Queen St. Mall Archives - Fortitude Valley News

Chris Hemsworth Joins the Craze, Free Samples of Woolworths Cakes and Baked Treats For a Limited Time Only

Woolworths’ cakes are taking social media by storm for their scrumptious flavours and budget-friendly prices, attracting even A-list devotees like Chris Hemsworth.

Read: Superstar Chef Opens Thai Eatery and Asian Food Store in Fortitude Valley

Chris Hemsworth opted for a $29 Woolworths chocolate drip cake to celebrate his recent 40th birthday, showing the supermarket’s baked goods are fit for an Avenger.

To celebrate the launch of its new bakery range, Woolworths will be touring all across Queensland. The supermarket giant is bringing its ‘Bake Away Van’ to Brisbane on October 5, giving customers a tasty preview of nearly 150 new and improved baked goods.

The Bake Away Van will be stationed at the Queen Street Mall Wintergarden from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, handing out thousands of free samples from the new range. Some of the sweet treats up for grabs include the new Lemon Meringue Tart, Caramel Celebration Cake, and hidden surprise Smash Cake.

Woolworths’ updated bakery range has been over a year in the making and the team worked tirelessly developing and taste testing each product to perfection.

The revamped bakery range features showstopping cakes and desserts at great value, including:

Oversized Chocolate Chunk Cookie Pie ($14): Belgian chocolate oozes when heated
Lemon Meringue Tart ($23): Zesty lemon curd and torched meringue
Birthday Drip Cake ($29): Chocolate sponge, buttercream, ganache drizzle
Caramel Celebration Cake ($29): Dulce de leche between caramel sponge and buttercream
Smash Cake ($35): Hidden rainbow treats inside chocolate dome
Chocolate Chunk Cookies ($5.50): Chewy with creamy chocolate chunks
Loaded Carrot Cake Muffins ($7.50): Cream cheese filling with spiced crumble

Chris Hemsworth — Chocolate Chunk Cookie Pie (Photo supplied)

The new range aims to deliver great value along with quality ingredients and artisanal touches. Many cakes and desserts are hand-finished for an extra special treat. Fans of Woolworths’ iconic mud cakes can rest easy – the chocolate, caramel and white chocolate varieties are here to stay.

Whilst the Bake Away Van will only be in Brisbane for a day, the new Woolworths bakery range is rolling out across the country. Brisbane residents will be the first to get an exclusive preview before the products hit shelves nationally.

Read: Rydges Fortitude Valley Welcomes New Italian Eatery Bar Gusto

With thousands of free samples up for grabs, Woolworths is inviting Queenslanders to be among the first to experience the exciting new range. The Bake Away Van is sure to draw sweet tooths and bargain hunters alike to the Queen Street Mall on Thursday.

Published 3-October-2023

Louis Vuitton Moves Into Former NAB Building on Queen St

Louis Vuitton has taken over the former building of the National Australia Bank on Queen St Mall in the CBD. Spanning three levels, the new store offers a women’s and men’s collection of shoes and leather goods, ready-to-wear apparel, fragrances and accessories.

The iconic building has been designed to mimic the same architectural concepts of Louis Vuitton’s store in Place Vendome, Paris. Inside, the store is cleverly arranged to feature the women’s department covering the whole ground floor. Unique lights that accentuate the building’s pilasters are fitted into the interiors whilst the basement, which used to be the bank’s vault, has been transformed into the men’s department.

Louis Vuitton in Paris
Photo Credit: Louis Vuitton

Impressive artworks and furniture designed by Australian artists, such as Edward Linacre, George Hall, Khai Liew, Gustave Xavier and Thomas Lentini, are displayed all around the store, with the main attractive piece located at the staircase leading to the basement. It features a mural of the Gumbaynggirr clan totem, Gaag, designed and created by First Nations artist Otis Hope Carey.

Louis Vuitton on Queen St also houses two salons in the mezzanine area where private appointments are serviced. The mezzanine has art exhibits from several artists featured at the China Heights Gallery.

The news comes as Louis Vuitton will unveil its 2024 cruise collection by May 2023.

Published 28 March 2023

After 35 Years, Myer to Leave Queen St Mall and Look For New Location

Myer will soon be leaving its home for 35 years on Queen St in the CBD and will be looking for a new site for its flagship location.

Myer CEO John King announced the move to close its Brisbane flagship store by the end of July 2023, citing that they could not renegotiate a reasonable term with their landlord, Vicinity Centres and ISPT. However, the department store will still continue to trade online and in its other outlets in Carindale, Chermside, Indooroopilly and Mt Gravatt.

“Whilst we remain committed to the Brisbane market, we have been unable to negotiate a reasonable commercial outcome with the landlord and as such will continue to look for an alternative CBD location,” Mr King said in a statement.

“We thank our team members for their service and will be providing redeployment opportunities at nearby stores.

“For our loyal customers, we will continue to serve the Brisbane area with our surrounding stores and our 24/7 online business while we explore future Brisbane CBD options, and we thank you for your ongoing loyalty.”

Vicinity Centres also released a statement indicating its options for the building once Myer leaves.

“(We’re) investigating a number of options for the centre including a downsized contemporary department store and plans without a department store which we can now progress with certainty,” the company stated.

“We look forward to delivering a re-imagined destination in the heart of Brisbane’s evolving CBD and anticipate sharing our plans shortly.

“In the meantime, the centre will continue to offer the growing number of visitors, locals and CBD workers a diverse mix of retail, dining and entertainment options with no impact to public transport or carpark access.”

Shoppers, especially those with tons of memories at the centre, said that the closure marked an end of an era. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described the announcement as a “sad day for generations of Brisbane residents” but added that the upcoming changes will be a “fantastic opportunity for the centre to be reinvigorated into a vibrant, modern retail experience for residents and visitors.”

Published 17 March 2023

Honouring Graham Pampling, Beloved Busker of the Queen Street Mall

A petition has been called by the Brisbane public to erect a statue of the late-yet-legendary busker Graham Pampling at Queen Street Mall, where he played the saxophone six days a week from 1998 to 2018.

Graham Pampling, who passed in 2019, was a beloved busker who had become something of a community staple in Queen Street. It was hard to ignore the blind busker whose music had become an integral part of everyone’s everyday life, regaling the city with his saxophone.

His labradors, who served as his guide dogs and loyal friends, often accompanied him during these sessions. Pampling became something of a local celebrity given his inspiring story.

Pampling was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition that slowly causes cells in the retina to die which then leads to blindness.

Throughout his life, he experienced a great many hardships — including the death of his 19-year-old son, who tragically perished in a forklifting accident in 1985.

The marriage between Pampling and his wife of 28 years also broke down, which then led to the busker-to-be to travel to Brisbane with his saxophone, where he stayed for the next three decades. He’d set up in Queen Street Mall and begin busking for every passerby, serenading the public with his beautiful music.

His music wasn’t the only thing that cemented his status as a local icon and inspiration in the city, for Pampling had also volunteered at local schools to teach visually impaired students how to type without using their sight.

Brisbane residents from all around the city have signed a petition, titled Remember Graham Pampling, to immortalise him and celebrate his memory by creating a statue in his honour. As of the 28th of February, 2021, over 6,900 people have signed in hopes of having the statue raised. Those interested in contributing to Graham Pampling’s memory can find and sign the petition here.