The company has signed a deal with Cains Brewery Village
Liverpool will get yet another street food destination next year as London’s Boxpark has agreed initial terms to open inside the former canning hall at Cains Brewery Village.
The news that Boxpark is setting up its first non-London operation in Liverpool is exciting.
The new Liverpool venue in the Baltic Quarter marks the group’s first Boxpark-branded development outside of London. The hospitality provider already has three sites in Shoreditch, Croydon and Wembley.
Boxpark Liverpool is scheduled to launch in late 2023 and will be an all-day dining and entertainment venue. The company has agreed a 15-year lease with Cains Brewery Village for the site, which will be turned into a food hall and events venue with units set over the ground floor, a small internal mezzanine, and an external terrace.
Spanning 16,000 sq ft and holding 400 internal covers plus 200 external covers, the proposals for Boxpark Liverpool include around ten kitchen units, three internal bars and additional external bars.
With a reputation for street food, independent retailers and events, Boxpark says its new venue will aim to champion local businesses and talent with opportunities for both independent and established food operators, as well as artists, creators and performers from Liverpool. The new scheme is set to deliver over 150 jobs.
Cllr Sarah Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Development and Economy, said: “The news that Boxpark is setting up its first non-London operation in Liverpool is exciting. It’s also a perfect illustration of the city’s significant appeal to investors.
"I’m delighted that Boxpark has placed social value at the heart of its decision-making, with their commitment to working with the local supply chain and to recruiting from within the city.”
Coined “the world's first pop up mall” by its founder Roger Wade, Boxpark Shoreditch launched in 2010. Dozens of shipping containers contain pop up spaces that have housed all manner of outlets, from a Nike running shop to a Japanese-Latin fusion street food concept.
Boxpark Croydon opened in October 2016 and now boasts over 30 street traders from around the world set in over 90 shipping containers. The Wembley site opened in 2018 and is the largest venue to date, offering a selection of street food traders, a year-round schedule of entertainment, and a fan park area with a 20,000 sq ft events space.
Simon Champion, CEO at Boxpark, said, “We are thrilled to announce such a fantastic location for our next Boxpark venture. Our team have searched extensively for sites in Liverpool since 2016, having considered multiple locations across the city but we believe the Cains Brewery Village is perfect for this scheme.
"As a dynamic and fast-growing business, we hope Boxpark will be an exciting addition to Liverpool’s buzzing food and drink scene, offering an all-day food and entertainment destination.”
As the news of Boxpark Liverpool broke on social media, some asked if Red Brick Market would be closing down. In 2018, the curators and owners consolidated the Red Brick Vintage and Red Brick Hangar Market brands into "Red Brick Market" with the vintage area moved into the old canning hall.
When we asked Red Brick Market if it was on the move, they said, "Yes we will be moving to a bigger venue just a stone’s throw away in the next few months. We’ll be announcing on our socials soon - all very exciting."
A spokesperson for the landlord at Cains Brewery Village said, "Cains Brewery Village has been home to many independent retailers who have evolved in our creative, community space. However, we are excited to welcome Boxpark Liverpool, a new addition to the Baltic Triangle which will offer an all-day dining and entertainment venue that will breathe new life into the neighbourhood. Our retailers have had an incredible journey with us so far and we are working closely with them as they move on from the site.”
Of course, Merseyside already has similar concepts in the form of Baltic Market, Baltic Beer Garden, Southport Market, and the forthcoming Blackstock Market and Ormskirk Market, so it will be interesting to see how Boxpark does in the city. And, where the Red Brick Market story goes from here.
Read next: First wave of food and drink traders announced for Ormskirk Market
Read again: Inside Renshaw Street Food Market, Liverpool's new Asian-themed food hall
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