How the Drom has kept Tilba thriving for 130 years

In the tiny Far South Coast town of Central Tilba, the two-story weatherboard pub known locally as The Drom is making waves in this coastal community of less than 400 people.

Under the guidance of Jeremy Corfield and Susan Gray since 2018, the Dromedary Hotel has begun a slow but steady facelift. That’s not the only change. There’s branded merch and lots of it, food 364 days a year, live music every Sunday, their own brand of locally brewed beers and even a Drom gin made with local rhubarb.

Built in 1895 by Jim and Emma Livingstone, the building lived a short life as a coffee palace. With the temperance movement struggling to get a foothold in Australia’s drinking culture, in 1899, the building’s second owner, Mr Priddle, gained a publican’s licence and the future of the venue was secure.

Exactly 130 years later, the venue, smack bang between Bermagui and Narooma, is buoyed by tourism.

“The clientele is a mix of locals and tourists, but you can’t understate the importance of the locals. They are the ones who keep us afloat in the quiet times,” venue manager Bianca Humphries tells Region.

Bianca came to The Drom from Melbourne a little over a year ago.

“When you work here and see it every day, you forget how unique it is. You go to other pubs and realise how different The Drom is.

“Even when it gets a little stressful, you’re in such a beautiful part of the world. When I was working in Melbourne, I’d walk out onto a dirty street in an industrial area; here, I can just walk down the road, and there are hills and cows, and the beach is over the road,” says Bianca.

The balance of tourists and locals allows the pub some freedoms not normally experienced in towns of this size and the venue has been able to branch out into branding, products and entertainment.

The Tilba Brewing Company, in collaboration with local brewers Stoic, was established in 2021. Together, they’ve created four beers that are primarily sold at The Drom, and a few smaller bottleshops in the region.

The Mystery Bay IPA, Prospectors Amber Ale, Palace Pale Ale and Weatherboard Lager have the quirky charm of The Drom, deriving their names from localities and historical events in the region, including the gold mining history that extends back to 1852.

Craft-style beers are a welcome addition to the pub’s culture but aren’t necessarily for everyone.

“Some of the locals have been drinking here since before craft beer was a thing; they tend to stick to Resch’s, Carlton and Old, but some of the newer locals drink the craft beers, and the tourists love having a local brew to try,” says Bianca.

Jeremy and Susan also introduced a gin that they initially produced themselves, made from the local rhubarb grown near the local Corunna Lake. It became so popular that they’ve gone into partnership with the Pambula-based Nine Circles Distillery to produce the gin in larger quantities.

Ben Coathup of Nine Circles took the recipes back to scratch and developed a new version with bespoke techniques that combine a syrup made from the sweet rhubarb sourced from local growers with their own Australian dry gin. It’s now the house pour at the Drom and also available in 700 ml bottles over the counter.

With brews and distillations under their belts, Susan and Jeremy have also stated their commitment to free live music with Sunday sessions taking place year-round, a rare commitment in a locality with a summer tourist population.

Not content with free live music every Sunday, Aaron Clements, a staff member at The Drom and local musician playing under the name Solo West, heads up open mic nights every Wednesday. These nights are becoming a magnet for talent, attracting participants from further afield.

“We had two young girls from Canberra last week; one was only 17 and was doing opera at open mic night. It’s getting really diverse,” explains Bianca.

They’re also branching into some bigger events, with Tilba Rocks coming up in early April, where a Rockwiz-style live show will play out in the pub.

With all this frivolity, The Drom backs up its entertainment with an elevated pub menu and food service 364 days a year (they break for Christmas Day).

“We have a tiny kitchen here, and I’m always amazed at what comes out of it,” says Bianca.

“We’ve got all your classics like parmis, schnitzels and steaks. The seafood linguine is probably our most iconic dish. At the moment, our market fish is a pan-fried barramundi with a dashi broth.”

With 130 years under their belt, The Drom are planning a celebration of the milestone later in the year. They recommend following them on Facebook for more details.