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Transforming Markets, Food Halls & Unloved Spaces.

Reimagining Heritage and Stranded Assets.

Activating Places Through Meanwhile Uses.

Markets, Food Halls, Heritage & Stranded Assets, and Hospitality Specialists

We are a solutions-driven consultancy that helps unlock the potential of underperforming and vacant spaces. Our team combines the insight of proven operators with the rigour of commercial strategy, creating strong business cases that give concepts and designs the best chance of success.

With deep experience in market halls, food halls, hospitality, and regeneration, we know how to shape places that attract investment, deliver income and footfall, and support whole communities.

Whether it’s reimagining heritage buildings, repurposing stranded assets, or delivering meanwhile uses, we focus on solutions that are both commercially viable and socially valuable. By blending creative thinking with robust financial modelling, we ensure that every project we deliver is sustainable, practical, and future-ready.

We work with landlords, local authorities, asset managers and operators to deliver transformational schemes, from initial concept through to delivery and long-term operation.

How We Can Help

No two projects are the same. We work with each client and partner to create a bespoke approach, from reimagining a heritage asset to curating a food hall or shaping a business case.

Find out more about our services, or get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about how we can support your project.

  • Identifying Opportunities
    We review vacant properties, heritage assets, market halls and food halls to uncover opportunities for reinvention. This can include rethinking redundant spaces, identifying new uses that attract different audiences, or repositioning a building to support wider regeneration goals.

    Shaping a Vision
    Working with clients, communities and stakeholders, we explore commercial and social potential to establish a clear direction. Our focus is on creating concepts that bring spaces back into use, build footfall, and generate sustainable income streams — turning underperforming assets into thriving destinations.

  • Testing Scenarios
    We develop and assess a range of options, using data analysis, engagement and industry benchmarks to provide a robust comparison of routes forward.

    Confirming Viability
    Whether for a vacant building, a redundant market or a listed asset, our feasibility work ensures the preferred option is both practical and sustainable.

  • Exciting Concepts
    We work with architects and design teams — or can recommend trusted specialists — to ensure every aspect of a property not only fits its purpose, but also brings the space back into active use in an operationally sound and commercially viable way.

    Developing Designs
    We provide operational and commercial insight to support the design process. Advising on utilities, lighting, extraction and technical requirements, and stress testing budgets, we ensure designs are practical, efficient and commercially successful.

  • Evidence for Investment
    We prepare robust business cases for markets, food halls and regeneration projects, including income and expenditure forecasts, delivery strategies, risk assessments and fu Green Book Business Cases as required.

    Securing Support
    Where required, we develop Green Book-compliant business cases, providing the evidence needed for funding approval and political decision-making.

  • Testing Interest & Securing Tenants
    We support landlords and councils to gauge market appetite for new projects, from early soundings to structured soft-market testing. Moving forward, we can help secure tenants at every stage, from Expressions of Interest through Heads of Terms to fully signed leases.

    Securing Delivery Partners
    Through structured operator engagement or formal procurement, we help appoint the right partners to run market halls, food halls and other town centre schemes, ensuring strong commercial delivery and long-term success.

  • Building the Mix
    We identify and secure the right tenant mix for markets, food halls and mixed-use schemes, balancing small independents with established operators.

    Strengthening Relationships
    Our lettings campaigns and lease negotiations create clear, professional landlord-tenant relationships that deliver long-term stability.

  • Preparing for Launch
    We design detailed operating plans covering opening hours, staffing, maintenance, customer experience and health & safety.

    Planning for Growth
    Our frameworks ensure the venue is not only launch-ready but adaptable, allowing smooth scaling and evolution over time.

  • Hands-On Support
    We step in as a trusted partner to manage daily operations, tenant relationships and on-site performance during critical periods.

    Strategic Oversight
    Alongside day-to-day support, we provide senior operational input to ensure schemes remain commercially and socially successful.

  • Independent Assessment
    We review existing market halls, food halls and community assets to identify performance issues and opportunities for improvement.

    Driving Improvement
    By refining operations, enhancing the customer offer and improving efficiency, we maximise returns and unlock long-term growth.

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Some of Our Recent Projects

Featured
Eccles Artisan Market
Eccles Artisan Market

Following our wider work with Salford City Council to review Eccles Market and define its future role within the town centre, Next Phase was commissioned to facilitate and evaluate a pilot artisan market as part of the town’s ‘Get In!’ Festival.

Working in partnership with Independent Street, a well-established artisan market operator with a strong track record across the North West, the pilot brought a curated artisan offer into Eccles town centre.

Read more →
Eastgate Market, Gloucester Greyfriars
Eastgate Market, Gloucester Greyfriars

Next Phase has been appointed by Gloucester City Council to review and refine the concept for a reimagined Eastgate Market, forming part of a wider town centre development that brings together a market, food hall, and cultural space.

Read more →
The Future of Markets in Eccles Town Centre - Options Advisory
The Future of Markets in Eccles Town Centre - Options Advisory

Eccles has a proud market heritage, but in recent years, activity has dwindled to just a single format with a handful of traders and very limited footfall. With the town centre preparing for major regeneration alongside Muse, the Council asked us to help clarify what a future market offer should look like, and how it can genuinely contribute to the town’s renewal.

Read more →
Northstowe - shaping a new town centre from the ground up
Northstowe - shaping a new town centre from the ground up

Northstowe, located on the edge of Cambridge, is one of the UK’s most ambitious new town developments - and the largest since Milton Keynes. Appointed by Homes England, CBRE and Next Phase have been leading work on a strategic vision for the town centre and its key components,  including a vibrant market hall and a series of meanwhile uses that will activate the area in the short term and build community engagement from day one.

Read more →
The Three Mills, Wigan
The Three Mills, Wigan

The Three Mills Beer & Ale House is the first permanent opening within the £250m Cotton Works masterplan, a landmark regeneration project transforming Wigan’s iconic Eckersley Mill. Set across 4,500 sq ft in the Grade II listed building, the venue reimagines the traditional pub with a modern twist, featuring a 14-line tap wall, rotating cask ales, and a nostalgic, quality-led food menu.

Read more →
Leigh Market Refurbishment
Leigh Market Refurbishment

By embedding meaningful engagement and strategic planning at every stage, we are supporting Wigan Council to ensure the refurbishment is not just a physical transformation but a long-term investment in Leigh Market’s role as a key town centre asset; a revitalised market that respects its heritage while offering a modern, dynamic, and inclusive trading environment for years to come.

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South Quay Shed - Whitstable
South Quay Shed - Whitstable

Next Phase and Reimagine Place have been appointed by Canterbury City Council to deliver a review of South Quay Shed, a mixed-use venue at Whitstable Harbour that launched in 2022. Combining street food vendors, boutique retailers, a coffee shop, and a versatile community space, South Quay Shed has quickly become a vibrant hub for locals and visitors alike.

Read more →
Rotherham Market
Rotherham Market

Next Phase has been appointed by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to support the transformation of Rotherham Market, a key anchor and a vital employer in the town centre. Despite its prominent role, the market faces challenges, including an ageing building, limited infrastructure, and decreasing numbers of both traders and visitors. These issues underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to secure the market’s future and enhance its contribution to the town’s economic vitality.

Read more →
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Innovative Solutions

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Latest Articles

Featured
Next Phase announced as NMTF Sponsors
Next Phase announced as NMTF Sponsors

Next Phase is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF), following a brilliant NMTF Conference where the team were proud to attend and participate as sponsors for the first time.

For a business built around transforming markets and unlocking the potential of underutilised spaces, supporting the NMTF felt like the most natural step in the world. The NMTF does vital work, representing traders, advocating for the industry, and championing the kind of vibrant, community-focused markets that Next Phase exists to help create and develop. Getting behind that work, formally and publicly, is something our team is genuinely proud of.

Read more →
One Size Does Not Fit All: Part Two
One Size Does Not Fit All: Part Two

Food halls are not a one size fits all solution. They can play a powerful role on high streets, in shopping centres and in regeneration projects, but only when the model matches the location, the building and the commercial objective.

A destination food hall requires a very different approach to a community led market hall. A compact container scheme on a transitional site has little in common with bringing a heritage building back into use. The mistake is not believing in food halls. The mistake is assuming the same format works everywhere.

In Part 2 of this two part series, we explore how to match the right food hall model to the right place. We look at the location types that most councils, landlords and developers deal with, the factors that shape success across every format, and the common mistakes that turn good ideas into costly failures.

If you are exploring a food hall opportunity and want to understand which model fits your site and objectives, this is the place to start.

Read more →
Markets: Creating the Future from the Past
Markets: Creating the Future from the Past

Every great town once had a great market. We often talk about high streets being in decline and the rise of online shopping, but the unique appeal of locally sourced produce and the sense of community found in many markets continues to draw both locals and visitors. However, too many towns have lost their markets, or worse, still have them but fail to see their potential.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) encourages local authorities to “retain and enhance existing markets and, where appropriate, re-introduce or create new ones.” Yet, despite this, markets are still often treated as second-tier retail spaces - undervalued and overlooked. 

Read more →
The Mayor of London’s Proposed Licensing Changes
The Mayor of London’s Proposed Licensing Changes

Simon recently highlighted the Mayor of London's Draft Strategic Licensing Policy, partly because we were surprised that so few people in the industry knew it existed.

Restaurant Magazine picked it up, and the story is now out. We are glad it's getting wider attention because this genuinely matters.

The 'licensing postcode lottery' is a real problem. Operators in some boroughs navigate a completely different system to those a few miles away. This policy is an attempt to fix that, and on the whole it looks positive for the industry.

But the consultation closes soon and the survey already has nearly 2,000 responses. If those skew toward residents and objectors rather than operators and night-time economy workers, the data this policy is built on will reflect that.

Read more →
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A Few Kind Words

  • "The Next Phase team are always ready to help, bringing a wealth of experience, knowledge and industry contacts to the table. They’re an invaluable resource for anyone in the food hall business."

    Matt Bigland

    Blend Family

  • “The Next Phase team have a deep expertise in markets, food halls and leisure. They are a great team to work with and at a time when there is so much change in the town centre and regeneration world their expertise and contacts are vital in giving confidence in these complex projects.”

    John Percy

    CBRE

  • “I found Next Phase to be well informed and easy to work with. They interacted well with a larger consultant team and delivered high quality outputs on time and without any fuss. I would not hesitate to recommend Next Phase..”

    Dean Harris

    Homes England

  • “The Next Phase team provide an excellent combination of operational and strategic insight underpinned by a wealth of practical experience and a collaborative ethos with clients and stakeholders alike” 

    Simon Hope

    Mace

  • "We thoroughly enjoyed working with Next Phase on the Burton Market Hall project. The process was collaborative and professional throughout. We particularly valued the clarity, responsiveness, and attention to detail you brought to the work"

    Simon Dancer

    AMION Consulting

  • “I have been working with Hayden and Emma for a number of years on a market project, part of a wider contentious town centre regeneration scheme. Their strategic insight, professionalism and commitment has been superb, despite the challenges that have been thrown their way! No hesitation in highly recommending them.”

    Louisa Brinton

    Teignbridge District Council

  • “Hayden and the team were a joy to work with. They gave authentic insights in to the project we were delivering, bringing real life examples to our thinking rather than simply taking about conceptual ideas. The work that Hayden and the team did guided the delivery of our project, and we’d have no hesitation on working with them again.”

    Stuart Rogers

    Mace

  • "East Staffordshire Borough Council have worked closely with Hayden and the Next Phase team as part of the process to bring forward an Outline Business Case for the development of the Burton Upon Trent Market Hall. Next Phase completed their assignment to a high standard and in a timely and cost-effective manner."

    Mark Rizk

    East Staffordshire Borough Council

  • "Next Phase are supporting Wigan Council with the £6 million refurbishment of Leigh Market. It is a complex project due to the scale of refurbishment and the requirement for full decant of traders to a temporary market. The experience that Emma and Hayden bring to the project is invaluable. They quickly established credibility with our traders, and their regular presence on-site ensures clarity of messaging and genuine engagement with traders."

    Melanie Lamb

    Wigan Council

Just Some of Our Clients

  • Montagu Evans