This year, the AHA(WA) has named Broome’s Roebuck Bay Hotel, known affectionately as The Roey, a finalist for the Community Service Award at the Hospitality Awards for Excellence – one of six nominations for the venue and its staff.
These nominations reflect the venue’s contribution to the local community after investing more than $160,000 into local organisations, charities, and festivals over the past year. They also recognise the team behind these efforts, with general manager Tamara Burchell nominated for Venue Manager of the Year again, after winning the award in 2024.
“[The awards are] judged by industry specialists and show we are recognised on a state level for our local impact. It validates all the hard work we do and continues motivating us to keep going and raising the bar,” Burchell told Australian Hotelier.
More than just another pub
Previously the venue’s marketing and events manager, Burchell began to drive community activity when she assumed the role of general manager three years ago, with the goal of celebrating culture and inclusivity. Originally from Sydney, she identified a need for change and took inspiration from the east coast on how to make it happen.
“I’ve really tried to develop different initiatives that make everyone feel seen. Pride is huge for us. We have one of the biggest regional pride celebrations in Australia. In a small town, sometimes there isn’t a space where people in minority groups really feel comfortable. To us it’s about changing those ‘pub’ stereotypes and showing the community that we support them.”
Today, The Roey’s identity in the Broome community is rooted in being more than just a place to go and have a drink.
“It’s been here for over 100 years and had many evolutions and a super interesting and colourful history. But today it’s more. It’s a central meeting place that goes beyond a social venue.
“Pubs are public houses, right? They’re a meeting place for everyone, a cultural hub, and a first point of connection for visitors to Broome too. In regional towns especially, a pub plays a vital role in bringing people together, creating shared experiences. On a broader scope they’re about supporting local and for those venues that cater to diverse demographics, being an inclusive space,” Burchell said.
Fundraising for change
A big part of the venue’s contribution to the community is fundraising. In the past 12 months thousands of dollars have been raised for Broome’s premier cultural festival, Shinju Matsuri; Broome Pride; the Kyle Andrews Foundation, which supports children with cancer and their families; Feed the Little Children, delivering meals to vulnerable families; and local sport sponsorships.
“Fundraising is something we are incredibly proud of,” says Burchell. “The amount donated through raffles and even from businesses who show support is amazing. It’s cool to see what we’ve inspired. People want to give and give back and they’re finding a lot of satisfaction in that.
“Hearing back from the charities and seeing what the money actually allows them to do is incredibly rewarding especially when we remember that it came from a place where people like to come and have fun. It makes what we do feel far more wholesome and inspires our team too. Reminds them it’s so much deeper than the drinks over the counter,” Burchell continued.
“All of it flows back and benefits our pub, with community image, but also financially too, because you also get all these groups come and support the venue back. I think it’s quite circular. You support the community, the community supports you back.”
Empowering your team
Burchell emphasised that the team’s key to success has been their shared value in community connection and support.
“The management team, they are out their seeing the impacts of what we do, and it has created a culture that allows some our senior team to go off and even expand further on these initiatives, volunteer their time and grow as people.
“That creates buy-in from the staff because sometimes it can feel like a lot of extra work, but we need them to be invested as well and know the vision that we’re trying to achieve.”
For The Roey, Burchell added that empowering the team to take ownership has been key, along with operational preparation.
“Different departments take different leads on fundraising or community partnerships. I think a major thing is we celebrate individual achievements. Especially with the leadership team, we keep promoting within and I think the empowerment comes from that trust that they can manage these projects and the recognition of what they’re doing.
“Then it’s about planning. A lot of events are tied to or held at the venue which makes it easy to balance general operations. But when staff are out, we plan and make sure we’re covered in the venue and the people that want to be involved can be.”
At The Roey, community participation and feedback are incredibly important when measuring success. But above all, choosing causes and community groups that align with the pub’s brand and values have allowed the team to create meaningful change.
Burchell added: “I really hope that we’ve been a cornerstone in inspiring other people to create safe spaces and inclusivity. From what I can tell, I think we have.
“It doesn’t have to be big or expensive; it’s about being authentic to who you are. Whether you’re a business owner or leader, know your vision for your venue and what you’re trying to achieve, then be sure it aligns with your team as well. Empower them, motivate them, get them on board. There’s no ‘I’ in team, and if you are genuine, it comes naturally.”