Two East Gippsland hospitality businesses have been spotlighted among Victoria’s best, with the Lindenow Farmers Home Hotel and Dargo Hotel both taking out major honours at the 2026 AHA (Vic) State Awards for Excellence.
The awards, held at Crown Palladium with more than 1300 industry guests, celebrated pubs, hotels and hospitality leaders from across the state, recognising excellence in service, food, community connection and innovation.
While metropolitan venues dominated several headline categories, regional Victoria again featured strongly — with Lindenow and Dargo standing out for very different but equally significant reasons.
The Lindenow Farmers Home Hotel was named among just three venues statewide to achieve a perfect score in the highly competitive Parma of the Year category, alongside the Creekside Hotel in Warracknabeal and the Newborough Hotel.
Judges awarded the rare perfect result in recognition of the venue’s execution of one of Victoria’s most iconic pub meals, highlighting consistency, quality and presentation in a category that drew intense competition from more than 150 entrants.
For the small Lindenow community, the result places the Farmers Home Hotel firmly among the state’s premier dining pubs, reinforcing its reputation as a destination venue well beyond the township.
In East Gippsland’s high country, the Dargo Hotel was also recognised on the state stage, being jointly awarded the Heart of the Community honour alongside the Grand Warrandyte Hotel.
The award acknowledges venues that play a central role in the social and practical life of their communities, with judges highlighting the Dargo Hotel’s ongoing support for local fundraisers, community events and emergency service initiatives.
For a remote township like Dargo, the pub is widely regarded as more than a hospitality venue, functioning as a key meeting point for residents, visitors and workers passing through the region.
The award reflects that role in keeping the community connected and supported.
The recognition for both Lindenow and Dargo underscores the strength of East Gippsland’s pub culture, with both venues excelling in categories that reflect the heart of regional hospitality — food, service and community.
AHA (Vic) chief executive officer Paddy O’Sullivan said the awards demonstrated the breadth of excellence across the state’s hospitality sector.
“A night like the State Awards for Excellence showcases the full spectrum of what makes Victoria’s pubs and hotels so special,” he said.
The 2026 awards also recognised major winners, including Hotel Sorrento, The Oxford Scholar, Taxi Kitchen and Macedon Village Hotel across metropolitan and regional categories. Parma of the Year was taken out by the Lindenow Farmers Home Hotel.
