Boxpark, the trendy London street food outlet, has selected Bristol for its first venture outside the capital, with a scheme that will regenerate the city’s last remaining undeveloped Harbourside buildings.
Called BoxHall, it will open next year in the O&M Sheds on Welsh Back, transforming buildings that at one time were suggested as the site for a museum exploring the city’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. 
Boxpark opened its first venue 10 years ago in East London’s trendy Shoreditch area, where it used shipping containers to house a range of street food restaurants, bars and indie shops, creating what it called ‘the world’s first pop up mall’.
It has since opened outlets at Wembley in North London and Croydon in the South of the city.
It has teamed up with Worcestershire-based property group Cordwell to develop BoxHall, which it says will “create a vibrant and exciting waterside destination, delivering a premium, unique food and beverage offer not experienced elsewhere in the city”.
Due to open this time next year, it will offer an all-day social dining experience including food, drink and events all under one roof and feature a line-up of kitchens in the food hall serving food from the best local and independent restaurants, street food traders and suppliers, as well as regular guest pop-ups.
Boxpark said the scheme would be committed to local people and produce and boast a carefully-selected roster of acclaimed Bristol-born chefs while also generating more than 100 jobs.
In addition to the food offer, BoxHall will showcase the best of Bristol’s music scene throughout the week, as well as hosting a mix of other events including local art shows, live screenings and gaming experiences.
The 20,000 sq. ft food hall’s interior will capture the essence of the O&M Sheds’ historical value, Boxpark and Cordwell said, transforming them into a range of restaurants, bars and community spaces. The venue will also have outside seating terraces overlooking the historic Floating Harbour.
The venture has been praised by Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees and its recently appointed night-time economy czar Carly Heath.
Mayor Rees said: “It’s great to see an established, successful brand looking to Bristol for its next venture, in another vote of confidence for the city’s recovery from Covid-19.
“BoxHall looks set to be an exciting addition to Bristol’s offer, providing another location from which to showcase the huge number of independent, local food and drink companies that operate across the city.
“This is further investment into Bristol’s historic Harbourside, just around the corner from the soon-to-be-restored Redcliffe Bascule Bridge. Following the sensitive regeneration of the site, Bristolians will be able to enjoy another top class venue that is fit for the future.”
Carly Heath, pictured, added: “Hospitality is such a huge part of Bristol’s night-time economy. It’s encouraging to see ambitious organisations bring exciting new developments to the city that champion Bristol’s fantastic independent food spirit.”
Boxpark CEO & founder Roger Wade said Bristol had a proud independent spirit and Welsh Back made the perfect location for a “beautifully-designed modern food hall, which champions local and independent traders and suppliers”.
The interior design and refurbishment will be by Nottingham-based Macaulay Sinclair.
Boxpark will start to market BoxHall to prospective tenants later this year.
