After 14 years of ownership by three local Warrandyte guys, years of reinvestment, hard work, setbacks, wins, long days, late nights, and a relentless commitment to raising the bar… The Grand Hotel Warrandyte has officially been named Victoria’s ‘Overall Hotel of the Year – Metropolitan’ at the AHA (Vic) State Awards for Excellence 2026.
We were also proudly awarded ‘Heart of the Community’ ❤️ — an honour that speaks directly to who we are and what The Grand stands for.
For General Manager Peter Appleby, our leadership team, and every staff member who has played a part in this journey, this recognition means so much because it reflects something bigger than awards.
Because The Grand has never just been about being a pub.
It’s about being a place where people gather. A place for families. A place for celebrations. A place for sport, local connection, community, and making memories.
At 131 years old, The Grand has seen many chapters in its long history.
This is another one.
A proud moment in a legacy built on hospitality, resilience, reinvention, and heart.
But the truth is… this award belongs to everyone.
It belongs to our past and present employees.
It belongs to our loyal locals.
It belongs to the customers who moved away but still come back, the weekend driver passing through, the family celebrating a milestone, the sporting clubs, the regulars, and the new faces walking through our doors for the very first time.
It belongs to every person who has supported The Grand across the journey.
Because a pub like this isn’t built by one person.
It’s built by people.
And now… we take these awards to the national stage, where we will proudly represent not just The Grand Hotel Warrandyte, but the entire Warrandyte community on hospitality’s biggest stage.
💛 131 years strong. 14 years in the making. This award is for everyone.
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Processed with VSCO with a6 presetPaAHA (VIC) 2026 State Awards for Excellence at Crown Palladium, Melbourne on 18/5/2026. Photo: James T / Event Photos AustraliaPaAHA (VIC) 2026 State Awards for Excellence at Crown Palladium, Melbourne on 18/5/2026. Photo: James T / Event Photos Australia
This competition played out like a full AFL season — ladder swings, late momentum, pressure moments, and a finish decided by the smallest of margins. Every team brought a different style of footy, but the sides that showed belief, discipline, and teamwork were the ones still standing at the end.
FOH and BOH pulled on the same jumper, played for each other, and brought The Grand to life along the way. Here’s how the season unfolded team by team.
🥇 YOUNG & JACKSON 🟡 – THE PREMIERS
Final Score: 1,164 pts AFL identity: The late‑season surge team Game style: Fast, fearless, high‑pressure football
Young & Jackson delivered the ultimate last‑to‑first premiership run.
Early rounds had them sitting near the bottom of the ladder, but instead of panicking, they trusted the game plan. Once confidence clicked, they lifted pressure, took risks, and backed themselves in every contest. By finals time, they weren’t just winning — they were peaking.
Top players:
Mel – Engine‑room mid, keeps them moving quietly and efficiently
Sean Kennedy – Utility who always delivered when called on
Belief, momentum, and fearless footy — premiers earned.
🥈 THE CORNER HOTEL 🔵 – THE MINOR PREMIERS
Final Score: 1,158 pts AFL identity: Old‑school powerhouse Game style: Structured, disciplined, ruthless with the basics
The Corner were the benchmark side for most of the season.
They led the competition for weeks through consistency and standards. With one of the smallest lists, they played heavy minutes, trusted their systems, and never dropped intensity. A classic professional outfit that didn’t chase noise — just execution.
Molly wore the captaincy hard all season — her shoulders must be sore — but the support around her never wavered.
Top players:
Molly – Captain’s season: leadership, grit, carrying the side
Matt – Versatile and dependable
Emer – Structural backbone, systems locked in
Tyler – Role clarity and reliability every service
Lost the grand final by six points — that’s elite footy margins.
🥉 THE ESPY 🔴 – THE CONTENDERS
Final Score: 1,084.5 pts AFL identity: The pressure team that keeps coming Game style: Methodical, improving, relentless
The Espy were the classic slow‑burn side.
They didn’t explode early, but every round they got better. Skills sharpened, roles became clearer, and confidence built steadily. By the pointy end of the season, they were a team no one wanted to face.
Top players:
Millie – Consistent performer all season
Sarjeena – Strong support through the spine
Alison – Calm leader under pressure
Richard – Organiser and tactician
Sienna – Organisation weapon
Aki – High work‑rate role player
Built a finals‑ready list and closed hard.
🟢 THE TOTE – THE WILDCARD
Final Score: 950.5 pts AFL identity: Chaos side, lethal on the big stage Game style: High impact, confidence‑driven
The Tote were at their most dangerous when the lights were on.
They thrived in challenge situations, delivered back‑to‑back wins, and showed they could dominate under pressure. Their early momentum was driven by strong leadership, particularly in structured challenges, and they were never short on confidence or energy.
As the season wore on, consistency across the full program is where points slipped — not for lack of effort, but follow‑through.
Top players:
Dylan – Captain who stood up in key challenges and set the tone early
Jackson – Tempo‑setter, always around the contest
Kane – Hard‑nosed worker doing the unglamorous jobs
Lil C – Energy spark that lifts the group
Will – Clutch contributor when it mattered
When they were firing, they were hard to stop.
🏆 THE CLUB – ONE JUMPER
With margins this tight, the season came down to the one‑percenters — training someone new, documenting a task, supporting a teammate, or backing an idea. FOH and BOH playing as one club made the difference.
We also landed on our winning GRAND mantra, built from ideas across three of the teams:
“The GRAND – Good times start with great people. Proudly local. Warmly welcoming. Where legends begin.”
That’s not just a slogan — the season proved it.
Full‑time siren. Season done. Premiers crowned. Everyone played their role.
🍗 PARMA OF THE MONTH – CUBAN PARMA (NF) Crispy chicken parma loaded with Cuban mojo pulled pork, American mustard & dill pickles. Big flavour. Big energy. This thing is a weapon.
🍸 COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH – NEGRONI Gin. Campari. Sweet vermouth. Bold, bitter, perfectly balanced — and dangerously easy to drink.
This is your sign to lock in a table, grab your crew and go all in.
Started: 512 pts → Now: 933 pts (+421)Still holding 1st — but only just.
The Corner came into the week with the target on their back — and instead of cracking, they doubled down.
Dan drops an Italian special so good it sells 56 plates in 5 days. That’s not a special — that’s a movement.
Molly rallies the troops, Matt and Alex step up, and with only three players, they still take 3rd place in the Price Is Right Challenge. That’s grit.
Meanwhile:
Jeremy keeps Kerry Bar tight
Emer keeps IK spotless
Bridget becomes the Queen of Cutlery and sells out raffle tickets
Sammie lands a positive review
And the team pumps out training videos like a production studio — cake presentations, dehydrators, carbonara, Bepoz screens, table resets… the works.
This wasn’t luck. This was leadership + consistency + execution.
🔵 POINTS RECAP — THE CORNER HOTEL
Picking up shifts: 95 pts
Price Is Right Challenge: 145 pts
Positive review (Sammie): 10 pts
Prawn linguine special: 56 pts
Cleaning: 12 + 3 + 3 + 12 = 30 pts
Training videos: 75 pts
Customer votes: 10 pts
Total earned this week: 421 pts
🔴 THE ESPY
Started: 459.5 pts → Now: 895.5 pts (+436)Now only 37.5 points off 1st.
The Espy are the team that keeps knocking on the door — and this week, they nearly kicked it down.
The Price Is Right Challenge? They miss 1st place by 15 points. One spin. One guess. One moment.
Eva is learning pass while pushing the special — that’s hustle. Sienna resets the staff cupboard like a renovation show reveal. Richard does the same in the kitchen. Ryder helps the chefs. Elvis jumps in. Millie stays consistent.
And then the training video moment: “How to Clock In” — simple, useful, and worth 30 bonus points.
Started: 436 pts → Now: 872 pts (+436)Only 61 points off 1st — and they’ve got the pie this week.
If this competition had a Netflix series, Young & Jackson would be the chaotic fan‑favourite.
Last week? They bomb the Parma Challenge. They finish last in the Price Is Right. It looks grim.
But this team doesn’t stay down — they swing back.
The Cheeseburger Tacos? A customer literally calls the venue just to say they were “amazing.”
Then another call — praising Caitlin’s service. Greg K puts on a sombrero and becomes the unofficial taco mascot. Ellie takes on the selfie challenge and smashes it — 50 bonus points.
Cleaning? Massive. Customer interaction? Huge. Training videos? Strong. Trent’s joke of the day + upselling? 20 points of pure charisma.
This team went from “uh oh” to “holy sh*t, they’re back.”
And now… they’ve got the pie this week. Which means anything — literally anything — could happen.
The House Cup is heating up and after a massive week across the board, the leaderboard is tight with plenty still to play for.
Current Standings:
🔵The Corner – 512 points
🔴The Espy – 459.5 points
🟡Young & Jackson – 436 points
🟢The Tote – 349.5 points
Momentum is shifting, teams are stepping up, and every shift is counting 👀
🔵 The Corner – Leaders (512 points)
Another huge week from The Corner, continuing to set the standard.
+20 points for picking up shifts +10 points to Bridget for not one but two positive reviews +51 points for cleaning — outstanding effort across the team +33 points for the halloumi burger special +20 points for Pete’s Pick of the Week
The halloumi burger took a minute to find its feet, but once the pumpkin was added it became a standout. Credit to Matt and the team — and VC Molly definitely helped move a few of those.
Behind the scenes:
Tyler leading cleaning (and doing it with a smile — even handling a vomit clean-up)
Dan stepping up to drive the Italian Kitchen special
Charlotte jumping in with cardboard runs
First to step up and cut limes when the bar ran out
Laila getting stuck into the bar clean
IK area organised for a full steam clean
Parma Challenge – 2nd Place Ben and Molly worked really well together. Calm, composed, and showed initiative — even offering gravy and cutlery. Parma was excellent, chips just needed a touch more time.
A seriously consistent team. Still the benchmark.
🔴 The Espy – Charging (459.5 points)
Massive week from The Espy — right back in the hunt.
+83 points for the pie special — most sold across all teams +20 bonus points for top-selling special +20 points for picking up shifts +50 points for cleaning — strong team effort
The pie dominated — no question. Huge result.
Across the venue:
Richard jumping on FOH pass during a busy lunch
Mikey scrubbing benches clean
Millie handling gutters
Sarjeena mentoring Sienna
Alison tidying the fireplace and organising kindling
Team improving footy flag process and post-bin clean-ups
Sweeping standards lifted right across the board
Parma Challenge – 203.5 (just missing 2nd by 0.5) Sarjeena and Sienna were excellent — calm, great communication, and a really well-executed parma. Just let down slightly by the salad.
With the pie now done… can they hold this momentum?
🟡 Young & Jackson – Building (436 points)
A strong, well-rounded week from Young & Jackson.
+25 points for picking up shifts +40 points for cleaning +33 points for the mushroom risotto — great result with limited IK hours +20 points for Trent’s kitchen hand training video +50 points to Caitlin for getting customers involved
Strong leadership from Trent, setting the tone and leading by example. Mel continuing to drive the team and even helping other teams (that pumpkin idea making the rounds 👀).
This team knows how to pick a special and back it up.
Parma Challenge – 4th Place (146 points) Good start and strong communication early, but a few execution errors and missed presentation points held them back.
With cheeseburger tacos this week… watch out.
🟢 The Tote – Team of the Week (349.5 points)
Big week from The Tote and a huge result in the challenge.
+20 points for the empanada special +229.5 points for 1st place in the Parma Challenge +30 points for cleaning +20 points for Ben’s Team of the Week — Lily & Zara
Lily and Zara delivered a near perfect parma with great teamwork and execution. Lily also showing great initiative upselling the empanadas — exactly what we want.
Strong team contributions:
Kane, Hailey and Sam consistently sending great videos
Dylan leading from the front and driving standards
Cleaning got the points this week, but there’s more in this team — get those photos in.
With the pie this week, they’ll be chasing serious points — but they need to get posting. Time is running out.
🔥 Heading Into Week Three
We’re only two weeks in and it’s already tight across the board.
1st to 2nd: 52.5 points
2nd to 3rd: 23.5 points
3rd to 4th: 86.5 points
With more points up for grabs this week — specials, cleaning, challenges and team contributions — there’s plenty still to play for.
One big week can change everything.
🍽️ This Week at The Grand
New weekly specials across the venue
Teams competing every shift
Energy, creativity and a bit of rivalry behind everything we do
Come down, try the specials, and be part of it.
The Grand is all about great food, great drinks, and great people — and right now, the competition is taking things to another level.
What a great afternoon of fun, energy, and a bit of chaos (the good kind).
This challenge was all about flipping the script — giving our chefs the task of teaching someone unfamiliar with the kitchen how to cook, using only written instructions and miming. No stepping in, no taking over — just communication, patience, and leadership.
At the same time, it gave our FOH team a real insight into the pressures of the kitchen — timing, multitasking, and the importance of clear communication under pressure. Safe to say, there’s a new level of respect across both sides of the pass after this one.
⚡ The Energy
The energy was unreal from the start.
Sienna and Molly were clearly the most nervous (in the best way), with Sienna even rocking a chef’s jacket to fully commit to the role — you love to see it.
🏅 The Results
4th Place – Young & Jackson (146 points)
Nick and Sean came out with great communication early, backed by strong motivation from their captain Trent… but that’s where it plateaued.
Nerves may have crept in — Sean jumped the gun early, leaving his schnitzel in the fryer a little too long (extra crispy was not the brief). Instructions weren’t fully followed, with chips and salad being pushed too early, leading to penalties.
A missed opportunity on presentation and judges’ bonus points hurt them here. A decent parma — just not a great one.
3rd Place – The Espy (203.5 points)
Missing out on second by just half a point, Sarjeena and Sienna were a fantastic team.
They listened well, stayed composed, and Sarjeena in particular was outstanding in how she communicated and settled the nerves. The parma itself was hot, juicy, and well executed.
The only thing holding them back was the salad — a bit too much dressing and not enough mixing, leaving clumps of carrot. So close.
2nd Place – The Corner (204 points)
Ben and Molly delivered a very strong performance.
Ben’s calm approach really helped settle Molly early, and they stayed composed throughout. A few points dropped for talking, but they made up for it with initiative — even offering gravy and cutlery at the end.
The parma was excellent, chips just needed a touch longer and a bit more seasoning to take it to the next level.
🥇 1st Place – The Tote (229.5 points incl. bonus)
Zara and Lily — the youngest team in the comp — absolutely stole the show.
Scoring 209.5 points plus a 20 point bonus, they delivered what was judged as a perfect parma. Calm, composed, and executed with confidence well beyond their years.
They missed out on training points due to being a late entry… but clearly didn’t need them.
👏 Final Thoughts
This is exactly what The Grand is about — teamwork, learning, stepping outside your comfort zone, and having a bit of fun along the way.
Huge credit to everyone who got involved. Whether you were cooking, teaching, or just watching — there was something in it for everyone.
And if nothing else… there’s now a whole new respect between FOH and BOH.
Exactly what we wanted — energy, buy-in, a bit of chaos, and teams starting to take real ownership of their areas. This comp is already doing what it’s meant to do.
👀 WHAT IS THE HOUSE CUP?
For our guests — here’s what you’re seeing around the venue:
We’ve split our team into four houses, each representing iconic Melbourne pubs:
🟡 Young & Jackson 🔵 The Corner 🔴The Espy 🟢 The Tote
Each staff member is part of a team (you’ll see their coloured House badge) and every week they compete in challenges, while also earning points through:
Great service
Teamwork
Cleanliness & presentation
Selling specials
Helping other departments
👉 At the end, one team is crowned House Cup Champions
🍻 WHY WE’RE DOING IT
Simple — to make your experience better.
This comp is designed to:
Lift energy across the venue
Get staff working together across all areas
Improve speed, communication, and service
Create a fun, competitive atmosphere
You’ll notice:
More engagement from staff
Better attention to detail
Teams taking pride in their sections
🎖️ WHAT THE BADGES MEAN
Each staff member wears a coloured badge showing their team
House Captains lead each group
Points are tracked weekly
Teams are constantly trying to outdo each other
👉 Feel free to ask your server what team they’re in — and who’s winning 👀
🍻 WEEK 1 CHALLENGE – POURING COMP
We kicked things off with a beer pouring challenge across three rounds:
Standard Pour (precision)
Speed Round (controlled chaos 😅)
Blindfolded Challenge (teamwork under pressure)
Plenty of laughs, a few spills… and even a disqualification (unlucky Kane 😂)
📊 WEEK 1 LEADERBOARD
🥇 🔵 The Corner – 174 pts 🥈 🟡Young & Jackson – 122 pts 🥉 🔴 The Espy – 83 pts 4️⃣ 🟢 The Tote – 50 pts
