Spotlight | Pop Up Picnics Toowoomba

26 Feb

Luxurious pop-up picnics in the garden city.

Updated October 2022
Photography by Morgan Smith

This week we once again got in the way as Amy and Liesa set up one of their legendary picnics. The clever entrepreneurs behind Pop Up Picnics Toowoomba were creating a luxurious spread in Queens Park as we discussed all things local business. Juggling day jobs and families, Amy and Liesa created their dream jobs, bringing events to life on the weekends.

We spoke to Amy and Liesa about weekend breakfasts, the best way to indulge, and Toowoomba’s favourite chips.

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First things first: why Toowoomba?

Both of us grew up 40km west of Toowoomba in a small town called Mt Tyson. We then made the short move to a farm in Biddeston, where our family is still based today. We both attended Mt Tyson State School then went on to attend high school at Downlands College. When we finished school, we moved into Toowoomba to complete our university studies (Liesa completing a Bachelor of Education, and Amy completing a Bachelor of Law).

We both love everything that Toowoomba has to offer. The city is large enough without having the hustle and bustle of places like Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Toowoomba has such a relaxed and easy feel to it, which is perfect since we both have young families. We also love how supportive the business community has been, and feel there are so many great opportunities for small businesses in Toowoomba.

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What is Pop Up Picnics Toowoomba?

We style and create luxe pop-up picnics in Toowoomba and surrounding areas. Our boutique picnic events are created to celebrate any occasion including bridal showers, hen’s parties, baby showers, birthday parties, weddings, a romantic picnic for two or just a simple catch up with the girls. We found a gap in the market in Toowoomba, and thought why not!? We both love being creative and we both love throwing a party, so we thought it was a great opportunity. There is no better feeling than helping someone create beautiful memories.

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What have you learned about running a business in Toowoomba?

We have been blown away from the support we have received, not only from locals, but other small businesses. We rely purely on word of mouth and social media for our advertising, and it is such a great feeling to know that the community is loving what we are doing, and everyone is helping to build each other up – we definitely get the warm, fuzzy feeling!

What does an average day look like for you?

An average day for us would ideally start with a coffee from Pump! We are just your average Mums during the week, juggling work and home life, so we try to focus on our upcoming picnics in any spare moment that we possibly can. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into our picnics, from cleaning and packing to putting flowers together and organising platters, so there aren’t too many average days - but we wouldn’t change a thing!

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What does your ideal Toowoomba weekend look like?

It would start with breakfast at a local cafe, catching up with friends and family, taking the kids to one of the beautiful parks, and having backyard BBQs. We love to relax on our weekends and not have too many plans if possible.

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