Wondering whether you’ll get your regular fix of coffee from the cafes within the neighbourhood on Christmas Day? Or whether there’s a special menu for the holidays?
Here we list what’s cooking in cafes around town for this holiday season.
Farm House Kedron
Farm House Kedron remains open between Christmas and New Year from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will be serving their special Queensland Prawn tacos with mango and coriander salsa, crispy vermicelli and namjim sauce all through this period.
Credit: Farm House Kedron
The cafe, however, will be closed from the 25th to 26th of December and the 1st of January.
Farm House Kedron holds a special spot among residents of Kedron because it serves as a tribute to Farmer Joe’s which was closed in 2009 to pave way for a road construction. The closure of Farmer Joe’s has been sad as it was a community hub where local fresh produce were bought and sold. In the hopes to still support the local farmers in Kedron, Farm House sees to it that they remain to buy supplies from them. The cafe hopes that more and more local farmers will soon come to them. As for its customers, Farm House Kedron aims to take food from the farm to the plate.
Fuzzy Duck has just reinvented itself as a restaurant last November, held their soft launch on 7th of December, and is now getting ready for official re-opening in 2018. It may not have your regular fill of coffee for the holiday season, but the place’s specialty gift shop is filled with quirky items for gifts. It has been restocked with a variety of succulents and other potted plants.
This cafe at 12 Homebush Road Kedron has unfortunately officially closed for the year on the 22nd of December to allow for its staff and crew to enjoy the holiday seasons too. The place will open again on the 19th of January and everything will be business as usual then.
Christmas is barely a month away. While the occasion is the time for merry-making and festivities with families and friends, it also comes with the challenge of celebrating without leaving a giant hole in the pocket after the season. Here are a few surefire ways to have fun and stay within the budget in Kedron.
Christmas Lights Display
An array of wonderful Christmas lights are on display along different streets all across Kedron. Families and friends can hold their own Christmas lights walking tour, with their very own home-cooked meals as takeaways. Amazing Christmas lights decorations can be found in these streets:
1 Evans Street
144 Kitchener Road
Carols on Bradbury on 10th December at 4:00 p.m.
Credit: City North Baptist Church Facebook
Everyone is invited to sing along with the merry Christmas carols at the annual carols event hosted by the City North Baptist Church. Singing, headed by music artist Dan Warlow, starts at 6:00 p.m. but a number of fun-filled activities are already open by 4:00 p.m. There will be BBQ and coffee on sale during the event. Playing at the jumping castle is free; petting animals at the animal farm is also free, as well as face painting, and even the glowsticks too.
Bradbury Park is at 91 Kitchener Rd, Kedron
KP Locals Christmas Party
Everyone who is fond of and has been a constant patron at Kedron Park Hotel is invited for a Christmas Party on the 16th of December. There will be free food, drinks, live entertainment, raffles, and different prizes at stake. All you have to do is wear a Christmas outfit and buy a beer at the hotel.
Here are the details of the Christmas Party.
Credit: Kedron Park Hotel Facebook
Christmas Lunch Buffet
Kedron Park Hotel also invites everyone to have their Christmas lunch at the hotel from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the 25th of December. Tickets must be purchased for this event. What comes free, however, is that your time, that you would have otherwise spent cooking and cleaning at home. Kids under three years old are free to eat, adult would just have to add a little for them to see Santa. He will also give gifts for all the kids coming to the event.
Coles has just opened at Kedron on the 30th of September but it is already gaining rave reviews from the community. The people are particularly impressed about the convenience in parking and the range of products available at the centre.
Parking at the Kedron branch has been designed with ample spaces between parking bays. This has allowed patrons to safely manoeuvre their shopping carts without hitting the car parked next to them. Parents have been particularly impressed as the parking bays also permit them to load and unload their children without causing trouble to other vehicles.
Opened on 30 Sep 17. Full line Supermarket with Liquor and Petrol. Great customer service and a wide range of products. Instore Bakery, Fresh Produce, Delicatessen with Salad Bar, extensive Cheese range. Plus a good Health Food and Vegetarian range. Cafe operated by an independent operator. – Andrew Aschman
The new design store offers a vast range of fresh produce and deli items at the entrance side of the store. Stocks a very good range of grocery items, and has a petrol outlet and liquor store in the complex, along with a coffee shop in the carpark. Great to see a modern grocery store located in Kedron at last – Mark Coleman
Amazing, best Coles ever! Staff are always attentive and friendly, produce is always fresh and well stocked… parking is excellent. Will definitely be making this my go to grocery store! – Ella Grace
Meanwhile, 12 of Coles’ brands have clinched much coveted spots in the recently concluded Product of The Year. More than 13,000 Australians have been surveyed by Nielsen in a bid to know the different brands that they would highly recommend.
Aside from the 12 Coles brands voted for the award, the Nielsen survey has also found that Coles provides the best shopping environment and experience overall for retailers. Shoppers have also voted Coles as being the first to have new products on its shelves, as well as having the most appealing home brands.
The 12 Coles brands which won the Product of the Year award are as follows:
· Coles Comfy Bots Nappies
· Coles Comfy Bots Baby Wipes
· Coles Organic Baby Food Pouches
· Coles Blueberry Cheesecake
· Coles Belgian Chocolate
· Coles Chilled Soups
· Coles Gloves Variety Pack
· Coles Australian Vegetable Rice and Noodles range
· Coles Smoothies
· Coles Crumbed Chicken
· Coles Stone Baked Pizza Bases
· Coles Chilled Ready Meals
Product of the Year Director Sarah Connelly explained that winning the award is huge affirmation of approval from the Australian public.
“Shoppers can be confident when they are buying products – whether it be fresh food, beauty items or larger purchases such as electric toothbrushes – that all the guess work has already been taken out by shoppers just like themselves.”
Product of the Year is the world’s largest consumer-voted award which was established 30 years ago in France. It guides consumers to the best products in the market while the award is a strong marketing for manufacturers and establishments like Coles.
Possible transport projects aimed at improving daily travel for Queenslanders, including Kedron commuters, were announced recently. The strategies envisioned less congested roads and a faster commute.
Labor pledged $75 million for projects involving the Northern and Eastern Transitways if re-elected. Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Jackie Trad explained that the transitways would cut the travel time among commuters, adding that Labor would see to it that bus lanes will operate uninterrupted from Kedron to Chermside bus station.
Meanwhile, the Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads published its Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy Projects on 13th of November. Four of the proposals involved busways in Herston to Kedron, Kedron to Aspley, Kedron to CBD, and Everton Park to Kedron.
Project 1 Herston to Kedron – Northern Busway
This project should connect the Inner Northern Busway at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Herston to Kedron with a bus-only corridor, following the Lutwyche Road. It is expected to cut the existing average bus travel time into half.
Construction of the Airport Link is ongoing on the three-kilometre section of the Northern Busway between Windsor and Kedron.
Project 4 Kedron to Aspley – Northern Busway
Under this project, the Kedron Northern Busway will be extended along Gympie Road to Aspley by constructing bus lanes from the end of the busway at Kedron within the Gympie Road corridor. This section would eventually be upgraded to busway standard.
Project 5 Kedron to CBD
Under this project, a high-quality cycleway will be built, providing a direct and continuous route from the Kedron Brook cycle way through to the CBD.
Project 18: Everton Park to Kedron Stafford Road Tunnel
The project foresees an urban motorway tunnel under Stafford Road to connect the proposed North West Transport Corridor and Inner Orbital with Airport Link.
All projects in order are as follows:
Project 1: Herston to Kedron – Northern Busway (SEQIPP)
Project 2: Kenmore to central business district – Western Bus Corridor staged bus lanes + Western Veloway
Project 3: Darra to Indooroopilly – Centenary Motorway transit lanes (SEQIPP)
Project 4: Kedron to Aspley – Northern Busway – staged upgrade + Northern Veloway Section 2
Project 5: Kedron to central business district – Northern Veloway – Section 1
Project 6: Clem Jones Tunnel to Gateway Motorway – Airport Link (SEQIPP)
Project 7: Toowong to Kelvin Grove – TransApex Northern Link tunnel
Project 8: Everton Park to Kedron – Stafford Road transit lanes + Stafford Road Veloway
Project 9: Kelvin Grove to Ashgrove – Musgrave/Waterworks Road bus lanes + The Gap access Veloway
Project 10: Kelvin Grove to Everton Park – Kelvin Grove/Enoggera Road bus lanes + North Western Veloway – Section 1
Project 11: North West Transport Corridor (part of a future North South Motorway) – North West Motorway + North West bus lanes + North Western Veloway – Section 2
Project 12: St Lucia to West End – Uni River Link
Project 13: Toowong to Everton Park (part of a future North South Motorway) – Inner Orbital tunnel
Project 14: Toowong to Everton Park – Western Ring Veloway
Project 15: Brisbane central business district – Albert Street Garden Axis Veloway
Project 16: Indooroopilly to Dutton Park – Uni Link Veloway
Project 17: Darra to Toowong – Centenary/Western Motorway upgrade
Project 18: Everton Park to Kedron – Stafford Road Tunnel
Rail
The Kedron High RSL Liaison Prefects is calling the community to help them find former or current Kedron State High School students or staff who served as part of the Australian Defence Force during military campaigns.
The prefects want the names of all Kedron State High School servicemen and women to be included on the new Honour Board for the state high school, in preparation of the Anzac Day celebration in 2018.
Marching to ANZAC service at Kedron Wavell RSL Credit: Kedron State High School Facebook
The people that are being searched for could have worked or may still be working as cleaners, groundsmen, office workers, teachers, principals, and other related jobs at Kedron State High School and other places after their stint at Kedron.
The Honour Board is the brainchild of a 17-year-old Kedron State High School student, Ryan Malone. It has also been his idea that the board be ready in time for the Anzac Day 2018. With the Honour Board, he wants to pay tribute to the ex-service people who attended his school, apart from being remembered twice a year.
Kedron State High School opened in 1956. Malone initially thought that there only be staff or former students who served during the Vietnam War on the Board. As of press time however, names that have been submitted for the board extend to those who served in World War II, Afghanistan, and the Malayan conflict.
Students Credit: Kedron State High School Facebook
To make the Honour Board ready for next year, he contacted RSL Liaison Prefect Claudia Watson from the Kedron-Wavell RSL Sub Branch for help. The latter then started its community-wide campaign, asking everyone for help.
In the event that enough names are gathered before the Anzac Day 2018, the Honour Board will be unveiled on the same day. However, the search for the servicemen will continue until all possible names have turned up.
Military service seems to have captured Malone’s heart entirely. The young man dreams of joining the reserves after graduating from college.
Cultural diversity contributes to Australia and to the Australian Defence Force Credit: Defence Jobs Australia Facebook
Those who are interested to submit names to the Honour Board, please contact Kedron State High School through their phone – 3630 3333 or email them by clicking here.
Meanwhile, the Kedron-Wavell RSL Sub Branch is also inviting servicewomen who served in World War II, the Land Army, post-WWII, or those who are currently serving the Defence. These women are being invited to be a member of the Kedron-Wavell Ex-Servicewomen’s Association, which ultimate goal is to continue and preserve the history of Women’s Defence Service. For further information, please click here.
After exactly three years since the Coles Group submitted a development application to the Brisbane City Council, Coles Supermarket Kedron finally opened last Saturday, the 30th of September. Coles Kedron has an in-store bakery, a gourmet delicatessen with olive bar and cheese wall, an open-style butchery, and 200 car park spaces.
On top of that, the Coles Kedron complex also features three surrounding specialty stores — Coles Express, Liquorland, and Coffee Guru.
Coles Express
Opening Hours: 4:00 a.m. – midnight
Photo credit: verbatim9/Skyscraper City
The complex in Kedron now has Coles Express. As one of Australia’s leading fuel and convenience retailers, Coles Express is a one-stop shop to fill up your cars and shop everyday value groceries, snacks, and drinks.
ADCO Constructions, the builders, and Gilbarco, the fuel system contractor, made the Coles Express construction possible. Switch, a multidisciplinary project group specialising in Fuel and Design Management and Clean Energy, provided the Fuel System Designs, Fuel System Inspections, and Design Management for this site.
Just like their other branches, Coles Express Kedron is a proud partner of the Cancer Council Australia, an organisation that focuses on researching about different types of cancer. Coles Express also supports Red Dust and its mission to promote good health to the indigenous youth of Australia.
Liquorland
Opening Hours:
Monday
10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday – Wednesday
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday
9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Photo credit: Harry Singh/LinkedIn
Another specialty store surrounding the Coles Kedron is Liquorland. As one of Australia’s largest alcohol stores, Liquorland Kedron will stock a wide range of imported wines, beers, ciders, Champagne, spirits, and premixed drinks.
Liquorland Kedron is one of the few stores in Queensland that are adjacent to Coles Supermarket. The opening of Liquorland Kedron also marked more job opportunities in the Kedron community area.
Coffee Guru
Opening Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Photo credit: verbatim9/Skyscraper City
Coffee Guru is now in Kedron! This is the cafe that everyone’s curious about. Although Coffee Guru is a chain of cafes across Australia, each store is independently owned and managed by a member of the local community.
Photo credit: Coffee Guru Kedron/Facebook
As a new addition to Kedron’s coffee scene, Coffee Guru promises a Premium Blend coffee that is bold, but not bitter. More than just the coffee, their homemade sweets and breakfast are also great come-ons for the members of community who are eager to try something new. Coffee Guru gave out free coffee for everyone on the 7th of October.
More Activities to Follow
Coles Kedron extended their opening activities on Saturday, the 7th of October with a community BBQ, free ice cream, face painting, balloon twisting, and some mini competitions. Coles will continue hosting fun activities for the community in the coming days.
“We’re also keen to get our community barbecues up and running, which will give local organisations the opportunity to hold a sausage sizzle at the store on weekends and raise funds for their school, sporting team or special cause,” Coles Kedron Store Manager Andrew Jensen.
The Bratmobile will bring Rolls Pho Mi to Kedron. It is a food mobile that has served Vietnamese street food since March 2016. They will be at JB Hi-Fi at the end of this month.
Freeborne is inviting everyone to welcome Spring with a toast. Join Freeborne as they raise their glasses of Chardonnay and Champagne to welcome spring and browse their new season’s range.
There will be bargains on the day as they say goodbye to Winter.
Join the Brisbane City Council in making Upper Kedron clean and green. Bring the kids and teach them how to plant trees. All participants will receive three plants for free.
Another treat for Dad this Father’s Day is the “meat-tastic” celebration and raffles at Edi. Dad will receive a care package including a complimentary drink and a ticket for the Father’s Day Hamper.
Kedron is next up for BCC’s kerbside collection pick-up on Monday, the 21st of August. It’s the time of the year again to get rid of those unwanted items inside your home that are just too big for the wheelie bins. Thinking about what to do with those items that you no longer need but seem to have a few good uses left in them?
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure
Photo credit: www.nationalstorage.com.au
Old blankets, rugs, and carpets; coffee makers, fans, and refrigerators that just need a little tinkering; sofas that need new upholstery to be reborn; faded cupboards and wooden furniture that are still usable; all of these can be placed on the kerbside.
However, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. Why don’t you save these items from getting dumped and donate the items to charity?
According to the February 2017 NAB Charitable Giving Index, total charitable giving fell in Queensland by 2.5% over the year course since February 2016. This has made Queensland the lowest of all the states in terms of total donations.
Kedron residents who have usable items among their planned kerbside piles can show that their giving hearts by checking out charities that accept item donations.
GIVIT
Photo credit: GIVIT – Goods For Good Cause/Facebook
“We match generosity with genuine need.” — GIVIT
GIVIT is a national non-profit virtual organisation founded by CEO Juliette Wright. They support all agencies, services, and charities in Australia to store, sort out, and distribute the donations to specific individuals or communities who exactly need the items.
This virtual organisation is currently supporting over 1,240 charities and community service providers all over Australia. The Kedron-based charities Cystic Fibrosis Queensland and Meals On Wheels are just two of the charities that GIVIT supports.
How to Donate?
Photo credit: GIVIT – Goods For Good Cause/Facebook
Interested donors can check the list of the items needed by other people and the charities. Some of the items that are often needed are the blankets, rugs, toys, beddings, and some kinds of big furniture or appliances.
GIVIT does not deliver or pick-up items, but they can provide the recipient’s contact details of people who can help you sort out the transportation and delivery of the items.
Donors can also pledge the items into the virtual warehouse by registering every item on their website with specifications on the delivery preferences. Just be mindful of the list of prohibited items to avoid inconvenience.
Recycle to Donate
Photo credit: www.nationalstorage.com.au
You can donate as much as you can, but make sure these items are usable. People in need deserve to receive quality items, too. Charitable institutions do not accept defective items that are worn out, because they don’t receive funding from the government to refurbish these items.
Recycle and refurbish the items you think that other people can still use. Recycling can also be great QT for the whole family. The kids will want to get their hands involved in this creative activity.
No Time to Recycle?
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council
If recycling is not your thing or if you simply have no time to make it your thing, BCC has another option on how to get rid of your clutter. The Resource Recovery Centre is open for both recyclable and green or general waste. The centres are located at Nudgee, Willawong, Ferny Grove, and Chandler.
The centres turn over all recyclable items that they receive to the tip shops in Acacia Ridge and Geebung. The tip shops are operated by the Endeavour Foundation, one of the largest non-government organisations in the country that helps people with disabilities.
Items for sale includes household furnishings, collectables, books, and toys. The shops are only open on Saturdays and Sundays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All of the proceeds are reinvested back into providing assistance to people with disabilities.
Photo credit: Peter Organisciak/Flickr
By donating, you can get rid of your unwanted items and help people in need at the same time. Kerbside Collection only happens once a year, but donating can happen anytime. Plan your piles and look at what you consider to be “trash.” See if you should dump it or GIVIT.
In a proposal submitted last June, Carbone Developments has lodged a proposal with the Brisbane City Council to transform the Kedron Bowls at 278 Gympie Road into a “Farmer Joe’s inspired fresh food centre.”
Is it Related to Farmer Joe’s?
Farmer Joe’s Country Market Photo credit: www.chermsidedistrict.org.au
Farmer Joe’s Country Market was a fresh food market that sold variety of fruits, vegetables, gourmet cheese, and meats. It operated once in the same proximity as the Kedron Bowls, but was closed in 2009 to give way to the inner-northern busway.
Although the plan is to construct a fresh food market in the same vicinity as the Farmer Joe’s was operating before its closure, Carbone Developments spokesman John O’Neil clarified that the former owners of Farmer Joe’s are not involved in this redevelopment project.
The Proposed Plan
Photo credit: DA Ref. No. A004685330, Brisbane City Council
The CDI Architects designed the plans for the “Kedron Market”. The project aims to modernise the facility into a place where the community can get fresh produce. The redevelopment plan includes having an anchor tenant, with an additional five tenancies available to accommodate supporting businesses
“We want a gourmet butcher, boutique bakery, perhaps fresh seafood, pasta and even a bottleshop which may specialise in craft beer or boutique wines,” Mr. O’Neil said.
The proposal also seeks to retain parts of the existing structure with some demolition works and extensions including raising of the roof height. It also includes creating a market lane from the frontage of Gympie Road through the building and onto the car park. This will improve accessibility.
The Development Details:
1,033 square metres for the Fresh Food Market
69 – 141 square metres for each tenancies
104 square metres for other amenities
72 shared car parks (commercial, motorbike, and disabled spaces)
Competition?
Photo credit: DA Ref. No. A003973633, Brisbane City Council
The proposed development is just 450 metres away from the soon-to-open Cole’s Supermarket, a supermarket giant that will offer retail, dining, and service stations to the Kedron community.
Although some may say that the Kedron Market is a bold move, Mr. O’Neil cleared that the proposed fresh food market will offer everything that Coles does not have. There will be no competition since the Kedron Market and Coles will have different range of products and items on offer.
“We don’t want to compete against them. You can’t compete against them. We will be offering high-level service and a line of specialty stores they didn’t provide in their development,” Mr. O’Neil said.
Photo credit: DA Ref. No. A004685330, Brisbane City Council
The “Kedron Carnival” opens on Saturday, the 22nd of July, in the grounds of Kedron State School. This family-friendly event will be filled with fun rides, delicious food and drinks, market stalls, live shows, and prizes.
The Highlights
Photo credit: Kedron Carnival 2017/Facebook
Kedron kids will enjoy fun rides including The Cup & Saucer, Giant Chairs, Giant Slides, Circus Fun Castle, and Ferris Wheel. The Laughing Clowns and Lucky Ducks yellow school caravan will be at the carnival for kids who are too young, too small, or too scared for the rides. There will also be an animal petting farm.
The whole family will enjoy Crazy Hair Stall, where they can get cool or wacky hairstyles using Lenan Corporation’s colourful hair sprays.
Food and market stalls will display a variety of delicious wares. Beer lovers will have a dedicated Craft Beer stall with Garden Ale, Pacific Ale, and Fixation IPA on offer. Not a beer lover? Red and white wines, and champagnes are also on offer.
Photo credit: Kedron Carnival 2017/Facebook
It’s not a carnival without prizes to win. Fitness First Lutwyche’s Premium Membership valued at $1,200 will be on the Monster Raffle. The kids will love the large talking minions as prizes at the Pick-A-Stick stall.
Important Reminders for the Kedron Carnival
Photo credit: Kedron Carnival 2017/Facebook
Here are some useful tips to remember when going to the carnival.
The pre-purchasing promo of tickets already ended on the 17th of July. Pre-purchased ticket holders will receive a complimentary $5 Ciao Gelato Nundah voucher. These tickets can be claimed on the day of the carnival at the “Pre-Paid Section” of the Ticket Sales Tent near the rides.
Tickets can also be purchased on the day for:
$30 – armband (unli rides);
$8 – single ride; and
$20 – three rides.
Parking
There are limited parking spaces at the Kedron State School, so come early to ensure you can get a space.
Dress Code
There is no strict dress codes, but avoid wearing offensive statement shirts. Tank tops and shorts are accepted, as well as thongs, but shoes are better. Bring some extra clothes for the kids and make sure they are comfy.
