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North's dining scene
closes gap with London as new study ranks region's most "restauranty"
Cities
AS the booming Northern restaurant
scene continues to outperform that of London a new survey by leading trade
exhibition NRB and CGA Peach ranks the region's most "restauranty"
Cities. Newcastle pips Manchester to the top spot with the greatest density
of restaurants and York claims third position, whilst Paul Askew, of 'The
Art School' in Liverpool, champions the vibrancy of the dining scene
outside London.
Research conducted by Holden Media, organisers of Northern Restaurant and Bar
(NRB), 1 of the UK's largest hospitality trade shows, has shocked foodies
across the Country, by revealing that Northern Cties are challenging London
for the title of the UK's most restaurant dense region. A surge in new
Northern openings has seen the numbers of "residents per restaurant"
in the region fall 18% between 2011 and 2015, compared to a decrease of only
13% in London.
The research, using data supplied by CGA Peach, the leading hospitality
insight business, ranks Newcastle upon Tyne as the North's most
'restauranty' City, with one restaurant for every 1,558 residents, narrowly
pushing Manchester, with 1,576 residents per restaurant, into 2nd place.
York takes 3rd spot with 1 restaurant for every 1,585 residents. This is
compared to London's restaurant density of 1,353 residents per restaurant,
highlighting exactly how close the leading Northern Cities are getting to
the capital.
The North West contributes 2 other Cities to the list, with Liverpool and
Chester both making the Northern top 10. Liverpool holds 4th spot, with
1 restaurant for every 1,996 residents, and Chester follows in 5th
position with one for every 2,595. Close behind in 6th place is Leeds with 1 for every 2,598, followed by Carlisle, Sheffield, Preston and
Sunderland.
Industry experts suggest the notable swing towards the North is driven by
factors such as more affordable set up costs, an increasingly sophisticated
audience and a trend towards cultural tourism, in the North's post industrial
Cities.
Thom Hetherington, CEO of Holden Media, is unsurprised by the burgeoning
restaurant scene beyond the Capital saying:- "London is a global
gastronomic City, but clearly the North of England is catching up at a rate
of knots, not least because it is possible for cash strapped, but talented
chefs, to set up their own ventures and cook their hearts out for an
appreciative audience. This research explains exactly why our visitor
numbers at the Northern Restaurant and Bar show are booming."
Paul Askew, Chef Patron of The Art School in Liverpool, says:- "The
dining scene in our City has seen a huge shift in standards, ambitions and
choice. In my opinion this is driven by its inherent desire for creative,
convivial, quality food and drink culture. The pride has been put back in
Liverpool and its legendary hospitable culture is not just exciting the
local market, but worldwide visitors from cruise ships and corporate
travellers alike. Operating Standards are rising rapidly as are the
expectations of the food offer in a truly cosmopolitan City which is really coming of age.
So whether it's a tasting menu and wine flight or microbrewery beer and
cocktails there really is something for everyone. The feel good factor is
back and ingredients are at an all time high on quality and choice."
Hetherington agrees, arguing "With its glut of new restaurants
offering diverse dining of the highest order surely it can be argued that
the North of England is 1 of Europe's most exciting gastronomic
destinations? Serious foodies should be planning their next trip!"
The North's largest hospitality show, Northern Restaurant and Bar, returns to
Manchester Central over 15 March to 16 March, for its 16th year. NRB is a must
visit exhibition for hospitality professionals (it is not open to the
general public) and includes the NRB Debate and the NRB Top Fifty Awards
celebrating the region's top operators.
For further information on the exhibition, events, exhibitors and how to get
free tickets visit:- northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk. |
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Preparations to be made
for arrival of British Music Experience
THE arrival of Britain's only
museum of popular music is 1 step closer as the lease and funding is set
to be approved on Friday, 18 March 2016.
A report going to Cabinet proposes to enter in to a 7 year lease with the
British Music Experience (BME) which is set to open in the Cunard Building
in the summer. The commercial agreement will see the City Council acting as
landlord, with the deal leading to significant financial benefit to the
council, as well as creating around 35 jobs and attracting 250,000 visitors
each year.
As part of the deal, £3.1 million will be invested in the Cunard Building
prior to the BME taking up residence in the former Departure Lounge location
on the ground floor. This will see improvements made to the facility
including new access into Cunard, a new café area, toilets, rewiring and the
creating of infrastructure which will be used to house the exhibits.
It is expected that £1.7million will come from the City Council, £900k from
grant funding and the remaining £500k will be a third party contribution
used to pay for the state of the art audio visual hardware and software
which will also be installed as part of the preparations.
The operator, expected to be appointed shortly, will also host one BME
fundraising gala for the music industry each year.
Mayor Joe Anderson, said:- "The BME will be a fantastic addition to
the City's existing attractions and we are already getting indications it
will be hugely popular as music once again proves to be a huge visitor
driving force for the City.
There is a huge amount of anticipation around the arrival of the BME and we
can really start moving forward with plans once the lease and finances have
been agreed.
This is a win win situation; not only does it result in us introducing a
new cultural asset to the City from which we expect to make a profit, but it
also means Council Tax payers benefit financially from the project and we
can reinvest in valued services."
BME chair, Harvey Goldsmith, said:- "The BME is delighted the project
has reached the Cabinet for approval. We look forward to joining the
cultural offering of Liverpool and creating something innovative and
exciting for visitors from the UK and all over the world.
The BME will actively be growing its already significant collection of stage
outfits, instruments and memorabilia for public display in the heart of
Liverpool. The UK desperately needs a home for its rich history of popular
music and there's no better place than the City of Liverpool. The City's support has been tremendous. We share a vision of Liverpool as the popular
music capital of the UK and beyond."
The BME is heading to the City after a 5 year run at London's O2 and will
see more than 600 rare music heritage archive items go on display. The
unrivalled collection of music artefacts and memorabilia includes some of
David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust costumes and the original handwritten lyrics to
Blue Monday, by New Order. The Museum will also pay homage to the impact
British music has had on the culture, fashion, art and politics of the time.
Using the Museum's interactive approach, visitors will be able to trace
historic and era defining moments and experience what it may have felt like
to be part of them. An interactive instrument studio will allow people to
unleash the rock 'n' roll within them, others can learn how to Vogue in the
dance booth or perhaps flick through virtual record collections.
Tablets and smartphones can also be used to unlock the display cases and
listen to tracks, learning the secrets kept behind the glass doors.
With an amazing comprehensive archive of iconic images and footage, visitors
can immerse themselves in the history of British music, which created some
of the world's most influential artists.
The BME will also have a café and a shop providing a range of desirable
music and pop culture related products. From rock heritage merchandise to
drumstick pencils, the shop offers a range of price points and trendy retro
music heritage merchandise, including a curated selection of vinyl records.
Additionally, the BME will host Learning and Public Programmes to further
enrich the museum experience and reach, through a range of events; from
educational workshops for school children tied to the national curriculum,
to master classes and gigs hosted by industry experts. It will also offer a
unique and engaging venue for corporate events and after parties.
The British Music Experience is a registered not for profit charity with the
purpose of advancing the education and appreciation of the art, history and
science of music in Britain (registered charity no.1125752). The BME is
managed by an independent Board of Trustees and chaired by Harvey Goldsmith,
CBE.
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