We’re looking for brilliant food and drink businesses to become part of Huddersfield’s new Food Hall, opening in 2027 as part of Our Cultural Heart.
From established independent businesses with a loyal following to talented start-ups with a big idea, we want to hear from people who can bring great food, bold flavours and something different to the table.
We want to create a Food Hall that reflects the people and flavours of Kirklees, with a varied mix of traders and plenty of reasons for people to come back and try something new.
Interested? Complete our Expression of Interest form and tell us what you could bring to the Food Hall.
A chance for established businesses and new ideas
You don’t need to already have a restaurant or established food business to be considered.
We’re actively encouraging start-ups and emerging businesses to express their interest too. What matters is having a great food concept, the skills to deliver it and the ambition to build a successful business.
We’re looking for traders with their own identity and an exciting, inclusive food offer, as well as people who understand the importance of working together to make the Food Hall as a whole a success.
Helping remove some of the barriers
Taking on a new food venue can require a significant upfront investment, so we’ve designed the Food Hall to help reduce some of those barriers.
Each trader outlet will be fully fitted out, including cookline equipment and extraction, cold storage, wash-up facilities and back-of-house storage.
Traders will also have access to operational support, ongoing mentoring and help to develop their businesses.
Food and hospitality specialists JT & Crew are working with us to find the right mix of businesses and will support traders as we get ready to open.
Creating the right Food Hall for Huddersfield
Councillor John Hardie, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Highways and Transport, said:
“The traders will ultimately make the Food Hall what it is, so finding the right mix of businesses is one of the most important parts of getting this next stage right.
“Kirklees has some fantastic independent food businesses and talented people with ideas they may not yet have had the opportunity to take to the next level. We want to hear from both.
“We’ve deliberately looked at how we can remove some of the barriers that can make taking on a new food venue difficult. The outlets will already have the key equipment in place and traders will have specialist support available to them, including after the Food Hall opens.
“We’re looking for great food, strong ideas and people who want to be part of something collaborative. If you’ve got a food business or an idea you think people in Huddersfield need to taste, we’d love to hear from you.”
Jeremy Taylor, Director at JT & Crew, added:
“We’re now entering one of the most exciting phases of the OCH Food Hall project — the search for Kirklees’ boldest food talent.
“Huddersfield’s new Food Hall has been built as a genuine springboard for local businesses, with fully fitted units, hands‑on mentoring, operational guidance and a management team committed to helping traders thrive.
“We’re looking for operators with bold flavours, strong identities and concepts that deserve a stage. This Expression of Interest is about finding those people and giving them the platform, support and environment to grow. Huddersfield’s new Food Hall is ready for the district’s best.”
What are we looking for?
As well as fantastic food, we’re looking for businesses that understand their customers and have the potential to grow and thrive.
We also want traders who share our ambitions around responsible and sustainable business, fair employment and creating local opportunities, and who want to be part of a supportive community of businesses rather than simply operating alongside one another.
Ready to bring your idea to the table?
If you think your food business, concept or big idea could have a place in Huddersfield’s new Food Hall, we’d love to hear from you.
Complete the Expression of Interest form.
The Food Hall will open in 2027 as part of Our Cultural Heart, alongside the new Library Hub and Queensgate Square.
And there’s more Food Hall news to come, with its new name and identity set to be revealed in the coming weeks.