boom.

That is despite the population at the 2016 census being recorded at just 333. And Wikipedia listing the town’s facilities as a post office, hotel, community hall, cricket ground and a general store.
That may be physically true, but it is leaving out the iron will of the townspeople intent on keeping their little village alive and pumping.
For example, if you head just a few hundred metres up one of the side roads you pass two old churches and a school. The primary school had closed but locals have lobbied long and hard for it to re-open. And, sure enough, parked on the street are a number of construction vehicles with plenty of tradespeople working towards it re-opening as a campus of Campbells Creek Primary School for the start of the first school term next year.
Then there’s the pub. The Guilly. Outgoing publican Alan Joyce had called time after seven years and there were concerns that no-one was keen to take on the 165-year-old hotel, the heart of the small community.
Step up hospitality stalwart Megan Evans and her partner, music industry long-timer Tom Allen. The perfect pair for a hospitality and music venue. And they live seven minutes up the road at Campbells Creek. Megan’s mum is even a Guildford local!
The couple have spent the past month or so working on a small renovation of the hotel and are looking forward to seeing locals and visitors back at the bar, beer garden and dining room from Friday, December 3.
Megan, who is well known to Daylesford locals after working at a number of hospitality venues in the town, is excited at the prospect of running her own pub and “getting the old girl back to life”.
“I have loved hotels and pubs my whole life, in fact I have spent pretty much my 26 years in hospitality working in country pubs, and I just love the locals. I have a very genuine smile when anyone walks in and that is what country pubs are all about.
“Tom and I are getting overwhelmingly positive responses to the few small changes we are making – bringing back beer on tap, a bit of a facelift, just returning the old girl to a country pub hotel. I feel like we are really doing what the locals want us to do.”
Megan said there would be meals on offer five days a week with “good pub food” providing something for everyone – with lighter meals for the summer months.
The Guilly also has quite a reputation for live music, something Tom will be working on, using his 22 years in the music industry to get some great bands and entertainment happening, eventually adding a few dinner and show events. Some of those are bound to be held at the town’s former music hall, next to the pub and part of its footprint, an amazing venue full of atmosphere and history.
Then there’s the beer garden to enjoy, but maybe keep away from the authentic lockup from the goldrush days. Tom reckons many people feel a bit of something coming out when the door is open, and no-one wants to venture inside.
Meanwhile, Megan and Tom are just excited to be running their own show and turning an under-utilised pub into a really enjoyable place for the community.
“The old girl has so much to give. We want to bring back the music, bring back the tap beer, bring back the food, bring back the bar. A pub is such a community asset and we lost too many during Covid. It would be a real shame not to see the Guilly back on its feet.”
Megan said while it was a local asset, visitors would always be welcome. “We want to see people from Daylesford and Castlemaine and Newstead, and further afield. A town like Guildford deserves to be a destination. It is a really beautiful place and we want people to come and have a look. And we will have a courtesy bus up and running soon on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Megan said the hardest part of having the pub closed while renovations took place was having to ask locals to wait just a little longer.
“We have had such great support and everyone wants to see what we are doing but we have had to say ‘just hold on a little bit longer – we are nearly there’.
“I am so excited about getting to know the community and for them to get to know me. Tom and I are owner/operators so will be here every day. I enjoy working too much to have someone else come in and do it. I will be behind the bar every day and look forward to that.
“Pubs are the real heart of the community. It is a place to meet friends, a place to make friends. A community hub. We are going to provide a good old-fashioned bar for people to make friends with other people. We are looking forward to that.”

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes