Worcester artisan food hall and farmers market to follow HoH Food Hall, Hull launch

The former Debenhams site in Worcester is set to undergo a major 9 month transformation, which has started this week.

Window installations give a taste of what’s to come at the site and once finished it’s planned to house a vibrant, artisanal food hall as well as a community led farmers’ market.

Debenhams permanently closed its doors earlier this year, and the RoK Ops team behind the development were excited at the chance to create a new offering combining dining, organic grocery, retail food, music and culture.

With the team’s development in Hull, Yorkshire set to open in summer 2021, the Rok Ops team are keen to start the Worcester transformation.

The community-driven concept supports local producers, growers, makers and bakers, and has been curated by food and beverage expert Des McDonald of the RoK Ops team to deliver a dynamic and unique food driven experience direct to the high street.

With extensive experience in F&B and more than 35 years in hospitality, including an impressive track record of developing, opening and operating over 150 restaurants, bars, cafes and coffee shops, Des will ensure consistent quality and innovation as the project progresses.

He has the distinction of having opened one of the original Ivy restaurants, Soho House and the world-famous Annabel’s nightclub, and has an impressive portfolio of restaurants across America, Europe and the Middle East, including Selfridges and Eataly.

Speaking of the upcoming developments, Des commented:

“We’re looking forward to working with the local community to transform this historical city centre building into something completely new. We’ll be looking to work with local partners at every stage of the regeneration and there will be a real focus on independents.

Eann Ramsey-Smith, Project Manager, ROK Opps added:

“The High Street is undergoing major changes, with the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating huge shifts in the way people shop. The food hall platform offers local producers the ability to plug and play, creating a diverse offer at each location, where our focus is on the local supply chain, local labour, zero waste, local partnerships and the ability to create a vibrant community in our buildings.

We’re developing a unique concept of Artisan Food Halls, which focus on visual production. Combining food retail, hospitality and culture, all of our food halls will be independent and completely unique; we don’t have a cookie-cutter approach.”

Jeremy Seymour, JS LAND & CAPITAL (GLOBAL) LTD (agent on behalf of the landlord) commented:

“Our collaborative approach is at the heart of everything we do. The partnership between landlord, tenant, operators and the local community is the bedrock of everything we are determined to achieve.”

Press contact:
Beth Gray | PR Manager | bethany@sowden-sowden.co.uk | 07715 668030
For more information about the development visit: www.rokops.co.uk