Harris Farm Markets
Renowned family-owned-and-operated Harris Farm Markets is returning home to Brisbane, set to open not one, but two stores in the coming months. The acclaimed New South Wales-based business, well known for its premium-quality fresh local produce, is expanding back into Queensland, beginning with a Clayfield store in November, followed by its flagship store at West Village in West End in May next year. Harris Farm Markets will take over the current site of the Clayfield Markets on Sandgate Road in a full-circle homecoming – Harris Farm previously owned that site 30 years ago before handing it over to longtime operators Carlo and Susan Lorenti. It won’t be farewell for Carlo and Susan, thankfully – the couple will be staying on as managers, along with as many staff as possible. The Clayfield store will be a one-stop shop to source Queensland’s best fruit and vegetables, housing a tomato shed, organic produce section and a leaderboard of Queensland strawberries and mangoes. There will also be a boutique gourmet grocer featuring local products, baked goods, a butcher and an impressive deli offering more than 200 cheeses. Two. Hundred. Cheeses. From May next year, Harris Farm Markets will establish its flagship and headquarters at West Village’s Peters Ice Cream Factory. The vast warehouse space will also showcase local fruit, vegetables and a gourmet grocer, as well as allow partnerships with some local concessions. Across the two stores, Harris Farm Markets will employ more than 200 staff (as many staff as cheeses!) and offer produce from more than 300 Queensland growers, producers and creators, including Roza’s Gourmet, Barambah Organics, Hobbs Family Farms organic free-range chicken, My Berries and more.
Customs House’s Moët Rosé Garden
The arrival of the warmer months brings with it a host of springtime events and, like clockwork, Customs House has announced the 2020 iteration of its beloved Moët Rosé Garden pop-up bar, commencing this Friday October 2. Celebrating all things spring, the pop-up is taking over the riverside space behind Customs House, bedecked with open-air floral domes covered in colourful botanicals, each offering room for up to eight guests inside. It wouldn’t be a Moët pop-up without a few sublime sips on offer – this year guests can savour pink-hued wines including Moët Rosé Impérial NV, Moët & Chandon rosé, Veuve Clicquot rosé and Rameau d’Or rosé from Provence, as well as a white and a red for those who favour the classics. Cocktails, of course, remain a key fixture of the drinks menu – enjoy Polish mules, espresso martinis, rosé sangria and Chandon Cosmopolitans while watching the sun set over the Brisbane River. If you’re bringing an appetite, be sure to cast an eye over the enticing food menu, which encompasses bites including the signature Moreton Bay bug butter croissant, freshly shucked oysters, steamed duck buns, crispy pumpkin flowers with goats cheese, fried tartufo Ascolana olives, Hervey Bay scallops and a selection of moreish cheeses with condiments. Customs House’s Moët Rosé Garden pop-up will operate on Fridays and Saturdays from 4:00 pm until late, and on Sundays from 2:00–8:00 pm.
The Prince Consort
In case you missed it a couple of weeks ago, Fortitude Valley live-music venue The Foundry has said goodbye to its 228 Wickham Street home to make way for a new knight of the night – The Prince Consort. The impressive building on the corner of Wickham and Brunswick (which also housed The Elephant Arms Hotel, Greaser and more) is currently undergoing a massive heritage refurbishment, reopening under the historic hotel’s original name, The Prince Consort. The site will be home to a collective of bars and eateries – The Prince Consort and Friends – brought to life by new owner Tilley & Wills Hotels, which owns the likes of Greenwood Hotel and Oxford Art Factory in Sydney. Greaser continues to operate in the cellar of the building, soon to be joined by a further seven venues all offering completely different vibes. On the ground floor, The Prince Consort will nod to the building’s rich history with a classic English gastro-pub offering, spilling out to the open-air The Garden Bar. An ornate staircase will lead you up to luxe supper club La La Land, while further down the antler-shadowed hallway you’ll find The Bowie Rooms – which we hear need to be seen to be understood. Music will still be a huge part of the building, with The Yorke Suites on the top level set to provide space for music makers and creatives. At the heart of hotel is The Naughty Corner (which we can only assume is where the real fun happens) and finally, 400 Rabbits Cantina will take you on a Los Cabos-inspired taco and tequila adventure. The Valley Wine Shop will also remain on The Prince Consort’s Brunswick Street corner. The mammoth multi-venue space is due to open in late October – keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for updates!
Kulcha’d
West End’s home of northern-Indian cuisine is expanding into mornings and evenings next month, with the crew at Kulcha’d currently hard at work putting the finishing touches on its new bar and breakfast menus. Since officially opening in early June, Zach and Calvin Dexter have been busy refining the menu (which is predicated on kulcha – a form of versatile crispy tandoor-baked flatbread) while also chipping away at an extensive refurbishment of their West End locale. In mid-to-late October the team will be unveiling the fruits of its labour – a completed graffiti-adorned outdoor space with four newly installed beer taps (to go with two more inside) and space for 60–90 patrons (without restrictions). The eatery’s new drinks range will include a rotating selection of craft beers from the likes of Aether Brewing, Young Henrys and Brisbane Brewing Co. (the latter of which has collaborated with the Kulcha’d crew on a mango lassi beer we are itching to try), as well as a range of signature cocktails such as the Kaffir Gimlet (Never Never gin mixed with kaffir lime-infused cordial), Rosemary’s Baby (whisky, ginger tea, lemon, whisky bitters and peach bitters), the Sloooooooow Gin Sour (Brookie’s Slow gin, ginger, lemon and fennel) and a clarified-milk punch, among others. The core menu will be bolstered by a selection of snacks, as well as a range of breakfast dishes – think bacon-and-egg kathi wraps, a vegan-friendly big breakfast as well as one for the carnivores, including locally made Indian-spiced lamb sausages. Stay tuned – we’ll be sharing more details as they come to light.
Little Salt
Ever since the crew behind Salt. Coffee Roasters announced the arrival of its sibling nook Little Salt, we’ve been doing regular drive-bys in an attempt to scope out any movements. Well, we can confirm that Little Salt will be open next month, with an official opening date set for Friday October 16. The dispensary will be perched outside the McLachlan Street office of buyer’s agency Cohen Handler, with an all-white aesthetic complemented by cabana-style umbrellas. To celebrate the arrival of the new baby, the Salt team will be giving away free coffees all day and a chance for one lucky sipper to score free coffee for a year – so all caffeine addicts would do well to mark the date in their calendars. We’ll also have a closer look at the spot once it opens.
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