Lifestyle & Entertainment
4 September, 2026
Lexton pub set to pour again
LEXTON’S Pyrenees Hotel is preparing to open its doors once again, with new operators hoping to bring a classic country pub atmosphere back to the township. The reopening is expected to come just as the Lexton Hub Pub prepares to close on Saturday, September 12th, helping ensure the local community does not lose a place to gather and socialise.
Kodah Wozny and business partner Teddy Powelett have taken over the Pyrenees Hotel and are working towards reopening the venue at the end of September. “The Hub Pub was great, it really served its purpose for what it needed to do,” Mr Wozny said.
Raised locally between Elmhurst and Clunes, Mr Wozny said opening his own pub had been a long-held ambition. “I know the area and a lot of the people. I've been wanting to do my own pub for years. I've been in hospitality for 19 years,” he said.
Now, with work underway at the historic venue, Mr Wozny said preparations were well and truly progressing.
“Now we are right in the thick of it. We are hoping for the end of September, and all systems go from there,” he said. The beer garden will also undergo a refresh as part of the plans perfect for summer.
The Mr Wozny hope to bring back a traditional pub and bistro experience while giving locals another reason to stay closer to home.
“I think people write off country pubs,” Mr Wozny said. “People out here don't want to have to travel to Ballarat to do something. We don't get to enjoy a night out as much as one should.”
Located at the base of the Pyrenees, Mr Wozny said he believed the area also had significant potential to attract visitors.
“We sit at the base of the Pyrenees, so you have so much tourist traffic coming through here to want to visit, and if you can do something, people will come,” he said.
“I learned very quickly when I was working at Waubra, people come to a place if they know the food is good, the service is good and it's a genuine experience. If you've got the right atmosphere and the right energy, people will definitely still stay and enjoy themselves.”
Mr Wozny is also hoping to incorporate as much local produce as possible into the business. “That's something that we are going to be pushing on as well, see how much local produce we can get, making sure it's still at the right price to be able to be competitively priced for people to want to come in,” Mr Wozny said.
While the initial focus is on reopening the bar and bistro, Mr Wozny has longer-term plans for the venue. “We are going to do accommodation eventually as well. We can have a courtesy bus, we want to be able to run winery tours,” Mr Wozny said.
Down the track, he hopes the venue could host live music and other events.
“I want to look at, down the track, have live music. I'd love to have music, food trucks and even an electric bull at the side,” he said.
The Pyrenees Hotel's social media pages are currently being established, with further details on the official opening expected to be announced online. “We will be punching on the socials when it's going to be opening.”
The bar and bistro is expected to operate from Wednesday to Sunday, with lunch available Friday to Sunday.
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