When Australian comedy legend Shane Jacobson decided to buy a pub in rural Victoria without ever seeing it in person, he thought it would be a great challenge. The Kenny star had already successfully renovated two homes and was not afraid of taking risks when it came to new business ventures. But what followed would become one of the toughest experiences of his life — a project so demanding it nearly broke him.
Unexpected Difficulties
"It was so much harder than we imagined," Jacobson told 7NEWS.com.au. Looking back, the Aussie icon admitted he would tell the version of himself who first agreed to buy the Dederang Hotel one thing: "Brace yourself." "It was just so much more than we thought," he said. "Keeping a pub running while you are renovating is hard work."
Documenting the Journey
Jacobson and his friend, Australian producer and director Dean Murphy, are now documenting the rollercoaster journey in Channel 7's new show Oops! I Bought A Pub. The series follows everything from the email that sparked the life-changing idea to the realities of running the venue. It was Murphy who first floated the idea, slipping the suggestion into the bottom of a work email.
Trust and Doubts
"Dean is a mate of mine, we have done lots of movies and theatre shows together," Jacobson said. "So there is an implicit, inherent trust there." Still, Jacobson had his doubts — especially given Murphy does not drink and neither of them had visited the pub. "I did ring him straight away and go: 'What are you talking about? You do not even know what a pub is'," Jacobson said. While Jacobson lived three and a half hours away, Murphy had grown up in the Kiewa Valley, where the Dederang Hotel is located, and knew the area well.
Community Connection
As he dug deeper, Jacobson was struck by the sweeping green landscapes and the charm of the region, but it was the role of the pub in the local community that ultimately won him over. "A country pub means so much more to a community than a city pub," Jacobson said. "Do not get me wrong. I am not saying there are not city pubs that do not mean something to a lot of people. But in a country town like Dederang, when everyone says, 'Are you going to the pub for a drink tonight?' there really is only one watering hole. So there is something very romantic about that to me."
Family Support
His wife, Felicity, was immediately on board. "Within two minutes of looking at the pictures online she loved it," Jacobson said. "That is when I said: 'We are buying a pub'. And she said: 'Looks like it'."
Reality Hits
Confident from his past renovation experience, Jacobson initially believed they could handle the project with ease. But it did not take long for reality to hit. "It was just so much harder than we imagined," Jacobson admitted. "The whole renovation and the rebuild, it was just so much more than we thought. I have built a house before. I am not someone that has not built anything before. And I have been a part of many businesses, but keeping a pub running while you are also renovating, it is hard work. But they say you are only truly proud of the things that were the hardest to achieve."
Motivation from Locals
Despite the challenges, Jacobson said keeping the pub open for locals became a powerful motivator — especially in a farming community like Dederang. "So many of them are dairy farmers or farmers that work so incredibly hard," Jacobson said. "So when they come to the pub at the end of a hard-working week, they have really worked a hard-working week. A lot of them work seven days a week." Jacobson recalled meeting a farmer who milks 600 cows twice a day. "That is his life, so when they go to the pub and say, 'Oh, what a week', I mean man, do they mean it," Jacobson said. "So a local pub like Dederang means so much."
Preserving Legacy
The venue had been owned by its previous publican for 30 years and was deeply embedded in the community, hosting everything from weddings and wakes to sponsoring local sporting events. "Everything comes back to the pub," Jacobson said. Taking on that legacy brought its own pressure, particularly when introducing changes to a place locals hold dear. When Jacobson first announced they were taking over at a local race meet, he admits he was nervous but his recognisable face helped ease concerns and win over the crowd.
Balancing Tradition and Progress
Still, balancing tradition with progress has not been without its challenges. "We have tried to keep one foot in the past and one in the future," Jacobson said. "Our motto in the end was, 'Change nothing, improve everything'. There were so many things that we had to improve, but so many things we had to sort of not do too much to. And, you know, we think we got the mix right. We had to make sure we kept its old country charm."
Oops! I Bought A Pub premieres on Saturday at 8pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
