Range Brewing doubles down on Newstead with convivial newcomer Neighbour
A new neighbourhood bar and dining spot has landed in Newstead, and it comes from a very familiar name. Range Brewing has opened Neighbour, a relaxed yet design-led venue serving ice-cold beer, fine wine, fruit-forward cocktails and a menu of elevated pub fare. Take a look inside …
When Matt McIver and Gerard Martin opened Range Brewing in 2018 on a semi-industrial backstreet a keg roll from Gasworks Plaza, Newstead was a vastly different place. In the past eight years, the inner-north enclave has undergone a significant metamorphosis, transforming into one of the most in-demand living areas in Brisbane.
While Range’s Byres Street headquarters has remained a popular spot for locals craving a pint and a pizza, the brew crew noticed that the suburb’s rapid evolution – and influx of new bars, cafes and restaurants – has meant that the brewery’s out-of-the-way location sometimes gets overlooked by residents.
“I think we got trapped thinking, ‘Oh, we’ve been here for eight years. Everyone knows we’re here.’ And in fact, that’s not even close to true,” says Matt. “You kind of forget that just because people live in Newstead doesn’t mean they know every venue on every street, every place.”
“The bubble has many bubbles within it,” adds Range Brewing marketing manager Isla Northey, with a laugh.
Instead of risking getting lost in the mix of Newstead’s ongoing boom, the Range team decided to act on a rare opportunity – one that, until now, they’d have been loath to consider.
Last week, Range opened Neighbour, its second Newstead-based venue. Located on Skyring Terrace in the space previously occupied by Botany, Neighbour boasts a prime position overlooking one of the area’s busiest intersections.
It’s also 250 metres away from Range Brewing.
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A few years ago, Matt, Gerard and their team likely would have never entertained the idea of doubling up in their home suburb, but with the success of their suburban pub-style outposts – Paddington’s Patio and Rays over in Camp Hill – the team felt that they had a proven concept that could introduce residents to the brand without duplicating experiences.
“We recently turned down a site in a new development in Newstead, thinking it was too close to Range,” Matt reveals. “But I think in the last 12 to 18 months, it’s really become clear the difference we have between our neighbourhood venues and our loyal, like hardcore brewing fans.”
“I feel like it was definitely a scary thought: opening this space so close to Range,” adds Isla. “But once we actually worked out who this space is for and what we’re going to offer, there was nothing to worry about.”
Neighbour, like Patio and Rays, takes Range Brewing’s quality-first, design-forward approach to hospitality and applies it to a community-friendly bar and eatery format.
Working with Kate McLean from Soma & Sol on Neighbour’s design, the Range team honed in on an aesthetic that Isla describes as “a textural, modern 80s type vibe”. Neighbour boasts the same spotted gum timber linings and the wood-wool acoustic panels as Patio and Rays, but distinct design elements like glass blocks and stainless-steel edging set it apart from its siblings.
The venue is loosely partitioned into three areas – a front bar-style nook, a casual bistro-leaning dining space with booths and a breezy alfresco section – each maximising the site’s airy, sun-soaked setting. Like Range’s other suburban suds spots, Neighbour boasts a retro sensibility woven into it, creating an atmosphere that is familiar, warm and approachable.
“The venue really shapes the brand and the personality, but we always have a bit of Range cheekiness and confidence,” says Isla.
“We were really hooked on having a feeling. Having that nostalgia element to it, it helps bring back the idea of looking after your neighbours – lending sugar and shouting beers.”
Being a Range Brewing venue, Neighbour’s taps dispense the brewery’s core range of beers, from the Disco pale ale and Echoes lager to the Sunshine XPA and Pre-Loved session pale ale.
The team has elected to dig deeper into the vino realm at Neighbour, working with Cork and Co. to assemble a list of wines from independent Australian labels (including LATTA, Unico Zelo, Ministry of Clouds and Sven Joschke), as well as some imports from Italy and France.
Cocktails are also a big feature of the beverage menu, with a six-strong selection of fruit-forward signatures available alongside classic margaritas and daiquiris (done ‘your way’), espresso martinis, spritzes and martinis.
As for food, Neighbour delivers the same crowd-pleasing pub-style favourites as Range’s other suburban sites, but the team has expanded the offering when it comes to sides and snacks.
“We know what works and what doesn’t,” says Matt. “There are some menu items that work so well at the other venues that to not do them here would be silly.
“Things like the parmy, the schnitty, the steak frites and the pizzas – those are items that you can order at each of our venues. But there are unique items at each venue and each venue has its own events.”
Highlights of Neighbour’s menu include a cheeseburger and frites (a hero item served on a bed of au poivre gravy), tuna tostadas with salsa macha, courgette fritti with herbed sauce verte, and mozzarella in carrozza (fried cheese sandwich).
With Newstead’s dining scene showing no signs of slowing down, Neighbour has arrived at a great time. Sitting at the meeting point between pub, elevated eatery, craft-beer bar and wine bar, the venue is well positioned as a bona fide box ticker for the local community. In the end, servicing the community is the overarching mandate of Range’s newest outpost.
“We’ve always wanted to evolve how we curate the best drinking and social experience,” adds Isla. “Rather than just focusing on the product, now we’re focusing on the environment around the product and the overall experience.”
Neighbour is now open to the public – head to The Directory for operating hours and booking info.
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