Omeo in for economic boost

The iconic watering hole will serve about 120 kilograms of scotch fillet across the week when the town's population of 480 swells with buyers, sellers and everyone in between for the annual Mountain Calf sales.

Hotel owner Terry Watt said the 74 years the pub had serviced the sales so far meant managing the event was well practiced, but come sale week in March there still wouldn't be a lot of sleep.

"It's one of the biggest calf sales in the Southern Hemisphere, and it really puts Omeo on the map," he said.

"The food ordering triples while the accommodation side is booked up 12 months in advance - it's been booked out that week for about 75 years.

"But everything runs well. It's buyers and stockman and all they want is a feed and a bed - and a beer or two.

"About 500 litres of beer was Mr Watt's estimation of what would go over the bar to the Hotel's 65-or-so guests and patrons. Also benefiting from the town's ballooning population for the week will be Omeo High Country Meats butcher John Pendergast.

He supplies the Golden Age Hotel along with the Country Women's Association, who run the catering at the saleyards.

For the week of the sales he orders at least one extra body of beef.

Because there is no certified abattoir in the High Country, Mr Pendergast sources his cattle from Gordyn Abattoirs near Sale.

This means come calf sale time, patrons and the pub and saleyards will be sampling some East Gippsland beef of their own.

"The beef we get here is as local as you can get - the cattle might be from Orbost, Mallacoota, Sale, Traralgon, Bairnsdale or Omeo," he said.