This bold idea turned tired Altrincham into a buzzing town, now everywhere else is copying it
The article discusses how Altrincham's revitalization through the introduction of a food hall has inspired other towns in Greater Manchester, such as Denton, Hyde, Wigan, Bolton, and Oldham, to adopt similar models to rejuvenate their struggling high streets and night-time economies.
Altrincham’s transformation from a declining suburb to a thriving destination began with a single food hall, and now towns across Greater Manchester are racing to replicate its success.
Just over a decade ago, the leafy suburb on the edge of Greater Manchester was becoming run down, with low footfall and shuttered shops. The arrival of Altrincham Market sparked new life into the area where Sacha Lord, the Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, grew up.
When people came to drink and eat at the revived market, soaking up the atmosphere as they chowed down woodfired pizzas and bao buns, the retail sector followed suit. Trendy restaurants, cafes and shops started popping up in empty commercial units. Now Altrincham sees thousands of visitors walking the streets at weekend, visiting the plethora of bars and shops.
“There was this huge explosion of the night time economy in Altrincham,” Mr Lord explained. “On the back of that the retail sector moved back in. So the food hall definitely did trigger this and we’ve seen this time and time again with food markets. The reason why I like them is that they’re a really good business model for smaller independents that don’t want to take on the bigger overheads of having their own shop units with business rates.”
Denton in Tameside is the latest town hoping to piggyback on this success, with an application tabled for a food hall next to Jubilee Square. The plan for ‘Hatters Square’ would see four old retail units replaced by a huge food hall across two floors, with the vision to ‘revive the town centre high street’ and attract a new demographic to ‘live, work and play’.
Applications are also underway for Hyde town centre and Wigan’s Eckersley Mill. The Hyde project would see the food hall built under 21 apartments off Market Place, while the Wigan scheme is part of a £200m overhaul of the historic mill by the Heaton Group, expecting to create hundreds of new homes and leisure spaces. They’ve already got an outdoor street food set-up named Feast at The Mills providing a sample of what’s to come.
“I support any applications for food halls because I’ve seen the difference it can make,” Mr Lord added. “People are copying the Altrincham model. It works. I can see a food hall working in these areas currently looking at. It can reinvigorate the high street and make a difference. I remember when they were planning to open the Alty market food hall and people said ‘it’s never going to happen’ or ‘Altrincham has had its day’, but look at it now. There was huge scepticism.”
Greater Manchester’s two recently opened food halls in Bolton and Oldham show the trend continues. Oldham’s Egyptian Room, opened in November as part of a multi-million pound renovation of the Old Town Hall, features Egyptian-inspired architecture with seating for 150 guests, six kitchens and a bar with live music. Bolton Market welcomed its own version in June 2024, forming part of a £5.9m transformation offering gourmet burgers, Japanese food and kebabs alongside live music and sports screenings.
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