By day, Dale Kemp led the kitchens of Yolk Group, the café collective behind some of the city’s busiest brunch spots. Off the clock chef Kemp and his colleagues would often escape to High Country, with a pint and a parma at The Yack Hotel in Yackandandah at the top of the itinerary. So when the storied pub went on the market late last year, he and his crew knew it was time for a tree change.
The menu looks like what a pub menu should but with a few fancified riffs on classics. The parma presents as a tried and tested favourite but with a punchy vodka sauce, cheddar ale beefs up the pie’s brisket filling, and venison and speck spice up the ragù in the main pasta event.
Venison and speck ragù (image: Bec Haycraft)
“We’re keeping it honest,” Kemp says. “Expect local ingredients and classic pub fare, alongside ever-changing specials we can have fun with. There’s a bit of inspiration from the Melbourne venues we’ve worked in, but this is a country pub at heart. It’s about quality and comfort, not pretense, and is the kind of food we’d want to tuck into.”
Kemp is calling on plenty of High Country heroes to round out his pub-centric menu. Yalandra Pastoral and its stellar wagyu play a big part in The Yack’s steak selection, beers from Bright Brewery and Bridge Road Brewers lead the taps, and Backwoods Distilling Co powers the cocktail list with gins and whisky distilled just around the way.
Kemp and co consider their takeover more of a restoration than a renovation, and they’ve been careful in the ways they’ve honoured the pub’s heritage, which dates back to the goldmining era. The historic charm lives on through the original brown brick wrapping around the front bar and the heritage ceiling plasterwork above, while contributions from the locals – including a horseshoe bar made from reclaimed redgum – round out the pub’s Old World aesthetic.
The Yack Hotel front bar (image: Bec Haycroft)
“We’ve been visiting Yack for years and always had our hearts set on living here,” Kemp says. “Since we arrived, we’ve fallen in love with the town even more – the pace, the people and its strong sense of community. The locals have been so invested in the refurb journey, welcoming us with open arms. And we can’t wait to do the same for them.”
Those looking for a tree change too, albeit less permanent than Kemp’s, can book into one of six rooms upstairs set to open this summer.
Yack Hotel, 1 High St, Yackandandah, open 11.30am until late daily, theyackhotel.com.au, @yackhotel