- 12 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:01After what had turned out to be a hell of a scare when the pub I'd just bought sight unseen
00:05was void of a single patron
00:07Hello
00:09I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out they'd all been at the local races
00:15There's a lot of people here
00:17And the finish line was the Deadarang Hotel
00:21The place was bursting at the seams making me realise the potential of this old pub is in fact much
00:27greater than I expected
00:28But at what cost?
00:33In the key was something right ahead
00:39Always open to me and all my friends
00:44Harmony, oh harmony
00:50Now we're home in the country
01:00A thick fog has settled over the Kiwa Valley
01:03Bringing a stillness as the team has come together to discuss our visions of the future for the Deadarang Hotel
01:10More commonly known as the Wranger
01:13So this door's much narrower than the other door
01:17There's Dean who convinced me that buying the place was a good idea
01:20But before that he wanted to make absolutely sure the owner Dave would be happy with his ideas for the
01:26pub
01:26And when I first mentioned to him that we're keen on buying the pub
01:30And he said of all the people that I ever thought would ring to say that
01:34You were never on that list
01:35He goes you don't even drink
01:36And I go yes I know that
01:39And I said but before we do I want to make sure you're happy with what our plans are for
01:44the pub
01:44And I got Dave to send through an old floor plan
01:48And I basically got a texture and marked up what our plans would be
01:52And he started laughing
01:53He said back in a minute
01:54Went out the back
01:55Came back with a plan
01:57A dream plan
01:57He'd drawn up five, six, seven, eight years earlier
02:01And they're almost identical
02:03Paint it out in the charcoal
02:04Yeah
02:04You know
02:05Hide all the rust
02:07Remove these
02:07One of our investors, Matt Livy, is experienced in venue fit-ats
02:11So he'll be helping Andrew, our main project manager, kick things off
02:16And you've got a post there, an existing post there
02:19Peter, a local cattle farmer and draftsman, has drawn up our ideas
02:24Both he and Andrew have very good knowledge of the Wrangers' history
02:27As they've been associated with the pub for over 40 years
02:32So Dean, while we're in here, you were wanting to make this opening wider, weren't you?
02:36About whether this becomes more of a nib ball, shorter ball
02:39So this is the only one that's got a full chimney that goes right in brickwork all the...
02:46That might be a good one not to change, Dean
02:49What happens here? What are we going to do?
02:52I mean, no-one's been sued yet, but...
02:55There's no way of losing this ramp, really, is there?
02:58Beginning life sometime in the mid-19th century
03:01The Detarang Hotel has had more facelifts than a Beverly Hills housewife
03:06So this started off with a post office in that corner
03:10Yeah
03:10And you can still see where the post, where they put their letters through
03:13And then this became the wine shanty
03:15Yes
03:16And then it kept on being extended
03:18The wine shanty decide to add a kitchen
03:21And then they decide to add some rooms for people to be able to stay
03:24And the place has just slowly been added to over 150 years
03:29So we wanted to go back and try and celebrate that
03:32Being the old post office and restore what we could from it
03:36Before it fell down, basically
03:38But, like any patient that's had too much work done
03:41That's straight, isn't it?
03:45The old girl is looking a bit in need of some tender love and care
03:49Have you seen this in here?
03:50Oh, this is special
03:51This is fine, isn't it?
03:53None of that's a problem, is it?
03:55And the...
03:56So it's got a sunken lounge room shower
04:01You'd have to let the whole thing out, wouldn't you, and start again?
04:03Yeah
04:05It's not just the building that needs a bit of tender loving care
04:08Previous owners, Dave McKnight and his partner Wendy
04:11Have kept the pub running for over 35 years
04:14With hardly a day off
04:18That's because they know how important the Rangar is
04:21To the local community
04:23A lot of people think it's the carpet or it's the bar
04:26Or it's the walls or whatever that makes the Rangar special
04:29And it's not, it's the people
04:33It's probably the only meeting place in the whole, in the district
04:36You can only see why, how many turn up on a Friday night
04:39At a bit of a meeting place for everybody, yeah
04:42And they're not just serving food and drinks
04:44There's not too many clubs in the district that aren't supported by the Rangar in some way
04:49Footy and netball, cricket, bowls club, the tennis club, race club
04:58Probably tiddlywinks if there was tiddlywinks
05:01They also host important functions and gatherings
05:05Run the wildly popular footy competition for the district
05:08As well as supporting the local CFA
05:12So yeah, they certainly deserve a break
05:15The last 36 years we've made a lot of friends in the district
05:18And you know, it's just their life now
05:22Lucky for us, they're sticking around to keep us honest
05:25Because if we stuff this up, the only ones using the bar will be the flies
05:31The endless flies
05:33All is welcome at the Rangar
05:35Even the flies
05:45In the Kiwa Valley in North East Victoria
05:47The fog has finally lifted
05:51Revealing the extent of the work ahead of us
05:53As we get ready to tackle the task of balancing
05:56A sense of history with modernisation
06:00One thing for sure is the locals have strong opinions about what should and shouldn't change
06:07Different curtains would be great
06:09Because it's one of the greatest views
06:12It needs to be lighter
06:14Because it's too dark in here
06:16It's too 70s
06:17Good for them to use the valley as a view out there
06:20Just make it accessible for people with disabilities
06:24That would be awesome
06:25It's not just a pub
06:27It's a focal point in this area
06:32This is all we've got
06:33But there's one thing they all agree on
06:36We've got to keep the good beer
06:39We're not big on craft beer
06:40There's beer and there's beer mate
06:43Don't change the beer
06:44Got it
06:45Change nothing improve everything
06:47That was our sort of motto
06:50But people said don't change a thing
06:52Leave it exactly the way it is
06:54And we had the same conversation probably a hundred times with locals
06:58And had to take them on the journey with us
07:00And we would say oh look you know the men's toilets not ideal
07:02The ladies sitting in the bar have to look in and see guys standing at a urinal sort of thing
07:07on busy nights
07:08And they said we want to change that
07:09And I went oh yeah that would be a good idea
07:11And we'd say you know and the toilets you know for the ladies here are not great
07:16And it's cold out the back where they have to go
07:18And they'd go oh yeah my missus waits to go home to go to the toilets
07:22She hates going the ones here and we're like so we want to put in new toilets
07:25And we had to talk through each step
07:27This pub is the beating heart of this district
07:30And messing with it to the point where the locals don't feel at home
07:33Would be the last thing we'd want to happen
07:36By the same token the pub needs to flourish if it's going to survive
07:41So after many back and forths the team have settled on a plan
07:45Which we think can accommodate both of those goals
07:50The main idea is to open the old dining space up removing the hallway and storage
07:56We'll be increasing the size of the kitchen to bring it up to modern standards
08:01The bar is much loved and will not change apart from the relocation of the men's toilets
08:07Into a much more desirable location
08:10The biggest change will be the current undercover beer garden
08:13Which is really just a glorified shed with roller doors
08:18It's about there it's probably a touch high but they're all a bit wrong aren't they
08:23We'll be transforming the space into a beautiful indoor family dining room
08:27As well it'll have its own bar and pizza kitchen
08:31It'll make such a difference with glass doors all the way along weren't it
08:35What we agreed early on that we wanted to do as the pub is keep it really homely
08:40Whilst we knew we had to open it up more because we really wanted to increase the view
08:46Because it's the most beautiful valley in the world
08:48Is it more work than we originally planned?
08:51Yeah, maybe a little
08:52Is it more cost than we originally planned?
08:54Yeah, a lot
08:56But we should be able to make it all work
08:58That's if we don't encounter any surprises along the way
09:02The time frame, well, what do they always say?
09:05In by Christmas
09:05Of course it's not just the building that creates a successful business
09:09The meals are equally as important while the Ranger's menu has been popular
09:14Hello
09:14How you doing? How you mate?
09:16Great, thanks Jane
09:17Just like the venue, the menu is getting a bit of a reno as well
09:21And as luck would have it, we nabbed an internationally regarded chef
09:25Who has recently resettled in the valley and is excited about the challenge ahead
09:29I've made a couple of things
09:30So I've made an asparagus frittata
09:33She did say, look if ever you want to come and try some of the food I prep
09:37Please feel free to come to my place and she lives really close to the pub
09:40And this is our salami, Shane
09:42Oh my god
09:44Yes!
09:45I think this is the best day ever
09:47Do you want to try a little bit of frittata?
09:48I should try a bit of frittata
09:50Can I eat a piece of salami while you're cutting the frittata?
09:53Yeah, Bay Creek asparagus
09:56Oh wow
09:57And my own homemade ricotta
10:00That's amazing
10:01I rang her later that night and I said, how'd he go?
10:05And she said, I thought he was going to only try one or two things off the menu
10:09He tried everything on the menu
10:12And I said, yep
10:15The truth is Dave and Wendy have always said there's like six or seven things that have always been ordered
10:21So as long as we keep those on the menu and then have a bit of fun from there
10:27The fact that we're going fully vegetarian, it'll shock to a few
10:30Well, it's even going to shock me now that I've heard it
10:32But at the same time, I feel like, you know, the food here has, you know, served a purpose and
10:37really, you know, the reviews, Google reviews are amazing
10:40Yeah
10:40Everyone raves about it, so, you know, they've done such a great job all these years
10:45Ellie won't just be renovating the menu
10:47Here it is
10:49She'll also be able to guide the construction of the new kitchen to make sure it's up to scratch
10:54I feel like that salad bar is a bit outdated, like, you know, it's a bit of a health issue
10:58as well
10:58We're about to learn what it will take to move this kitchen into the future
11:04Yeah, I think my issue is that most restaurants that I've ever worked in, I'm sort of just plating it
11:09up and then it gets taken from there kind of thing
11:11Whereas this is getting plated up here and it's got to go over there
11:15Have you got a takeover date?
11:17Monday
11:18Monday
11:18Monday, okay, good
11:21Yeah
11:22Insight
11:23Monday, yeah, it's getting real
11:29Oh, the country, there ain't nothing like it
11:32Rolling hills, nature everywhere
11:35A simple life abounds
11:38Oh, the serenity
11:43But Monday has arrived and with it, some of the first tradies that will be helping transform the wrangor are
11:49now on site and getting stuck into the makeover
11:54This is a good day, isn't it?
11:59The first thing that needs to be done is the disposal of everything that can't be repurposed
12:04And that appears to be a whole lot more than we thought
12:06And the skips are filling up faster than you can say, I think we're going to need a bigger skip
12:17This particular section might be at end of life
12:20These rooms are set to become the new men's and ladies' bathrooms
12:23So there will be a lot of plumbing to go in, as well as heavy tiles
12:28First room sorted out
12:30So strong footings are essential
12:34We'll leave the old mail slot for the post office
12:37That was the original spot where people put their letters in
12:42Well, at least we don't have to worry about rotting floor joists in the old post office
12:48So as you know Shane, this is the old, the original post office
12:51Yeah
12:51And we've had to jack it up for about six inches
12:57From there?
12:58No, from about here to there
12:59Yeah
13:01And we lift up the floorboards and they'd been laid on dirt
13:04So it's just compacted dirt
13:07Apparently it used to happen 150 years ago
13:09It's one of those things, as soon as you see it
13:11You go, do we just lower the board back down and tiptoe away?
13:14Or do we go, ah, we're going to have to fix that
13:18The light switches are up above us here
13:23It wasn't just the floors though
13:24When we started pulling walls out, the builder said
13:27You're pretty much going to have to rewire the whole place
13:30And plumb it
13:31And then I said to you, do you know any good plumbers
13:35Or good electricians in the area?
13:37And you went Tonkin
13:38And I said, oh yeah, which one do they do?
13:40And you said, both
13:46All of this wall's going down
13:48Which opens it up into this dining area
13:51So this freezer's coming out?
13:52Freezer will go out
13:53Yep
13:53They will be looking after the electrics and the plumbing for the place
13:57And dare I say it
13:59They'll be in for a challenge
14:04So that's part of the men's toilet now
14:07Under tile heating
14:09In all bathrooms
14:10Yeah, you can put two pendants in the middle of the artwork
14:14And then, you know, four or five downlights across to actually give it a good light
14:18This will probably be the feature space, I reckon
14:22As we have big plans for the wrangor, it's going to mean substantial upgrades
14:27That 100 litre grease trap's not going to be enough
14:30When someone said grease trap, I thought it was a new musical
14:32Yeah
14:33Turns out we had to get a massive thing
14:35Was it 3,500 litres, looked like a submarine
14:38The one that was here was 100 litres
14:39And we found out that was about 3,400 litres smaller than they needed to be
14:44Than we needed for what we were doing
14:46Yeah
14:47Turns out renovating an old pub is a bit like peeling an onion
14:50That's a light-bearing wall
14:53Every layer reveals another issue
14:55As well as making our eyes water
14:57Oh, there's a bit on it
15:00Yeah, that's all looking a bit hard
15:01I'm out of here
15:02I'm going to go for a drive and see if I can find some local producers
15:06Who can help us with Chef Ali's goal of only using local ingredients
15:10I believe you may have a little bit of lettuce
15:12We have a little bit of lettuce, yeah
15:14That's a lot of lettuce
15:16But we want to do sort of the whole patty to plate thing
15:19You know, which I'm sure you've heard before
15:21Langara is a family business that has been supplying fresh lettuce for over 10 years
15:27Who else buys your lettuce? Who do you sell to?
15:29Mum and Dad have always been passionate about selling to local family-owned businesses
15:33Oh, like independents?
15:35That's right, yes
15:35Like independent grocers?
15:37That's right
15:37Like IGA
15:38We sell to a few IGA's
15:39Bang! You see that? See how I did that?
15:41Seamless, eh? Got a plug in, eh?
15:44Boom
15:44He's very skilful at disappearing
15:48It'd be a tough day
15:49We'd be having a meeting
15:50And we're all sitting around waiting for Shane
15:52And he'd apparently go and check out lettuce
15:55And you just drop them in?
15:56Just drop them straight in
15:58So I'm... I'm technically farming as we speak?
16:01You're farming as we speak?
16:03Oh, look at me go
16:03I don't know what he gets fussed about
16:05I was gone for like one hour, that was it
16:07It was about three hours
16:10It was probably more like three hours
16:12But it's important research
16:13I mean, I haven't eaten this much lettuce in my entire life
16:17I hope I don't have a bad reaction
16:22After completing my important research into organic lettuce
16:25I've arrived back at the wrangor
16:27And it seems like everything is going along just fine without me
16:33Time to get to know some of our amazing staff just a little bit better
16:36Hi mate!
16:37How you going?
16:38I'm good, how are you?
16:39Good! Can I get you anything?
16:41Uh, yeah, you can order me a really big truck
16:44Truck?
16:44To organise a delivery that I've...
16:46I think I've just stuffed up
16:48That's right
16:48Uh, I'll...
16:49Actually, I'll just have a Coke
16:52Tyrone has been a part of the wrangor family for quite a while
16:55And we're very happy staying on and stepping up as one of our new managers
17:00So how long have you worked here now?
17:02Uh, it's been about five years now
17:03And you still love it?
17:04Still love it
17:05It's the best place I've ever worked
17:07Because you can't leave Tyrone
17:09No
17:09We don't want you to leave
17:10I won't be going anywhere anytime soon
17:12Good
17:12So, did you know Dave before you worked here?
17:15Uh, I met Dave through Bianca
17:18So she works in the kitchen
17:20I think you might have met her
17:21Bianca, who works here?
17:21Yeah
17:21Is she a friend of yours?
17:23Uh, yeah, she's my fiancée, yeah
17:24She's your fiancée?
17:26Yep
17:26Been engaged two years now
17:27So when's the big date?
17:28Uh, we haven't set a date yet
17:30We're still just saving up for it
17:32Because you haven't got the money to do it?
17:34Yeah
17:34They can get expensive
17:35Yes
17:35Why, where do you want to have it?
17:37Uh, we always wanted to get married here
17:38At the pub?
17:39Yes, yeah
17:40It's been such a big part of our lives for so long
17:43So, it'd be lovely to do it here
17:46Well when, do you want to get married sooner or rather later?
17:50Yeah, sooner
17:50Well it's our seventh anniversary in eight weeks
17:53So we're hoping to try
17:55You would like to get married in eight weeks?
17:57Yeah
17:58Yeah
17:58Yeah
18:00What if, what if we were trying to help you have the wedding here?
18:05That would be unbelievable
18:09Wouldn't know what to say to that
18:11Would, would you say yes?
18:12I would
18:13We would love it
18:15Alright
18:15And you'd have it here?
18:17I probably should talk to her, yeah
18:19Would you call her?
18:20Yeah, I can call her
18:21I'm sure she'd be over the moon
18:23See if she says yes
18:24Come on, give her a ring
18:25Cool
18:26Fire up
18:27Are you sure the pub will be ready?
18:32You ring her?
18:33I'll, I'll sort that out
18:36Alright
18:37Well I'll be back
18:39I wonder what Dean's gonna think of this
18:42Do we have any big disagreements?
18:46No, I don't think so
18:47No, I don't think so
18:47Did we?
18:48Oh
18:49The wedding?
18:51Yeah, that wasn't ideal
18:54The wedding
18:57Hi mate
18:57Hey mate
18:59How are we going?
19:01How are we going?
19:01Good
19:01We're knocking it out these guys
19:05So we're
19:06Where are we looking as far as schedule?
19:09How far away from being finished?
19:10They're really good
19:10I reckon
19:12Four and a half months
19:13Something like that
19:14We should be done
19:17Do you reckon we could hold a smallish function here in about eight weeks?
19:23Here at where? At the pub?
19:25Yeah
19:26When you say function, what sort of thing you got in mind?
19:29Like a, kind of like a wedding
19:31Kinda like a wedding?
19:32Well, exactly like a wedding
19:34Like a wedding
19:36As in a wedding wedding?
19:38Yeah
19:38Where people say I do and all of that
19:40Yeah
19:41So, I was just talking to Tyrone
19:43Did you know him and Bianca are engaged?
19:45Mhm
19:47Well, I asked him if he'd want to get married in eight weeks
19:50On their seventh anniversary
19:52And he's just gone to ask her if she'd like to do it
19:56But we're here
19:57Yeah
19:59Hmm
20:01If she says yes
20:03Nah, she's not going to want to do that
20:05Why not?
20:06Well, look at the joint
20:07How's that going to work?
20:08No, well not now
20:09In eight weeks
20:10If we could get this place in shape in eight weeks
20:14Can we do that?
20:16Everyone's going to have to wear gumboots
20:18Like, how's that going to work?
20:21We can't rush it a bit?
20:23No, Bianca won't want to rush it
20:25You know, it's her special day and all that
20:28Shea!
20:29She's in!
20:34Ah, shit
20:36That looks like a yes, doesn't it?
20:38Mhm
20:39If we bought a pub
20:41Do you reckon we could hold
20:42Like a wedding?
20:42In about eight weeks?
20:43Here?
20:44Yeah
20:44How will they walk down the aisle
20:46When it's still a building site?
20:48She's not going to want to do that
20:49Shea!
20:50She's in!
20:52New Oops I Bought A Pub
20:53Next Saturday
20:54More 32
20:57New West
20:57Go To New
20:58wash off
20:58And the end
21:00And all the mistakes
21:00You
Comments