‘You save the ones that matter’: Comeback for 150-year-old Hurunui Hotel after nearly two years gathering dust

Saturday, 13 December 2025

A friendly ghost, two frozen pets and longlasting love created over a pint are just some of the stories that come with the Hurunui Hotel - and the new publicans look forward to adding to its rich history.

The historic Hurunui Hotel on SH7 is once again a pit stop for the weary traveller and thirsty local after its doors closed nearly two years ago while its owner Adam Martin struggled to find a buyer.

But its new publicans and lessees, couple Sav Sharma and Aliyah Hyslop aim to reinvigorate the site with the intention to buy.

Sharma has experience working in Selwyn country pubs, including Southbridge Hotel, Coalgate Tavern and Springfield Hotel, all owned by Harry Singh who Sharma formed a friendship with.

“He’s mentored me throughout everything, from pouring a beer to owning a hotel.”

Sharma didn’t grow up in New Zealand, moving from India about eight years ago, but he’s developed an appreciation for the old watering holes that are cornerstones of small towns.

“You just don’t run the pubs, you save the ones that actually matter, this place actually mattered.”

He said Singh advised him before taking on the Hurunui Hotel, “this is your legacy, either do it right, or don’t do it”.

So he took the leap.

The current owner, Martin, bought the hotel in 2018 before putting it on the market in 2021, and it has failed to attract a buyer ever since.

He told OneRoof in August that he would get operators in to “to get it up and running with a view of eventually being able to buy it outright”.

“We always thought it would sell to a family. People who are passionate about history and hospitality. Someone who appreciates the significance of the hotel.”

Sharma said he was “set on the place” as soon as he saw it, captured by the history.

Hurunui Hotel is the oldest continuously licensed pub in Canterbury. It opened in 1869 half way between Waikari and Culverden to serve locals and stagecoaches travelling through the area.

Intriguingly, it was built with a very sombre facility. A room at the back, now storing “bits and bobs” was the original morgue of the hotel, Sharma said, a common addition in pubs of its age, perfect for storing meat, or bodies from stagecoaches.

The hotel’s “handyman” and all-rounder, Ian Connor, 77, has seen the historic hotel go through many changes and been part of three refurbishments over the last 10 years.

He wouldn’t call himself a local, but he said “the pub is my oldest girlfriend”.

The hotel was originally built on Medbury Rd on the banks of the Waitohi River, but after flooding, it was dismantled and moved to its current site.

The house next door was a blacksmith, he said, next to that was the town post office, and across the road was a school.

Legend has it that a ghost by the name of Charlotte remains in residence at the hotel after a mystery “heinous crime”, making many believe it’s the reason why one upstairs room is particularly cold.

Connor knows the stories of those who drank at the pub in the 1960s and 70s, when a publican named Francie ran the place.

She had two much-loved small dogs, and when they died, their bodies were kept in the pub chiller. Rumour has it they were taxidermied, but others say the dogs were still in the freezer when she sold the hotel.

John Brouwer booked his honeymoon for New Year’s Eve in 1971 at the hotel by posting a letter of reservation with a $5 deposit but on arrival, the newly-married couple discovered the publican hadn’t received their booking and were told there were no meals available.

Luckily they were able to book a room above the bar, but had to go to Culverden to eat. Brouwer said their first meal as a married couple was baked beans on toast.

A hearty meal wouldn’t be a problem these days, Sharma’s partner, Hyslop, said as they bring “new energy” to the old spot.

The three menus include bar snacks, main meals and breakfast, with the latter being the chef’s “niche”, she said.

It’s “a good breakfast that’s for sure” including pancakes, French toast and eggs with mushroom sauce.

After taking on the pub, Hyslop learned her great uncle had his first date at the pub, going on to marry his sweetheart.

“There’s heaps of people coming here with heaps of stories,” Sharma said, with many shared at its grand re-opening on November 28 attended by the “warm community”.

“We had heaps of people from overseas who returned to have a pint of beer like they used to.”

The old hotel continues to attract visitors, some with memories, and others looking to make new ones.

“People stop by, take pictures, look through the windows and walk around the place, it’s beautiful.”