BBC MasterChef studios approved for Banana Warehouse site in Digbeth, Birmingham

Hit TV cooking show MasterChef is officially coming to Birmingham after its new studios in Digbeth have been green-lit by the city council.

The former Banana Warehouse on Fazeley Street will become the show’s new home after BBC announced intentions to relocate it from London to Birmingham in February 2022.

The Grade II listed building is currently vacant and in need of repairs before the production teams move in. These will include a brand-new roof, soundproofing measures, enlarged openings, and repairs to timbers and columns that support the canopy over the canal.

The original warehouse will be where the main soundstage is located, on which the key segments of MasterChef will be filmed. Plans indicate an added extension will be used as dressing rooms for contestants and prep areas.

Shine TV, a television production company that makes programmes for several TV channels including the BBC, will be the development’s main occupiers. Shine makes the MasterChef TV show which is currently produced at a studio in East London.

Documents say local MPs, residents’ groups, and councillors have been consulted, and the plans have received no third-party comments or objections. London-based developer Stanhope is leading the renovation, with design by Digbeth-based architecture practice K4.

Birmingham City Council says it has long-held ambitions to repurpose the Warwick Bar conservation area around Digbeth and wants to welcome more creative industries.

Today’s MasterChef announcement comes after the BBC revealed it will be moving its headquarters from the Mailbox to the old Typhoo Factory site just around the corner on Bordesley Street.

Birmingham City Council planning documents read: “The Banana Warehouse has been unoccupied for many years and hence is susceptible to degradation. Its reuse as a TV studio would both facilitate its repair/ remediation and secure its long-term future. The preservation of heritage assets is in the national interest and hence is a public benefit.

“The introduction of a high-profile film production company and studios to Birmingham City Centre supports the cultural renaissance of the city through the intensification of and enhancement of the creative business scene consequently contributing to Birmingham’s cultural life and pride.”