General News
3 July, 2025
Return of the Golden Age
ONE of the Pyrenees region’s oldest pubs is back open and serving up some good old-style pub grub and cold beers following a short hiatus.
Beaufort’s Golden Age Hotel was established in the 1850s and according to manager Jodie Simpson, had always continuously operated until the most recent management shut up shop in September last year.
Ms Simpson said the owner of the building had put the iconic pub up for sale following the demise of the previous operation but has now committed to getting the pub open again and to offer a quality service to Beaufort residents and visitors.
“The owner really wants to give it a go,” said Ms Simpson.
“We need two pubs, we need a bit of variety.
“The town has great highway traffic, a lot of passers-by stop in.
Rather than following the trend of regional venues trying to add some modern, metro flair to their offerings, the Golden Age is focussed of sticking to the fundamentals of a good friendly country pub.
When asked whether the appeal of traditional country pubs has faded, Ms Simpson said “I don’t think it has, I think people still like to go out and not have to worry about tea and stuff like that, which is why we want to keep the prices affordable and bring in some old-fashioned meals eventually like Sunday roasts.
“We’re not going to be fancy and expensive, everybody should be able to come out and afford to have a nice meal and go home with a full tummy.”
Ms Simpson said that the first few weeks of operation have been focussed on learning new systems and getting the hang of being open again, however it won’t be long before the pub starts introducing new layers to their offering.
“There’s a whole heap of things that I’d like to give a go that I think would be a bit of fun, like maybe once a month do a karaoke night, so you know, once we get going, we’ll be looking at doing stuff like that,” she said.
“At the moment it’s just finding our feet and then we’ll start bringing in a Sunday session with musos, maybe a trivia day, and we’re bringing a darts team in so we’re getting a dartboard in.”
Ms Simpson said she is very excited to see people coming into the pub again, having worked there over a seven-year span for previous operators.
“I look at this place like it’s mine, I want people to come in and be happy and leave happy,” she said.
One of the big changes at the pub is an improved family dining experience, in the form of an impressive play area for young children adjacent to the dining room.
“Our old playroom just had a TV and a gumball machine in it, and it was just too small,” said Ms Simpson.
“I like the idea of the kids having something to do coz it keeps them happy which keeps mum and dad happy.
“The new area has been a big hit, they’ve got a big chalk board down there and there’s bean bags and books and toys and we put a movie on, it’s really good.”
Ms Simpson also said the pub’s hotel rooms are being prepared to re-open accommodation in the not-too-distant future.
Read More: Beaufort