New Food Hall Opening at Saint Paul’s Market in Birmingham

A huge brand new food hall, Saint Paul’s Market, from the teams behind Independent Birmingham, Baltic Market and Buddha Belly is set to open this Summer in the Jewellery Quarter.

Located on Mary Ann Street (just off Saint Paul’s Square in the Jewellery Quarter), this stunning new food hall will be 10,000 sqft and will feature 6 kitchens (run by Brum’s very best indie restaurants and up-and-coming chefs) alongside 2 bars (serving locally brewed craft beers, amazing cocktails, wines, non-alcoholic cocktails and more) with 500 seats set over 2 floors.

Joe Schuppler, founder of Independent Birmingham said:

“This has been a dream of mine for over 6 years now, and I’m beyond delighted to finally be able to announce it. The warehouse is absolutely stunning, and we have some really incredible plans to transform this amazing space into one of the very best food halls in the UK and a shining beacon of Brum’s independent scene.

We plan to be a traditional chef-led food hall – created with love by Brum’s very best indie restaurants and the city’s top up-and-coming chefs (with the hope being that St Paul’s Market will act as an incubator/stepping stone for the city’s brightest culinary talents, resulting in more exciting new openings in the future).

Not only will this brand new indie venue support a whole host of amazing independents (from the restaurants and chefs who will be taking over the kitchens, to our city’s amazing beer brewers, and many more in between), it will also create around 100 jobs. And with our lease being 15 years, it shows our dedication to Brum and its independent scene.

Together we’re investing over 1.5 million into this project because we believe in the city. We’ve been one of Brum’s biggest champions for over 11 years (inspiring countless thousands of people to support local, as well as to champion Brum’s indies themselves) – we’re dedicated to Birmingham’s future. We want to see this city keep pushing forward, we want more independents to open, we want to keep championing Brum and its magnificent indie scene, and to keep encouraging others to do the same. We believe in Birmingham.

Having known the Baltic Market team for over 15 years (I met Oliver, one of the founders, on the first day of uni 15 years ago and we’ve been best friends ever since), it was a no brainer to work with them on this exciting new project. They currently run one of the very best examples of a food hall in the UK, and their 8 years of operational knowledge will be invaluable in helping this to be a seriously well-run venue and a stand-out in the UK’s food hall scene.

And when it comes to Buddha Belly, they need no introduction. We’ve known the Buddha Belly gang for over 10 years now (and they just happen to be best mates with the Baltic guys too, having also known them for well over 10 years) and their operational knowledge will be perfect for this project. We want to be one of the very best food halls in the UK (if not THE best), and so we’ve assembled the dream team to make it happen. And being located next door to the fantastic Indian Brewery Taproom, we’re certain these two businesses will complement each other perfectly and help make Mary Ann Street one of the most bustling and vibrant places in Brum.”

Oliver Press, co-founder of Baltic Market said:

“Spreading our wings and opening a food market in Birmingham is a very exciting opportunity for us. This will be our first big project outside of Baltic Market, Liverpool. We are looking to invest over £1.5 million into this iconic warehouse on Mary Ann Street. We’ll be bringing our vast operational knowledge and 8 years of experience to the table to help the market become a huge success.

It really does feel like a very organic next step for us – I met Joe on the first day of University 15 years ago and we’ve been best friends ever since and we’ve dreamt for years that one day we can join forces and open a market in Birmingham together. Alongside that, Tim has been friends with James and Sai (Buddha Belly) for over 10 years as they used to trade next to each other on the street food circuit. So we think this is the perfect team to come together and do something really amazing in Birmingham.”

Sai Deethwa, co-founder of Buddha Belly and Soi 1268 said:

“When we were approached to become part of Saint Paul’s Market we were excited by the opportunity to be part of a different style of food hall. The incredible independent restaurants and chefs that the city houses, that have been celebrated in National news articles, Good Food Guide and Michelin are now going to be showcasing their dishes in one place. A pivotal food hall in Birmingham.

What excites us about this new venue is the opportunity for the great creatives in the city to come together and work collaboratively in a style the city has never seen before. Somewhere where food is truly at the centre of focus, shining a light on what makes the food scene in this city great. Independents who have dedicated their career to offering the very best food, no compromise. To be part of something like this is very special to us and we are thrilled to be part of it.”

You can follow Saint Paul’s Market here for more information about the food hall, when it will open, who will be trading there, exclusive first looks at the venue, and more.