The Range Brewing Team On Bringing Their New Hangout Neighbour To Newstead
hey, neighbour
By Victoria Lewis | 3rd July 2026It’s official, the team behind beloved suburban hotspots Ray’s, Patio, and Range Brewing is opening a brand new venue in the heart of thriving Newstead. Here’s the scoop.
After opening its Newstead flagship in 2018, Range Brewing has become synonymous with great beer and vibrant venues, with each of its suburban watering holes solidifying its own place in Brisbane’s beating heart. This all rings true of their latest Newstead venue announcement, Neighbour, a neighbourhood pub set to expand their hospitality footprint into Gasworks.
Co-founded by two mates, Matt McIver and Gerard Martin, Range Brewing has somehow captured what every Brissie local wants in a venue: relaxed vibes, unique design, and, of course, a decent parmi and pint.
We chat to co-founder Matt and Marketing Manager Isla Northey to get the full lowdown on the new Newstead venue and hear all about the making of Range.
Two mates walk into a pub…
Range Brewing was a conversation that started 10 years ago, over a beer between two mates in a London pub. Matt and Gerard were living overseas at the time, noticing a gap between the beer offerings across the pond versus back home in Queensland.
Not a pair to do things in halves, their drive to bring international beers to Australia quickly turned into brewing their very own beer, which then snowballed into opening a brewery, and so, Range Brewing was born.
Matt tells us the goal was to create a “well-rounded” brewery, where the beer, the brand, and design come together in perfect haemony. Flowing on from the beer culture of Europe and America, Range started releasing new beers on the regular, constantly exploring what they could bring to the world of beer and hospitality.
“We kind of birthed this idea of forever exploring, forever evolving, which was this ethos that we would never make a recipe and say, ‘That’s it, it’s done.'”
On expanding their Newstead footprint
If there is one thing about the Range team, it’s that they are passionate about Newstead. After receiving previous offers in the area over the years, Matt says that finally finding the right space and opening a second Newstead venue “is quite full circle”.
As a Newstead local himself, Matt says, “ I’m really passionate about this area, this community, and the people that choose to call Newstead home. I think that this style of venue is something that has been missing from Newstead.”
For the team, the process has been challenging but exciting, and Brisbane is in the best hands. “We know this area and the potential of Newstead, and I feel like we’re only just tapping into the surface.”
For want of a better phrase, Neighbour will the type of place where the “cool kids” hang out, and we, for one, can’t wait to join in on the fun.
What can we expect at Neighbour?
Like any Range venue, Neighbour will have its own distinct energy, a third space where locals can sit back, relax, and enjoy a great meal among friends. Complete with their iconic pizzas, locally brewed beers, and super-sized chicken parmis, Neighbour will add a distinctly welcoming feel to the Newstead foodie scene.
Isla says they want Neighbour to be a space where everyone feels welcome, equally appropriate for your Saturday night girls’ night, your Friday arvo knock-off drinks, or even for “grandma to come and not feel out of place.”
More than just a new hospo venue, what Matt and Gerard are trying to do is build a community, something Matt says right now is more important than ever. Neighbour provides a third space, away from the work and meal prep grind, where people can go for a sense of community and, put simply, fun.
“ There’s the whole energy of this space is really about like community and camaraderie, and I know that sounds cringe, but it is what people are yearning for,” Matt says on Neighbour’s future Gasworks home.
A design destination
When it came to forging the design direction for Neighbour, Isla says it started with one question: “ What is quintessentially Newstead?” So, with this new venue designed in collaboration with Kate Mclean from Soma & Sol, it was decided that a balance should be struck between the cosy neighbourhood energy of Range’s existing venues and the elevated aesthetic of Newstead and its surrounding areas.
In an suburb where apartment living is the norm, Isla says, “some people might not have backyards to tend to… or spaces where they can just lounge about, so we really wanted to make sure that it did have that friendly watering hole vibe, and it did feel like your living room just downstairs.”
Throughout the space, we can expect Range’s signature playful touches, with warm timber and lush greenery adding a sense of homeliness to Newstead’s concrete jungle. ”I’m working with Gerry and trying to push for the biggest disco ball we can fit,” Isla adds, so watch this space, Brisbane.
After eight years of brewing, Neighbour marks an exciting new chapter for the Range Brewing team, and with more details, including an opening date, yet to come, we will be anxiously awaiting their next steps.
