One Of Geelong’s Best Pubs Enters A New Era

Sawyer’s Arm Tavern, one of Geelong’s oldest pubs, has changed hands after more than 60 years with the Clatworthy family, gaining new custodians in the Upham family.

The iconic Newtown hotel affectionately known as ‘Clats’ retains its family-owned credentials. New owner Paul Upham said, “We have always been frequent visitors of the Sawyers Arms and our families have had an affiliation for many years.

“Peter Clatworthy wanted to hand the reins to someone who would uphold the pub’s reputation, and we’re lucky in that he was happy for us to take it on”, said Paul.

The Upham family previously owned and operated the Lorne Hotel. Upon selling it to the Merivale Group in 2022, they returned to live in Geelong and are delighted with the opportunity to extend the Sawyers Arms’ iconic warm hospitality.

Paul says, ‘We really want to invite people to become part of the fabric of the pub. While Sawyers Arms Tavern is a classic local watering hole, we also want to offer a new culinary experience in refined pub food -particularly steak”.

Newly-appointed Executive Chef Jackson Hunt has developed a menu that embraces modern Australian cuisine, retaining key dishes that have been enjoyed by the pub’s loyal clientele for years. When pressed to choose a favourite dish, Jackson recommends the “simple yet robust” pork belly, which is offset with celeriac, apple and cabbage remoulade.

In keeping with the Sawyers Arms’ 172 year tradition, the hotel remains focused on serving quality meat and wine. The newly launched ‘Steak and Rockford Red Wine’ menu pairs scotch, eye fillet, wagyu rump and rib-eye steak with a variety of award-winning red wines from the premium Barossa Valley winery, Rockford.

The $69 ‘Feed Me’ menu allows guests to enjoy their choice of three courses and one of the pub’s signature cocktails. Front of House Manager Anthony Colledge has created a range of new cocktails, with the ‘Clats Collins’ paying tribute to the previous owners.