Jacopo’s Pizza Opens Inside Range Brewing in Newstead

Since opening in 2018, Range Brewing has developed a reputation as one of Brisbane’s best breweries. Its beers are already some of the most in-demand in town, but more recently its Roman-style sourdough pizzas have developed a cult following of their own.

In March, co-owners Gerard Martin and Matt McIver relaunched the brewery’s popular pizza kitchen as Jacopo’s, with a new menu and a new look. It’s named after their first chef, Jacopo Alessi – who, according to Martin, learnt how to make pizza while visiting an ex-Mafia member who was under house arrest in Rome. He says Alessi made pizzas in the Mafioso’s home, selling them to the public out the window.

“Our kitchen’s new look and menu was well overdue,” Martin says. “When [we decided] how this new identity and menu would look, we instantly thought of Jacopo.”

Alessi moved to Australia in 2017. He landed in Tasmania, but flew to Brisbane after spotting a job ad for pizza chef at Range. He established the kitchen in just under two weeks. Though he returned to Italy before long, his sourdough starter – named Stella – is still used in Range’s pizza dough today.

The new menu features a number of starters, including ‘nduja meatballs with house-made focaccia, cacio e pepe suppli (Roman fried rice balls, similar to Sicilian arancini) and house-made garlic bread. Pizzas include the Peter Piper, with hot salami, fermented chilli, honey and (of course) pickled peppers; the Obligatory, with house-made ‘nduja meatballs, ham and shaved porchetta; and the Spice Rack, with pumpkin, roasted chickpeas, eggplant and tzatziki. Plus, every Thursday the restaurant turns into a fried chicken pop-up, serving crispy chook with bowls of dipping sauce.

Range started out as small-batch operation, releasing new beers weekly rather than developing a core line-up. But it recently added its first core beer: a hazy pale ale called Disco. It’ll be permanently on tap at the brewery, alongside a rotating list of IPAs, lagers, sours and dark beers.

The Range team is also working on a new events space next door, The Bethnal, which will double as a barrel room. Named after London’s Bethnal Green, where Martin and McIver first devised the idea for Range, it is expected to open in May.

“The idea is to continue the development of our barrel-aged stout program and explore new beer [styles] using natural ferments,” says head brewer Mitch Pickford. “We’re really fortunate to be using pre-used wine barrels from Victorian winery Latta Vino and Koerner Brothers to help build our floor-to-ceiling barrel wall.”

Jacopo’s Pizza
4 Byres Street, Newstead

Hours:
Wed to Thu 4pm–8.30pm
Fri to Sun 12pm–late

jacopospizza.com
@jacopospizza