General News
12 December, 2025
The Brim pub is back
THE Brim Hotel reopens today, December 12, following its purchase by local Connor Woods and his mother, Lynda Roberts, who are bringing the historic venue back to life with a strong community focus.
Mr Woods said he bought the hotel as he did not want to see another rural business disappear.
“I didn’t want to see it shut again because I’ve grown up around here and I sort of know that when places shut, it’s really hard to get them restarted,” he said.
Both mother and son purchased the hotel in November and have spent the past month working on repairs and upgrades throughout the building.
“One of the biggest renovations that we did coming in was just fixing a lot of stuff that was broken and outdated things like the fireplaces that weren’t working,” Mr Woods said.
The first stage of the reopening will be a community ‘meet and greet’ on December 12, where residents will be invited inside for a soft opening night.
“We’re going to have an open door sort of thing for the community,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to sell liquor that night, but we’ll have entertainment, Disney trivia and stuff like that for families to enjoy.”
The official opening will take place on Boxing Day once the liquor licence transfer is completed.
“Boxing Day is when the hard opening is going to be,” he said.
“We’ll be open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11am to 9pm, and we’ll be serving dinner every night.”
Breakfast service will also begin on Boxing Day, with the hotel opening from 7-9am for morning meals.
“That will include continental options and a hot breakfast,” he said.
Mr Woods said he and his mother want to shift how people think about the venue.
“I want people’s mindset in the community to be that it’s a community club, not just a pub,” he said.
Stage two of the project will roll out in January, including upgrades to the outdoor areas and new family-focused facilities.
“Phase two will be a full revamp of the outdoor seating area, a barbecue space at the back and a movie room for family nights,” he said.
“I don’t think there are many pubs around that have a community barbecue attached to them.”
Mr Woods said he drew on his professional background working with young people, while his mother brings decades of experience in education and care.
“I want somewhere families, grandparents and kids can come and feel comfortable,” he said.
Community response has been strong, even before the doors have reopened.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” he said.
“People keep stopping us in town asking what it’s going to look like and what’s included in each phase.”
Mr Woods said the reopening would be a chance for people to come in, look around and ask questions.
“I can’t wait till the 12th and it’s going to be awesome,” he said.