Editor’s letter

Communities are pitching in to save their local pubs, and the possibilities are endless.

We’ve had the gastropubs, where it’s as much about the food as the beer. We’ve had the destination pubs, character-filled hotspots in country towns that people will drive hours for (The Sir George in Jugiong, the Royal Mail in Dunkeld). Now we have community pubs, where locals band together and pitch in a few thousand dollars each to buy their local.

These little co-ops are becoming quite the trend in villages that want to save their pub from closure, or from high-flying out-of-towners only interested in turning a quick buck. As journalist Greg Bearup writes, once these pubs are in the hands of the locals, the possibilities are endless. Take this example from a NSW country town which has set up a one-stop shop: cafe, hairdresser, playground, restaurant, beauty salon, servo – and pub.