New Greater Manchester food hall receives ‘incredible’ number of applications to trade

Bolton Food Hall, which opens later this year, was inundated with applications from people who wanted to sell food, with over 70 bidding for just nine spots.

Written by Chris Gee
Last updated 10 months ago
Bolton, Food & Drink

More than 70 potential food and drink businesses are considering a bid to trade from just nine outlets at Bolton Market’s new food hall, which is set to open later this year.

Bolton Food Hall looks like another superb place to eat out, and we can’t wait to see who gets selected to showcase their wares.

The potential food and drink vendors toured the venue during an open-day event over the weekend.

Bolton Food Hall

Built with funding from the government’s Towns Fund, the new venue hopes to extend the market’s hours into the evening, meaning more visitors to the town centre.

And with most highstreets across the UK needing a bit of love, this might just be the spark needed to help re-invigorate the high street.

Dozens of interested business owners, both established traders and new names, inspected nine catering units serving a communal dining area for 192 customers.

A huge waiting list

Around 50 food and drink businesses registered a serious interest on the day, adding to the significant number who have already added their name to the waiting list.

The final line-up of traders will be unveiled ahead of opening in the Spring, with selection based on business cases and ensuring a wide variety of options for customers.

The team behind Bolton Food and Drink Festival

Traders will be supported by the award-winning team behind Bolton Market and the Bolton Food and Drink Festival. Benefits include a communal pot wash service, a live entertainment programme, televised sports and later opening hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

The new food hall venue is part of a wider £5.59m transformation of Bolton Market backed by the Towns Fund.

The fund has also supported the creation of Elizabeth Park, the refurbished Central Library, and the upcoming Wellsprings innovation hub for tech start-ups.

Councillor Akhtar Zaman

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, Coun Akhtar Zaman, said: “This modern and flexible hospitality venue is already proving to be very popular, with more than 70 potential traders through the door in just a few hours yesterday.

“With the Moor Lane development, major cultural venues, and large office buildings on its doorstep – I am sure this was the first of many busy days for our new food hall.

“Entertainment, live sport and a programme of events at nearby Elizabeth Park will help make the hall a popular destination for students, families, and visitors of all ages.”

You can find out more on the Bolton Council website by clicking here

This article was last updated 10 months ago.
It was first published on 13 February 2024 and is subject to be updated from time to time. Please refresh or return to see the latest version.

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