Plans to transform Goole’s Market Hall into a vibrant food hall and events venue have taken a major leap forwards with the announcement that a third party operator has been appointed to run the venue.
In response to a formal tendering process conducted earlier this year, Brew York, a brewery based in York that also operates tap rooms and bars at venues in York, Leeds, Otley, Pocklington, Guiseley and Knaresborough, submitted a successful bid to bring its hugely popular combination of craft beer and street food to Goole.
In addition to the food and drink offering from Brew York, the refurbished Market Hall will also offer flexible space for local creative and craft businesses and host events of both a commercial and community nature to generate an income. A boxing event held there earlier this year was just one example of the many different types of activities that the venue could host in the future.
Councillor Anne Handley, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Brew York has been appointed to operate the Market Hall and will be bringing its incredibly popular combination of craft beer and street food to the heart of Goole. This is a massive boost for the town centre, which will undoubtedly bring more visitors and increased spending to Goole.
“It was very important to the Goole Town Deal Board that, in addition to a food and drink offering that would boost the evening economy, the Market Hall should also still be able to host pop-up events and performances so we’re absolutely delighted with this outcome and can’t wait to welcome Brew York to Goole.”
Brew York’s Managing Director, Wayne Smith, said: “We are really excited to be part of this amazing scheme. We have been working closely with the Goole Town Deal team since the back end of 2023 to ensure that we transform the Market Hall into a hub for the town to draw more people out and create a vibrant destination for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to bring our experience in events and entertaining to the town, and bring along our friends to serve up some of the best brews and local street food in the country.”
The Goole Town Deal Board is investing £4 million of Government funding into the Market Hall and see it as an important ‘anchor’ destination that will significantly increase footfall and spending in the town centre, benefiting other town centre businesses and boosting the local economy. It’s hoped that the venue can become a central part of what’s considered to be Goole’s ‘cultural quarter’ by collaborating closely with Junction Goole and Goole Museum, which are both nearby.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government gave the Goole Town Deal Board an early funding allocation and this came just at the right time for the Market Hall. A sum of £190,000 was used to carry out urgent repairs to the leaking roof, as well as a series of improvements inside, including the removal of the fixed stalls and levelling of the floor to create more space. This timely intervention halted the Market Hall’s long-running decline and made it possible for it to become a hub of activity once again.
Planning permission for the refurbishment project was granted in May of this year and work is due to start on site later this year in preparation for it re-opening as a food hall and events venue in the spring of 2025.
Back in 2019, the Victorian Market Hall’s future was looking increasingly bleak. It was costing Goole Town Council more than £1,000 per month to operate the market and the fabric of the building was in an increasingly poor state of repair. As a result, the market closed and the building was handed back to East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Thankfully, a golden opportunity arrived later that same year when Goole was invited to apply for a share of the Government’s Town Deal funding and the Market Hall became central to the Goole Town Deal Board’s plans to reinvigorate the town centre.
