Magpie and Stump

LIFESTYLE CHANGE? BUY A HOTEL!

WORDS: ROBERT LAIDLAW

For Paul Rosenich and partner Amanda Henry, taking on and reinvigorating the Magpie and Stump Hotel at Mintaro has been a complete lifestyle change, and a labour of love.

So, how do a plasterer and a teacher firstly decide to buy a rundown pub, and then successfully turnaround that hotel’s fortunes to actually be in contention for an Australian Hotel Association SA award?

The answer is hard work, good management and being loyal to the local community – while also becoming a major attraction for tourists.

“Put simply, we just love old buildings and when the Magpie and Stump became available, we couldn’t resist,” Paul said.

“We purchased an old building in Auburn, so when this opportunity came up, it seemed a natural fit.

“But the Magpie and Stump had been closed for 10 months, the roof leaked, the floor was warped, bar and fridge equipment were sceptical. The rain would even run off the street into the cellars. It was a challenge!”

When Paul and Amanda first purchased the hotel, they had a two-year-plan for the rebuild, which was all about hiring local people to get the job done.

The plan was to re-engineer the venue, while keeping the feel of the ‘old girl’, as they did not want a carbon copy of a city pub.

Dreams do come true and on March 24, 2018 the rejuvenated hotel was open to the public.

“For us, owning this pub means we are the custodians, and fixing it up was important,” Paul said.

“When we finally leave, we want the hotel and the town to still be thriving – it means that much to us.

“My grandparents owned pubs, dad loved a drink in the bar, and now I can do both – work behind the bar and have a quiet one from the other side occasionally.

“As for Amanda, she is the ‘hostess with the mostess’, and always has a smile on her face. She may still be a teacher but I reckon she missed her calling, as she is perfect for the pub.”

Paul was a self-employed plasterer for 30 years, doing domestic and commercial work, but arthritis started taking its toll. As for Amanda, she has been in the teaching game since 1986, in various capacities, and still is.

Going back even further into their personal histories, as a youngster, Paul was on the road to becoming a professional tennis player, until a shoulder injury curtailed that future.

“But the Magpie and Stump had been closed for 10 months, the roof leaked, the floor was warped, bar and fridge equipment were sceptical. The rain would even run off the street into the cellars. It was a challenge!”

Paul Rosenich and partner Amanda Henry.

The same age as Mark Woodford and Darren Cahill, two of his contemporaries, Paul also attended college in America, and played against big tennis names such as Mikael Pernfors, Richey Reneberg, Aaron Krickstein and Patrick McEnroe – what could have been?

“We reckon both of us have the hotel business in our blood,” Paul said.

“My grandparents Joe and Margery Vavrik started at the Largs Pier Hotel in the early 1960s and worked in pubs until the late 1970s. Amanda’s great grandparents, Michael and Elizabeth Timmens had several pubs, including the Yorke Valley Hotel in Maitland.

“I remember as a 10-year-old running around the Hotel Victor and jumping into the pool, which isn’t there now. So yeah, old buildings, pubs, a perfect mix for us.”

As for the Magpie and Stump Hotel in Mintaro, it was first licenced in 1851, part of the bullock trail from the Burra mines to Port Wakefield.

Today it is a great place for locals to gather for a meal and a drink, while also welcoming visitors from all over South Australia, interstate, and when restrictions lift, overseas guests.

There is so much to love about the whole hotel, although the beer garden is in a special location. It’s out the front and looks out to Reillys cellar door, gardens and local vineyards – so easy to just relax and enjoy the views.

The Nest at Magpie and Stump.

COVID-19 IMPACT

“When the lockdown hit, business suffered, as we shut down for three months,” Paul said.

“But we held onto our chef and were fortunate with the support the community gave us with takeaway meals. People would go for 40-minute drives just to purchase food from us, which we really appreciated.

“As with the work in rebuilding the hotel, our staff now are all local too. We have a lovely relationship with our staff, they’re like family.

“And to be nominated for an Australian Hotel Association SA award, in bistro dining, was fantastic. In three years, to turn a place around that was previously shut, and get nominated, was a great achievement for us and our township.

“We are generally busy most weekends, with up to 150 meals on a Sunday. Our growth needs to come mid-week for us, over the region as a whole.”

Paul and Amanda were actually friends as teenagers but with Paul pursuing his pro tennis dreams, the couple married other people.

But after both of those relationships ended, they met again 14 years ago, and have built a strong life together, with similar loves, not the least the Magpie and Stump Hotel.