General News
22 May, 2026
Cheers to excellence: Wimmera pubs win state honours
Two Wimmera pubs have been recognised among Victoria’s best at the state’s peak hospitality awards. The Victoria Hotel in Dimboola was named Best Bush Pub, while the Creekside Hotel in Warracknabeal shared Parma of the Year honours at the 2026 Australian Hotels Association Victoria State Awards for Excellence on Monday, May 18.
Victoria Hotel publicans Meran and Stoph Pilmore said they were lost for words when their name was read out for the ‘Best Bush Pub’ category.
“I was pretty shocked, actually,” Mr Pilmore said.
“We’ve entered about six times across various categories. We've been a finalist, but we've never actually conquered the big one.
“It was a really big shock.”
The Victoria Hotel was recognised for its “extraordinary commitment” to Dimboola and surrounding communities.
It marks an extraordinary period for the publicans, including being shortlisted for the Heart of the Community award and Best Bush Pub in 2024 and 2025.
The publicans marked 11 years at the Victoria Hotel in May; as the industry ebbs and flows, they said maintaining a focus on the community’s needs is paramount.
“It's pretty basic hospitality. It's actually in the name, just be hospitable, right?” Mr Pilmore said.
“You just need to be genuine, enjoy people and their stories, and have a laugh with them.”
The Creekside Hotel also received the highly coveted Parma of the Year gong, sharing the award with the Newborough Hotel and Lindenow Farmers Home Hotel.
“I just did not believe it,” owner Skye Dubignon said.
“We were up against so many other amazing venues that I was like, we’re done for the night basically, and then he called the name, and I literally screamed.”
The award capped a rapid rise for the recently reopened Warracknabeal pub under Ms Dubignon’s ownership.
Ms Dubignon said the award meant more than just recognition for a popular meal, as the Creekside Hotel had been operating under her ownership for only about six months.
“The chefs talk to each other, and this is a huge thing for both of them.
“I’m putting it up at Creekside, and it’s just amazing that six months in, we won gold.
“People go to these [awards] year after year for years and get nothing, so it’s just incredible.”
She said the win had already generated excitement among locals and visitors, with people calling to congratulate the hotel and new bookings coming in after the award was announced.
The annual awards attracted 520 nominations across 42 categories.
All judging is conducted by a third-party organisation that visits the property anonymously.
While the awards translate into increased patronage, there isalso a chance to network with more than 1300 industry figures who gathered at Crown Palladium.