Street food fans are in for a treat with the opening of Nottingham's Bustler Market - which welcomed customers for the first time on Friday (September 30). The award-winning Derby venture has branched out to open in a second location over the border.
There couldn't be a better setting than one of the avenues at Sneinton Market. It's cool, quirky and outdoors - but with the option to sit inside too. Some of the UK's best street food traders will be heading for a pitch at the "raw and refined industrial" setting on Avenue E.
One of the units at the former fruit and vegetable market has been transformed with capacity for 500 inside (around 250 seats) and a further 300 outside. Opening weekend will welcome Prad Thai, Kebab Cartel, Yardbirds' fried chicken, El Capo's Pizza and, for sweet-toothed foodies, the Bournville Waffle Co.
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Founder Olivia Pritchard hopes to build on the success Bustler Market has had in Derby at the Chocolate Factory. She said: "We are really lucky with the traders we get coming down here. We've got really great relationships with some of the UK's top ones. Many have won different street food awards and we're really proud to be able to have that."
The Sneinton unit which was rebuilt after a fire, is light and airy, with 270° glass surrounds and skylights, industrial wooden boarding and plenty of foliage to add a splash of colour alongside the graffiti artwork by Natalie Coe. Olivia added: "It's so light and airy and spacious. In the daytime it looks completely different to the night-time when we have a flood-lit coloured ceiling and a big disco ball.
"We are very lucky with the site. It's close to Hockley and you get the people going out into town and also the people coming back that have eaten and want a few drinks afterwards, and it's near the Motorpoint Arena. It's an amazing the space itself lends itself very well."
The indoor bar has Freedom Brewery lager, Jubel Beer, Neck Oil IPA and Aspall Cyder on tap. Local brews Totally Brewed Block Paving Your Dreams and Black Iris' Little Nipper are on sale, while even closer to home is Neon Raptor's Memory Tapes brewed in Avenue A. Wine and spirits are available and to entice cocktail connoisseurs how about Espresso Martini, Mary Pickford and a Sneinton Sour.
Opening hours will be Thursday from 5pm to 10pm, Friday 5pm to 11pm, Saturday noon to 11pm and Sunday 2pm to 6pm. It's five years since Bustler Market opened in Derby and Olivia said coming to Nottingham was a "no brainer."
She added: "It's just got a great buzz, a great nightlife scene. There's already so many amazing places to eat and drink in Nottingham, it's got a great atmosphere whenever you go out."
Sustainability has also been a large driving factor for the venue’s operation which means a cashless bar, LED-only lights, and recycled glasses and packaging to maintain as small a carbon footprint as possible. Olivia added: “Opting for ethical and greener working practices is something we believe is so important. As such, when choosing our vendors, we’ve taken that into consideration and have accounted for all dietary requirements, with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options from at least one of our food stalls available each week.
“It’s a really exciting time for us and we can’t wait to welcome the people of Nottingham through our doors.”
The venue will be managed by James Moore, who said DJs will be playing on Friday and Saturday nights and eventually live Sunday sessions will be introduced. Work is continuing at a second unit, which will eventually house kitchens and a cocktail bar, opening in 2023.
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