Camperdown’s Leura Hotel in steakhouse revival

After years of silence, Camperdown’s Leura Hotel has turned into a steakhouse and the beef statistics are as impressive as the pub’s architecture.

One of southwest Victoria's most impressive pubs, the Leura Hotel was out-of-action for a decade. However, former butcher Marlin Walsh and wife Caitlin Walsh have revived the landmark and now operates a steakhouse at the site. Picture- Nicole Cleary

Located diagonally opposite Camperdown’s clock tower, the Leura Hotel hasn’t marked time as well as its punctual neighbour in the past decade.

The last pint was pulled at the Western District pub about 11 years ago and the landmark spent most of the 2010s unnervingly silent.

However, with the purchase of the Leura four years ago, local businessman Lawrie Voutier has undertaken renovation works on the site — originally constructed in the 1850s and topped off with its imposing wedding cake design in 1902.

“There were quite a few years when the Leura was sitting there, empty. Everyone in the district wanted to see it come back to life in some form,” Marlin Walsh says.

The local businessman and wife Caitlin operated a butcher shop and then a steakhouse in nearby Cobden. They saw potential in the Leura and brought their Steakroad business, and some much-needed sizzle, back into the old pub.

One of southwest Victoria's most impressive pubs, the Leura Hotel was out-of-action for a decade. Picture: Nicole Cleary

“On the drive between Melbourne and Portland, it’d have to be one of the most impressive pubs, if not one of the most impressive buildings,” Mr Walsh said.

“There’s something very grand about the place. It’s got 29 rooms upstairs, great views of the town’s main street, and of course, it’s right next to the clock tower.”

With regional Victoria’s latest lockdown in the rear-vision mirror, Mr Walsh’s steakhouse is now back to searing at least 200 kilograms of steak a week.

“We’d go through about 100kg of scotch fillet, 40kg of porterhouse, 40kg of rib eye and 60kg of eye fillet. It’s a proud beef farming area, so we pride ourselves on the quality of the produce,” he said.

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