The Local List
A slowly growing list of services, trades and small businesses we genuinely use, around Bowen Hills and the broader inner-Brisbane patch the column covers. No paid placements. No affiliate links. If a name comes off this page, it is because something changed, not because someone bought their way off.
Readers ask, roughly twice a week, who we use for the unglamorous stuff. The plumber who actually shows up. The mower who turns up the day they said they would. The person to call when the gutters clearly need attention before the next storm. So this is the page. It will fill out over time. Most of these are sole operators or small family-run outfits. None of them paid to be here.
If you run a small local business and you would like to be considered for the list, the email is on the contact page. We say no to most pitches, politely.
Home and garden
Brisbane Lawn Mowing. The team we have used on the courtyard at the column office for the past three years. Marty turns up on the day he says he will, charges a flat rate, and has saved us at least two embarrassments before tenant inspections. They cover most of inner Brisbane and out to the bayside. Brisbane Lawn Mowing handles regular mows, hedge trimming, and the occasional one-off cleanup when the courtyard goes feral.
More entries coming. We have three plumbers, an electrician, a tile guy and a window cleaner currently being trialled. If they make the cut they go on the list, if they do not they quietly do not.
Trades and contractors
This section is being built out across the next few issues. The shortlist is currently with editors. Bookmark the page if you want to check back, or it goes out in the Friday email when each new entry lands.
Health, wellness and pets
To come. Two vets, a dog walker, a physio and a remedial massage operator are on the trial list.
Food, drink and event hire
Most of our food and drink coverage lives over on the Eat with us page (rotating monthly shortlist) and the What's on calendar. The directory section here is reserved for businesses that operate behind the scenes, the caterers, the dry hire mob, the pop-up bar people, the ones you call when you are organising rather than attending.
How a name gets on this list
We have used the business ourselves, paid the invoice ourselves, and would call them again without thinking. We have asked at least one other reader who has used them and got a clean answer back. The owner has not asked to be listed, or if they have, we have ignored that and made the call independently. We have a rough rule that we wait six months between first using a business and adding them, so the early-honeymoon effect wears off.
If you have someone you would put on a list like this, the contact page is open. We read every reply. We add slowly.