Big and Bold at Blackburn

The official opening of Blackburn’s long-awaited new Market will be on Saturday 9th July.

Celebrity Lancashire chef, Nigel Haworth

Lancashire celebrity chef Nigel Haworth will be there to demonstrate his Michelin star-winning skills using local produce from the Market, assisted by Blackburn Rovers and the NMTF lion mascots, Victor and Roar! Owners Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and the stallholders are promising a warm welcome to shoppers both new and old.

The Market has been open for trade since the start of June but the decision to postpone the official launch until early July has allowed more traders to finish fitting-out. A spokesman for the Council said, “It’s been five years in the making but its well worth it. We’re waiting for the official footfall counts but feedback from stallholders suggests sales are up significantly on a day-on-day basis, even after the change from three to six-day trading”.

A very busy Delicatessen

The new Market forms part of the recently refurbished Blackburn Shopping Centre owned jointly by the Council and The Mall Fund. The former three-day and six-day Market buildings off Ainsworth Street were built in the 1960’s and the result of a competition to redevelop their site is due soon. More retail, new offices and a replacement bus station are understood to be proposed.

The new Market trades six-days per week and faces onto Ainsworth Street and Church Street. It hosts some 90 businesses split between food and non-food uses and the layout is based on the enormously-popular Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona. Escalators, lifts and a staircase link the Market into the shopping mall and car park above, with stalls fitted-out with counters and data services and a food section laid-out around a food court. The seven-month fitting-out contract cost some £8 million and was fast-tracked after months of uncertainty last year when it was rumoured that part might be under offer to Marks & Spencer for a food hall.

A popular cheese counter

Quarterbridge advised the Council and worked with Architects Capita Symonds to incorporate stallholders’ requirements wherever possible. Jonathan Owen, Director of Quarterbridge said, “The Council has been bold and it’s paid-off. The decision to install food counters and coldrooms was crucial to creating the quality environment that shoppers expect. We’re definitely seeing a much younger customer base using the new Market and it’s nice to be approached by a pensioner and told “This is great – it’s put the town centre back on the map.”

Fresh meat counter

A bustling food court

A few stalls are still available on three-year and six-year leases at rents from £28 per sq ft per annum plus service charge and rates. Interested traders should contact Quarterbridge lettings on 01787 272900 or the Management Office on 01254 52911 for more details.