UK food halls surge
The UK food‑hall market grew 31% in the past year with 35 new venues — a clear sign London’s multi‑vendor, convenience‑led dining scene is expanding fast. If you like variety and street‑food vibes, London’s food halls are an increasingly reliable weekend plan. (restaurantonline.co.uk)
The market figures are drawn from the UK Multi‑Vendor Operator Annual Report 2026, compiled by consultancy Next Phase in partnership with me&u. (restaurantonline.co.uk) The report also identifies roughly 65 new food‑hall sites currently in development across the UK, signalling a substantial pipeline beyond recent openings. (startups.co.uk) Market Halls has just secured an £11m funding package from OakNorth to accelerate roll‑out beyond London, funding that the operator says will support acquisitions and new site launches. (thecaterer.com) Recent large openings include Market Place Leicester Square — a five‑storey hall hosting 15 vendors that opened in December 2025 — and Market Halls’ Paddington venue, an ~11,000 sq ft site that launched in March 2025. (foodmarketplace.co.uk) Next Phase’s snapshot counted about 94 food halls in operation as of September 2025, up from 73 the year before, and flagged a pipeline of roughly 58 additional multi‑vendor sites. (nextpha.se) Industry commentary highlights uneven geographic growth: recent reporting notes clusters of new halls and planned projects in Manchester (around 5), Liverpool (4), Sheffield (3) and Birmingham (2), expanding the model beyond London. (hospitalityinvestor.com)
