As a parent of two Gen Alpha kids, I know everyone thinks their children are special, but hear me out. There’s something genuinely different about this generation. Despite growing up in a world of tablets, TikToks and voice notes, Gen Alpha (currently aged 8–15) feels oddly analogue. They remind me more of Gen X than any generation since: independent, curious, socially conscious and surprisingly offline.

It’s great to finally see this and other recent positive stories in the press highlighting the resilience and potential of our industry. I’ve been out here banging the drum for quite some time.

This story, alongside strong performance results from the likes of Market Halls, is shining a light on the real opportunity for growth in the food hall sector. But just like the wider hospitality industry, we must still proceed with caution. The recent closure of Department in Sheffield, the first in over a year, is a reminder that this isn’t a guaranteed win.

National Geographic recently highlighted their thoughts on Europe's best market and food halls, shining a spotlight on how these vibrant spaces have become central to modern tourism and placemaking strategies. Today's market and food halls offer much more than just diverse culinary experiences; they are powerful catalysts for urban regeneration, economic vitality, and community cohesion.

AI today feels like the wild west days of the Internet in the mid-to-late 90s, fast-moving, full of fear and hype. If you look back and see how the Internet reshaped almost every part of our lives, you have to acknowledge that AI will do the same, likely tenfold, making the fear around its unchecked expansion understandable.

This past weekend, I found myself in central London with my nine-year-old daughter, on a mission to find a Labubu. If you know, you know. If you don’t, consider yourself lucky.

Our quest took us through several Pop Marts, but it was most pronounced in Selfridges’ toy department, where there were queues of over two hours for the JellyCat fish and chips experience. The Full Experience Set—a cuddly fish, chips, mushy peas, and sausage—costs £165. The most striking thing? At least 90% of the customers were adults.

Last week, we attended Inntegra and Home Leisure Direct’s “The Power of Play” event, and one thing was crystal clear: competitive socialising is reshaping how people choose to spend their leisure time.

UKREiiF 2025 gave us exactly what we hoped for, focused conversations, valuable connections, and real momentum around the issues that matter most to towns and city centres.

The acquisition of Shelter Hall from Sessions by Market Halls could prove to be a pivotal moment for the UK food hall sector. While the number of food halls and multi-vendor venues remains modest compared to the broader hospitality industry, the revenue potential far exceeds that of most traditional formats.

Great to see this spotlight on Bury Council’s ambitious approach to regeneration.

I’ve been fortunate to work with Bury Council several times over the years – most recently on the new Prestwich Market Hall and the Flexi Hall event space in Bury, both mentioned in the article. It’s fantastic to see their continued commitment to markets and community spaces taking shape.

At Next Phase, we work across all kinds of regeneration and property projects – from major food and market halls to meanwhile uses, listed buildings, and full high street strategies.

But sometimes, it’s the simple street market that reminds me why we do what we do.

Having consulted on countless markets over the years, I’ve seen first-hand the role they can play in transforming places. Markets like Hitchin – which I visited recently – really capture what makes them so special. These are more than just trading spaces. They’re community anchors – full of personality, resilience, and local character.

Last week, the Government confirmed the 75 local authorities awarded revenue funding to support local plan preparation and delivery under the new Plans for Neighbourhoods scheme. With funding now available, the task isn’t just to dust off old plans—but to sharpen, adapt, and deliver them with renewed purpose. Having supported several towns in developing their Long Term Plans under the previous administration, we’ve learned a few things that may help.

Today’s market halls are facing mounting challenges. Their Victorian grandeur belies an uncomfortable truth: many are underused, underfunded, and increasingly irrelevant to modern audiences. 

They need bold thinking. Investment. And tailored strategies that reflect local need, not national templates. We work with councils and communities to reimagine their markets—not just cosmetically, but operationally and financially. We help towns unlock funding, build business cases, and create market halls that serve as vibrant, inclusive places once again.

Based on local feedback, the vision features a blend of modern and craft retail, fresh food offerings, a new food and drink area with communal seating, and flexible co-working spaces, all aimed at supporting the town’s small business community.

As part of the early planning stages, Next Phase, on behalf of East Staffordshire Borough Council, is inviting expressions of interest from prospective operators and tenants who share this vision for a revitalised Market Hall. At this preliminary stage, expressions of interest will help assess the level of interest and inform initial discussions around potential site operations ahead of any future procurement process.

What is a food hall? The team at Next Phase and I encounter this question all the time, and for a good reason—the distinctions between food halls, street food markets, traditional markets and food courts are often blurred. Given the sector's growth and the diversity of offerings, has the time come to establish new classifications?

A few months ago, a food hall closed, and I was inundated with emails and calls from journalists and contacts asking if this was the beginning of the end for the food hall industry, with radio shows and articles discussing the industry's potential demise.

I felt the need to provide some context: while only one food hall has closed in the past year, an average of ten pubs, restaurants, or bars close every day.

At present, the UK boasts 97 food halls or multi-vendor operations, marking a significant 28% increase from 76 in June 2023. What's more, the number of food halls in development has skyrocketed by 138%, growing from 21 to 50 over the same period. This growth is a clear indicator of the industry's potential and the exciting times ahead.

There are multiple reasons for the growth and popularity of food halls, but these are some of the main factors presented in no particular order.

As consumer habits have changed, traditional markets have faced mounting challenges, becoming a pain point for operators since the turn of the millennium. As such, the question of ‘who should manage the market?’ is increasingly coming to the fore.

Britain's 'Levelling Up' strategy has been in place for some time now, aimed at reducing regional disparities and opening up new economic opportunities outside the Greater South East. The initiative covers a range of sectors, including transport, education, digital connectivity, and local government funding.

But has this ambitious strategy been effective so far?

I'm delighted that plans have officially been lodged for the ambitious £30m transformation of Earlestown Market. Working alongside my colleague Emma Forbes, we provided expert insights into the design, flexibility and operation of the market space. This project, a collaboration with St Helens Council and ECF (a regeneration partnership between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse), is crucial in reshaping Earlestown to ensure the market remains an integral part of the town centre.

I'm thrilled to share the latest developments in the Bacup Market Hall project, a significant endeavour aimed at revitalising Bacup's town centre. As the market expert on this project, alongside my colleague Emma Forbes, we've been deeply involved in working with the project team, helping to shape the design, operations, and business strategies to ensure the market is a vibrant community hub.