The trendy neighbourhood of Kings Heath in Birmingham has a new inclusive community dining venue which has replaced a Wetherspoons that closed down. The renowned Pear Tree pub ran for 20 years before calling last orders in October 2021.
Now the site of the former pub, located on 25-27 Alcester Rd South, has been transformed into an independent food hall - with a bar, food vendors, coffee shop - and a live entertainment and events space. The team behind the food hall hopes to revitalise the High Street with the massive venue being able to accommodate 300 people at a time.
Across the world, food halls and marketplaces have become more popular and the team behind this food hall named District Marketplace - hopes to create a lovely space for the local community to enjoy. The venue opened last Friday (July 21) and is currently in their soft launch phase before having a big bash for their opening in the next few weeks. The venue is being led by Manager Matt Fraser, who has longstanding experience in fast casual dining.
The family-friendly and pet-friendly venue will host live music gigs between from Fridays to Sundays every week and has a variety of street food options like pizzas, burgers, Asian and Turkish food. District Marketplace is also looking for new or established food operators to collaborate with and is an expanding business with plans to acquire additional sites across the UK.
The venue is open from Wednesday to Sunday. On Wednesday and Thursday it is open from 8am to 10pm while on Friday and Saturday it is open from 8am to 12am and on Sundays it will be open from 8am to 10pm. For more information, see District Marketplace website. Here are 10 photos inside District Marketplace in Kings Heath showing what it has to offer:
5. Pets welcome at District Marketplace
District Marketplace is family and pet friendly. (Photo - District Marketplace) | District Marketplace
6. Prime Patty at District Marketplace
Burgers will be served by Prime Patty. It is run by Chef Andrew Sheridan of Open Restaurant Group. Andrew has been hailed as one of the most innovative and ambitious young chefs in the country. He rose to attention for his appearance on BBC Two’s Great British Menu in 2018 where he was branded the ‘maverick chef’ for his unusual and creative approach. (Photo - District Marketplace) | District Marketplace
7. Chef Andrew Sheriden at District Marketplace
DMP Kings Heath has three kitchens with concepts designed by Chef Andrew Sheridan of Open Restaurant Group. Apart from burgers, he is serving chicken dishes via the Get Clucked kitchen. (Photo - District Marketplace) | District Marketplace
8. Open Restaurant at District Marketplace
Chef Andrew Sheridan of Open Restaurant Group is also serving Pan Asian cuisine and this kitchen is named Umami Street. Sheridan’s restaurant ‘8’ was moved from Birmingham to Liverpool this year. Restaurant ‘8’ is a three AA-Rosette-holding restaurant. (Photo - District Marketplace) | District Marketplace