It's always exciting when you get to freely discuss a new project, especially when you have been working on it for a while. Last week saw the official launch of the Cotton Works project, a £180m redevelopment of a Grade II-listed Cotton Mill complex in Wigan. Spread over 17 acres, it comprises three mill buildings and associated sheds, warehouses, and offices.

…At Next Phase, we are witnessing an increasing number of projects making this same decision and have coined the term "Proporators" for these landlords and developers. The reason may be similar to Heaton's: the desire for hospitality to match the quality of the development. However, developments may also be located in towns or areas where finding operators of the level of quality that the schemes demand could be challenging.

Today marks the official launch of Next Phase, a pioneering consultancy launched to redefine the property landscape by introducing creative and exciting solutions to new projects and bringing new life to vacant and underperforming properties to transform local communities.

In my last piece, I focused on the large city-based food halls with their unique locations and impressive size, imagining them akin to the few football teams with the resources to chase Champions League glory. Hoping not to take this analogy too far, in the UK we have the FA Cup, the greatest football competition of all, where teams from cities, towns, villages and suburbs across the country get a chance at the big time. In the food hall world we have some smaller local food halls that punch well above their size and location and, on the right day, with the loyal support of their fans, can create a giant-killing upset.

When considering the future, it is always sensible to consult the past. In my opinion, two openings from 2014 played pivotal roles in shaping our modern food hall scene. One is Time Out Market Lisbon, a 32,000 square-foot food hall with 900 covers, 26 kitchens, eight bars and cafes and five shops. The other is Altrincham Market in Greater Manchester, a converted market hall of no more than 6,000 square feet with 180 covers, six kitchens, two bars and a coffee shop.