Ladybellegate Estates’ plans to house 15 independent food and drink businesses under one roof at its Gloucester Food Dock development has already well and truly caught the public’s imagination – and it has yet one more major surprise up its sleeve.
According to the developer, the 2,200 square foot top floor of the listed building will become home to a fine dining restaurant, with the business also revealing an unnamed Indian restaurant would be moving into one of the units on the lower floors too.
Ken Elliot, of Ladybellegate, who showed SoGlos around the former solicitors' offices off Commercial Road, said: ‘We are looking for a fine dining restaurant to take the space – something of a calibre Gloucester has not seen before. It will be between 50 and 70 covers and stand out in the city.’
On the three floors below will be an eclectic mix of independent 'street food' style businesses, some of which are looking to take on their first permanent premises.
Names revealed so far include Greek food business Smashing Plates; The Hop Kettle Brewing Company; Sibling Gin; Wholly Gelato; Strip Steak Bar; pizza specialists Bella Mia; and Chuck, which sell a range of burgers.
Work is afoot to prepare units for those businesses with second-storey outdoor space already added to the rear of the four-storey building, which overlooks the Victoria Dock, and work starting shortly to add the distressed wood cladding in the artist's impressions of the finished Food Dock.
He added: ‘We are not a big scheme, but the atmosphere it will all create will be special. We are talking to three people about the space, but I don’t want to push it. It has to be right for everyone.
'If we get the type of name we want to see in Gloucester, it will be special. It may be we have the rest of the scheme up and trading before we announce who is going to fill the top floor.’
