From trolleys made from recycled milk bottles to LED lights that brighten the store, the new eco-friendly Woolworths outlet in West End promises to operate with a reduced carbon footprint.
Opened in mid-May 2021, the West Village supermarket has been tipped to bring a new shopping experience for locals of this suburb, who are known to embrace the tree hugger lifestyle. For instance, at this Woolworths, they can enjoy freshly made banana bread baked using ingredients from the store’s food wastage (unsold overripe bananas) every day.
The store will be operating at 15 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to any other Queensland location. The site has provided 130 bicycle slots for customers and workers, whilst there are changing stations for customers driving electric cars.
The Woolworths West Village outlet has also partnered with local farmers to supply customers with 100 percent Australian grown produce and meat. The butcher section, sourced from local suppliers as well, allows customers to order a specific cut whilst they wait.
Shoppers could also drop off their recyclables like soft plastics and coffee pods at this store, as well as their old mobile phones or used batteries.
However, it remains to be seen if residents from West End and the nearby inner-city suburbs will patronise this green store as various protests marred the supermarket’s development. There were campaigns against its construction as the store was big but had little green spaces and it looked out of character.
Harris Farm Markets has plans to recruit new staff as they open a newer flagship Queensland market — one that might possibly be the greatest market they’ve built yet — at West Village in West End.
Following the success of their first Brisbane branch in Clayfield, Harris Farm Markets intends to set up in West End. To seek out the best potential employees, a recruitment pop-up will be set up on The Common at West Village, Boundary Street from March 5-6 and March 12-13. Interested locals are encouraged to meet with members of the company face-to-face and discuss job opportunities.
With a grand total of 150 spots available, West End locals interested in applying can find windows across senior and junior levels for permanent, temporary, and part-time jobs in the upcoming West End market. “We particularly want to welcome passionate, hard-working food enthusiasts to join the team,” says Harris Farm Markets co-CEO Luke Harris.
Employees are also entitled to a 25% discount on some of the grocery’s products such as fruit and vegetables, among other things. Mr. Harris adds, “Supporting local is key for us. We source from local farmers and suppliers, create job opportunities for locals, and we really want to become part of the Brisbane community by employing Brisbane’s best”.
Harris Farm Markets’ West End branch is set to take over part of the Peters Ice Cream building. “If Clayfield is our historic family home in Brisbane, then West End will be the greatest urban market we have built yet.” says Mr. Harris.
Those interested in applying can visit the Careers page of their website. Further details on job opportunities and Harris Farm Markets in general can be found by visiting their recruitment pop-up at The Common at West Village, West End.
Venue The Common at West Village, Boundary Street, West End
Times Friday March 5: 1:00PM to 6:00PM Saturday March 6: 10:00AM to 3:00PM Friday March 12: 1:00PM to 6:00PM Saturday March 13: 10:00AM to 3:00PM
If you’re thirsting for good vino, but you’re tired of going to the usual spots, then head down to Fredericks on Boundary Street. This pop-up bar, which opened in West Village in September, will serve you up a good time but it won’t be around for a long time as the bar will fold by December.
It’s hard to miss Fredericks in this stylish West End precinct with its glowing neon lights and eye-popping decorations. Named after Fredericks Peters, the inventor of Australia’s famous Peters Ice Cream, this open-spaced bar is at a great spot overlooking the old but historic factory.
A concept collaboration between restaurateurs Paul McGivern, Bailee Dewes, and Daniel and Amelia Miletic, as well as designers Jon Dowding and Chrissy Feld, Fredericks has 90 seats and an extensive wine menu from Australian and New Zealand producers and a substantial craft beer list. The spritzes incorporate some of the flavours of the beloved ice cream products, while the cocktails include creative concoctions like Lemon Drop or Planters Punch.
These drinks pair up well with a range of sophisticated bar food like manchego croquettes, mixed olives, gruyere and greens toasties, cheese platters and salumi plates. Diners, however, may also order from The Garden Pantry next door for a fuller meal.
The bar is like a test-run for what visitors can expect from the West Village. A permanent watering hole for drinking, lounging and relaxing with friends will be setting shop in the future but as the collaborators said, it’s still unclear if they will be behind the bar.
Photo Credit: West Village/Facebook
Fredericks is open every Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It’s open for hosting events and private drinks as well.
Got a zest for sports? If you’re into Ping Pong, then you might want to be at West Village on Saturday and Sunday, the 21st and 22nd of Sept 2019, for a Ping Pong takeover!
Five tables for Ping Pong, also known as table tennis, will be open for both adults and kids to try their hand at this 100-year-old British sport. Open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., you can find the Ping Pong tables at West Village’s The Common.
For $100, you can book a two-hour game to challenge your mates at the Ping Pong table. The session is good for six players and this comes with food vouchers if you’ve worked out an appetite after playing. You may use these vouchers at the Cheeky Poke, Mr Bunz and Salt Meats Cheese from The Garden Pantry.
Green thumbs and budding gardeners, here’s your chance to find lush, leafy, and colourful plants for your home or office! Another Plant Market pop-up event is springing in West Village this Sunday, the 8th of Sept. 2019.
After the success of The Plant Market’s first West Village showcase last June, the event is returning with more vendors. So, head over to 97 Boundary Street this Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to check out the line-up and choose from heaps of vendors selling large or small indoor and outdoor plants, seeds, ferns, flowers, and herbs.
The Plant Market is also bringing back its popular adoption centre. If you’ve had no luck growing a pot — don’t worry! You can drop off those unhealthy plants to allow someone else to nurture it for free.
You might want to stick around to join the botanical-based workshops, though. Grab the opportunity to learn the basics of caring for plants or growing a herb garden.
The highlight of this Saturday’s workshop includes a full-hour education on vegetable gardens to grow this spring from the West Village Gardener. This activity requires advance booking for $10.
The Plant Market is also a showcase for makers and crafters. Besides the greens, you mosey around the stalls or snap up unique handcrafted pieces like accessories, homeware and plant-themed gift items from Billeta, Max and Mort, All The Green Things, Luvia Designs, Succulent Mummas, and The Plant Market designers.
The Plant Market is the brain child of Tamara Scheiwe who decided to create a space for a group of green-loving and creative Brisbaners to share their talents and passion to the community. Interested in joining the next market? Contact Tamara on her website.
Lots of exciting and fun activities await kids this summer school holidays at the newly opened parkland, The Common at West Village; best of all, they are all for free!
Creative Kids
Creative Kids Brisbane runs a free outdoor art space at West Village for children of all ages to explore their creative side, seven days a week. Parents and guardians must be present at all times. The art space is open Mon – Fri from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M and Sat & Sun from 9 A.M to 12 A.M.
Schedule of Summer Workshops:
Messy Monday – Messy art using hands and fingers. Old clothes are recommended for a total enjoyment.
Sensory Tuesday / Thursday – Engage the senses through textured art materials, alternate techniques, and sensory play.
Art and Science Wednesday – Science based art activities. Kindly bring your own lab coat and safety glasses.
Fluro Friday – Cap off the week with all things fluro.
Creative Kids & The Common at West Village
Video Credit: West Village / YouTube
West Village Eco Kids
In conjunction with CitySmart, West Village has launched the West Village Eco Kids — a series of free green workshops for kids of all ages. The workshops will run for three weeks beginning 3 December to 21 December 2018, weekdays from from 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. To book and for more details, you may visit this webpage.
West Village Twilight Kids
Fun activities continue on till the early evening as West Village presents the West Village Twilight Kids — a variety of kids activities at The Common such as Bubble workshops, Slime workshops, Lantern making, and a Silent Disco Yoga. Workshops will run four days per week beginning 10 December 2018, from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Registrations are essential; all bookings are free. Visit this webpage for more details.
The Garden Pantry
Photo Credit: West Village / Facebook
Where there are kids, food should not be far away. So, feel free to head to The Garden Pantry to refuel and enjoy mouth-watering food from three of Brisbane’s popular restaurants: Salt Meats Cheese, Cheeky Poke Bar, and Mr Bunz.
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The Garden Pantry is where one will find al fresco dining, tropical-inspired indoor dining, and grab-and-go options while enjoying the Light Garden by Luxxbox — an interactive display of 2500 light reeds scattered around and lighting up the parkland at night.
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Salt Meats Cheese, or SMC, is an Italian eatery serving fully plant-based vegan and vegetarian wood fired pizza with cured meats as adds-ons. SMC will also feature a botanical cocktail bar made extra special with hand made infusions and ingredients from Australian native herbs. Lastly, Fresh coffee, roasted and served daily via their new business, “The Laneway Coffee Roasters by SMC”.
Cheeky Poke Bar serves Hawaiian-and-Japanese-inspired Poke bowls like the Salmon-GF (sashimi salmon, coconut turmeric rice, cabbage, kale, cucumber, wakame, pickled ginger, wasabi mayo, taro crisps, 64-degree egg, cheeky nori, sesame, togarashi, and salt) and Prawn-GF (fresh mooloolaba prawns, coconut turmeric rice, cabbage, beetroot, daikon, wakame, enoki, sriracha mayo, puffed rice, avocado, cheeky nori, sesame, togarashi, and salt).
Cheeky takes pride in the fact that it sources its fresh seafood from older sibling Fresh N Wild Fish. They also serve protein options for those who have an intolerance to seafood such as Chicken-GF (chicken, brown rice, spinach, carrot, beetroot, corn, creamy asian sauce, wasabi peas, avocado, cheeky nori, sesame, togarashi, and salt).
Mr Bunz offers a taste of the East with their signature bao buns — fluffy steamed buns — filled with either crackling roasted pork belly, crispy spiced fried chicken, or Peking duck with crispy skin.
Another foodie haven has opened in West End as The Garden Pantry, West Village‘s newest dining precinct, brings three of Brisbane’s well-loved restaurants to Boundary Street.
Photo credit: West Village/Facebook
The Garden Pantry has a promising line up of food joints that are ready to boost the dining experience in West Village. The three famous restaurants that have joined West Village are Cheeky Poke, Mr Bunz, and Salt Meats Cheese.
Cheeky Poke
Photo credit: Cheeky Poke/Facebook
Popular for their colourful poke bowls and signature tacos, Cheeky Poke Bar promises to deliver the freshest bowls in town. Their menu boasts clean, healthy, and flavorful meals that are made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Cheeky Poke is famous for serving up Hawaiian and Japanese fusion food with an Australian twist.
Another beloved restaurant in Brisbane, Mr Bunz brings the flavours of Asia to West Village. Apart from their signature bao buns and South-East Asian inspired dishes, Mr Bunz will also be offering tri-weekly special and unique dessert baos to The Garden Pantry.
Curious about their changing menu? You may check out their Facebook page for updates on their specials.
Salt Meats Cheese
Photo credit: Salt Meats Cheese/Facebook
Last but definitely not the least is the renowned Salt Meats Cheese that has opened up their second Brisbane location at The Garden Pantry. Favoured for their signature cheese wheel pasta and authentic Italian dishes, Salt Meats Cheese brings a taste of Italy to West End.
Can’t get enough of their delicious pizza and pasta? Get a chance to learn how to make them yourself as the restaurant will also be opening a cooking school later in 2018. Lead by Salt Meats Cheese’s very own, Stefano De Blasi, the culinary classes will be the first on offer by Salt Meats Cheese in Brisbane.
Owners of Salt Meats Cheese, Cheeky Poke and Mr Bunz. Photo credit: West Village/Facebook
The Garden Pantry certainly took West Village’s dining experience to the next level with these three top-rated restaurants in their roster. Read more about what West Village has to offer on their website.
In a bid to fulfil conditions to full approval of the West Village project in West End, the developer has submitted plans to double the green space accessible to the public.
The increase of publicly accessible green space is one of the conditions set by Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jackie Trad when she approved the development application in November 2016. This was after Ms Trad called in the development back in September 2016 after it was met by strong public opposition.
After review of the project, the development was eventually approved, provided that they meet certain conditions. Conditions include providing at least 30% of the site area as publicly accessible open space. The approval also called for the developer to bring down the maximum number of multiple dwelling on site to 1,250 units. Initially, the developer planned for 1,350 apartment units.
On 21 December 2017, the developer lodged a development application to meet certain conditions of the approval.
The plans posted on the Brisbane City Council website on 3 January 2018 address the conditions covering the open areas open to the public. These include plans for The Common and the laneways.
The Common space proposal to meet approval condition. (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)
Under the plan, West Village would provide 1,532 square metres of publicly accessible area through The Common space. The Common space would be available for public access 24 hours a day.
The Common would include a water play area as well as space for public performances. Through the plan, the developer also aims to fulfil requirements for unimpeded and safe 24-hour public pedestrian access and crime prevention through environmental design principles.
The plans for Factory Lane and Wilson Lane are also included in the recent proposal. Factory Lane would be a green laneway leading to The Common space. Wilson Lane would be right next to the existing factory and would provide 10 bike racks and vehicular access bollards.
Plan for Wilson Lane includes bike racks. (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)
The proposal also aims to address the condition covering community focused land uses. This involves adding at least one child care centre, providing a minimum of 500 square metres of the gross floor area for community space and 100 square metres of the gross floor area for knowledge space or co-working hub.
Other Conditions
Approval of the development also depends on the fulfilment of other conditions. These include provision for car and bicycle parking spaces for non-residents, traffic management prepared by a qualified traffic engineer, and deep planting for 10% of the site area.
The love for laneways is strong in the inner city Brisbane area. In West End, four new green laneways will be developed as part of the West Village project.
Developer Sekisui House intends to provide walking and cycling spaces to the $800-million West Village precinct. Mollison Lane, Peters Lane, Wilson Lane and Factory Lane will be different from the usual laneways that are predominantly concrete.
Artist’s impression of Peters Lane. (Photo credit: westvillage.com.au)
The four laneways will have a total length of more than 250 metres if fully landscaped lanes.
Each laneway will have its distinct character and set of amenities, but they will all provide a sub-tropical atmosphere to West Village.
The West Village laneways capitalise on the success of laneways in the inner city. Laneway development has become an excellent way of revitalising what could have been a forgotten lane. Fish Lane in South Brisbane and Winn Lane in Fortitude Valley are two of the top success stories of laneway culture in Brisbane.
Photo credit: westvillage.com.au
Laneway Design
The design of the four laneways represents the demand for green spaces in West End. Wilson Lane, which will be an extension of Wilson Street, will provide a fresh sub-tropical feel to the area. Peters Lane will feature all the colours culture and aroma of cosmopolitan West End in one intimate and buzzing laneway.
Mollison Green is envisioned to be an open space that would allow the family to enjoy the retail space while the kids explore the play area. Factory Lane is planned to provide residents and visitors the lure of the historic charm of West End.
Uniting all the laneways is the common green park where anyone can simply relax, sit on the lawn and grab a drink. Providing the backdrop is the heritage-listed Peters Ice Cream factory.
The Peters Square will be turned into an experiential open-air market with a fusion of culinary and urban culture.
Photo credit: westvillage.com.au
Green Movement
The local clamour for more green spaces in the suburb is a huge consideration in the design for the West Village open space. Currently, West Village has a GoGet car sharing service. In the near future, West Village will provide 1,600 bicycle spaces and end-of-trip services for residents and visitors.
The 2.6-hectare West Village project is a mixed residential and retail precinct with 192 apartments, restaurants, boutiques, galleries, shops, parks and squares. Development of the first stage of the project is currently ongoing and will be completed by the end of 2018.
Thirty-percent of the precinct will be accessible to the public. Included in the public areas are the four laneways and almost one hectare of open spaces in two new parks.
West Village in West End will turn into a Japanese getaway celebrating all things ‘Japan’ in August.
As part of Japan Week Brisbane celebrations, West Village is hosting the first-ever Brisbane Japanese Festival.
Attendees will be immersed in Japanese culture, from everybody’s favourite Japanese cuisine to dance and music. Japanese personalities based in Brisbane will be at the event to provide entertainment, while chefs will teach a thing or two about Japanese cuisine.
Photo credit: CC-BY/Rool Paap/Flickr
West Village will host street food stalls where people can get their fill of yakitori, gyoza, sushi, tempura, karaage, poke bowls and bento boxes with their choice of Japanese dishes. The gastronomic experience won’t be complete without the sake, whiskey and bubble. There will be bars to serve Japanese drinks.
Bonsai gardens, origami folding, lanterns and Japanese drumming will provide the perfect atmosphere to give guests a sampling of Japanese culture.
Brisbane Japanese Festival should be a good preview for a lucky guest who will win two roundtrip tickets to Japan. The prize is valued at $3,000 and will be given as a travel voucher.
All tickets booked online will go into the draw. The winner must be at least 18 years old to be eligible.
