The market will officially open tomorrow (Friday 17 May).
Earlier today (Thursday 16 May), stakeholders, partners, and funders were invited to tour the newly renovated building and hear from representatives about how funding has supported the project, and what changes have been made to the building, ahead of its official opening this Friday.
Attendees also had the opportunity to sample food products from the stallholders, find out more about their businesses and browse the individual stalls. Guests enjoyed exploring new features in the market such as the mezzanine level and the two-storey extension to the building, now home to Turtle Bay.
Funded by a £5.9 million investment from the government's Towns Fund programme through the 'Be Lincoln Town Deal', £1.9 million from City of Lincoln Council, and additional funding of £918,000 from Historic England, the major regeneration works for the building were completed at the end of 2023.
Tomorrow at 9am, Cornhill Market will officially open to the public, becoming a prime destination in the city centre for food, shopping, and leisure. On Saturday from mid-morning onwards, light family entertainment will be in City Square, and the public can benefit from stallholders’ various offers and deals to celebrate the official opening weekend.
Opening hours will also be extended to reflect the changing demands of city centre activity, with a food and drink offer available on evenings, encouraging the evening and nightlife economy.
Hundreds of traders registered their interested in pitching up in the refurbished building, we can confirm the full list of traders that are currently confirmed to open stalls in the market:
- Nonna Juanna
- Tick King
- Aroy Jing Thai
- The Chicken Grill – The Greek Brothers
- BanZai Oriental Street Food
- Spice O’Klock
- Lincs Mo Mos
- Punk Dogz
- PJS Supermarket LTD
- Earthly Creations
- Oatz & Co
- PS I Fudge You
- Fabric Tattoos Embroidery
- The Cookie People
- Flippin Crêpes
- The Mysterious Jeweller
- Corner Farm Kitchen
- Bubble Kiss
- Greekland – The Greek Brothers
- Stokes Coffee
- Once Upon a Time
- Bella Di Casa
- Bradford Plants
- Cup & Dough
Naomi Tweddle, Leader of City of Lincoln Council said: "Seeing the building with such an exciting atmosphere has been incredible, and a taste of what’s to come for Cornhill Market’s new future.
"The funding from the government's Towns Fund programme through the 'Be Lincoln Town Deal', City of Lincoln Council and Historic England has enhanced the building’s best features and given it a new lease of life.
"We’re excited for the people of Lincoln and further afar to visit Cornhill Market and enjoy this new addition to the city centre’s atmosphere."
David Walsh, Principal Advisor at Historic England added: “We are proud to have played a part in this marvellous project to restore the Cornhill Market.
"The renovation and adaption of the Grade II listed building has not only created a building that meets the modern needs of the city but also created a lively elevation facing City Square which is more akin to the original architect’s intentions.
"The Cornhill area has revitalised Lincoln’s city centre and I am sure that the Cornhill market will take its place among so many of Lincoln’s historic buildings in playing a vital part in the life and economy of the city.”
Mick Lazarus, Deputy Area Lead for Greater Lincolnshire in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said: “It’s incredible to see how the funding from City of Lincoln Council, the government’s Be Lincoln Town Deal, and HAZ has transformed the market.
"The opened up blind arches add so much natural light into the building, and the new mezzanine level has provided more space for visitors to enjoy.
“We hope the people of Lincolnshire and beyond enjoy the exciting new market offer.”
Edward Chambers, Lindum Group Co-Chairman added: “We are delighted to have been a part of this exciting project in Lincoln city centre for our repeat client City of Lincoln Council and to see the new market opening to the public, with new retail, food, and drink traders opening soon.
“The project was a great team effort involving local suppliers as well as our own in-house colleagues, including our bespoke joinery division which manufactured the new stalls which look fantastic. With the new roof and opened up arches, the venue also benefits from a large amount of natural light, providing a bright and vibrant location for shoppers to browse and stop to sample the food and drink on offer.”
For full details on the market offer, click here.