Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes

Want to warm up for winter? Head to the Guilly. A friendly family pub just this side of Castlemaine.
The pub is well back up and running after a little incident, ok, they had a small fire, and ready to receive locals and visitors alike.
There is always a friendly welcome from owners and hospitality triple threats Tom and Megan, who know how to provide great food, drinks and atmosphere.
We always choose to sit in the front bar which has a fantastic fire roaring away during the cooler months but there’s also the refurbished dining room and plenty of people still opt for outside if the winter sun is shining.
On a recent visit with good friends Mr and Mrs B, we opted for a bar corner, so we could chat, ordered drinks from Tom and checked out the menu.
I chose, as I always do, the chilli & garlic prawn spaghetti ($32). It is so good, full of plump prawns, just the right amount of chilli and garlic and pops of cherry tomatoes.
Being a Sunday, Kyle went for the Sunday roast. A huge piece of pork, loads of veggies, a corker of a gravy and topped with crunchy crackling.
Our friends decided to both enjoy the lemon pepper calamari ($28) served with salad and chips. Now, everyone has had those 1970s stringy calamari rings but this is not that. It is lightly dusted, big pieces of calamari and it’s just perfect to the bite. I know, because it’s my other go-to meal here.
We weren’t up for desserts, perhaps because we started with a couple of serves of the cheese & garlic bread ($10) but there are three to choose from, all $14. The chocolate pudding, creme caramel or the vegan apple and rhubarb crumble.
The Guildford Family Hotel is open five days, with dinners on offer from Wednesday through to Saturday, and lunches on Saturday and Sunday. It’s also a great spot to just chill with a drink and watch the world go by, Wednesday to Friday from 3pm, and the weekends from noon.
If you are feeling lucky, make sure you head there for the Friday Night Raffle drawn at 7.30pm, supporting many local organisations and charities. So even if you don’t win, they do.
See you at the Guilly!

LIKE all hospitality businesses, it has been a bit of a rocky road for the crew at the Guildford Family Hotel, aka The Guilly.

But owners Megan and Tom have got all their ducks in a row now with a great team working on the floor and in the kitchen.

We popped in recently for a Saturday lunch with mates John and Jane – and before they arrived Megan gave us a quick tour of the newly renovated dining room. It’s stunning. High ceilings with great muted colours on the walls which are decorated with some fabulous pieces of musical art by local artist Nick Carpenter.

There’s also a lovely beer garden out the back with plenty of umbrellas for those sunny days – well, those sunny days we are longing for.

But our choice is always the bar and The Guilly has a really good bar. Perfect for whiling away an hour or so with a meal or just a drink. And Megan and Tom are the perfect hosts, chatting in between serving up drinks and welcoming patrons.

Entrees Once we settled in with wines for Jane and me, and beers for the boys, we started by sharing the yum cha ($16) with a selection of dumplings, spring rolls and gyozas with a dipping sauce. I thought about adding the pea, mint and halloumi fritters ($16) but the mains here are always generous so decided to hold off.

Next time. Kyle and I met Megan way back when, when she was working at another pub in Daylesford. She was always friendly and professional, with a ready smile for everyone. And she has brought all that and more to The Guilly along with her partner Tom, who is looking at getting the live music back up and running, along with a courtesy bus for Daylesford visitors. But back to the food.

Mains I chose the spinach and ricotta lasagne ($28) with a cheesy bechamel, napoli sauce, chips and salad – I told you they were generous. This is a really nice vegie dish with plenty of flavour and texture. And filling!

Kyle went for the chicken cordon bleu ($30) from the specials’ list – recommended by Tom. A ham and cheese stuffed, crumbed chicken breast with scallop potatoes, carrots, beans and broccoli with a creamy dijon sauce. Another winner with its crunchy, outer coating, perfectly cooked chicken and oozing with ham and cheese goodness.

But why are the French all thin? Jane chose the pub classic of fish and chips ($28) – two pieces of beer battered fish with chips and salad, which you can swap with buttered vegies. It got two thumbs up and a double “yummy”. John opted for the lemon pepper calamari, an entree size serve, but as a “calamari lover” declared it some of the best he has enjoyed. The main ($28) comes with chips and a salad.

Desserts & kids Now we didn’t do dessert, already full, but there is a really tempting chocolate pudding with choc sauce and cream or if you want to go old school, the bread and butter pudding. (Both $14.) There are also choices for kids ($13 and under) including napoli pasta, fish and chips, nuggets and chips, and chicken parma and chips.

Something else… Here’s one for the diary. The Guilly is hosting the annual Yabby Race Day on Tuesday, November 1. Yes, Melbourne Cup Day. The tradition has been going for many years and Megan and Tom are happy to keep the fun happening. So look forward to yabby races, fashions on the field, chicken and bubbles, and all the fun of the fair.

Deets All below. And bookings are always a good idea. A great country pub which is bound to become one of your favourite destinations.

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes