Berry’s most beloved pub just sold for $11.15 million. And, locals who feared the new owners would gut the venue, rebrand it or turn it into something they no longer recognised can breathe easy – the new owners are one of their own. Or may as well be.
The buyers are in fact a mix of regional and Sydney hospitality names, led by Berry resident Steve Redman alongside seasoned operators Scott Still and Matt Clifton (the latter ex-Merivale). Between them, the trio already run a solid handful of regional and metro venues – the Paragon Hotel in Mudgee, the Royal Hotel in Oberon, and, most recently, The Gopher in Manly – so this isn’t a group learning the ropes on Berry’s dime.
Berry is having a moment
It’s also a sale that lands at a fairly telling moment for the town. Berry has taken out gold in the NSW Top Tourism Town Awards three years running, and between a growing wedding scene, an expanding accommodation offering and a steady events calendar, the region’s been quietly building momentum for a while now. An $11.15 million pub sale isn’t just a local headline – it’s a signal that Sydney money sees exactly where Berry is heading.
Keeping it local
For Redman, though, the deal isn’t really about the numbers. “This is about being part of Berry for the long term,” he says. “We’ve watched this town grow into something special, and we want the Great Southern Hotel to reflect that – the same pub locals know and love, just with more behind it.”
There is one genuine change worth flagging: Il Locale, the pub’s long-running and much-loved restaurant, will be closing its doors as part of the transition. But rather than a clean break, owners Damian and Josie are staying on, joining the Great Southern’s team to bring their cooking into the venue’s next era. “We’ve built something we’re really proud of at Il Locale over the years, and we’re excited for this new partnership to carry that into the next chapter of the Great Southern,” Damian says.
A new chapter, not a reinvention
As for the pub itself, it’s no stranger to reinvention. Built in the early 1900s, the Great Southern has already survived multiple fires and several rebuilds over its history – so a change of ownership is, in the scheme of things, a fairly gentle chapter by comparison. The new owners are planning meaningful investment in the venue, but they’re not rushing into it. Upgrades will roll out in stages, with the pub’s character staying intact throughout rather than getting swept aside for a flashy relaunch.
“There’s no rush and no big reveal planned,” Redman adds. “We’re locals too. We want to see this place continue to thrive as it’s done for decades already.”
For now, it’s business as usual at the Great Southern, with more details on the venue’s future to come as plans take shape. If you’re due a Berry weekend soon, the pub will still be exactly where you left it – just, as Redman puts it, with a bit more behind it.
The Great Southern Hotel is located at 95 Queen St, Berry NSW 2535.
