Greenwich Hospital Showcases Series of F&B Signings
May 10, 2019
Greenwich Hospital – a Crown charity which supports the Navy and owns the freehold of the Greenwich Estate – has signed a series of five new leisure tenants in Greenwich town centre, SE10.
The deals form part of the strategy to draw people into the town centre through establishing Greenwich as a local, regional and district destination. The estate, which is part of the Greenwich World Heritage site, comprises 122 residential buildings and 80 commercial buildings – including the popular Greenwich Market.
New tenants welcomed to the estate include Mosaic Pub & Dining, which has acquired The Admiral Hardy in College Approach, Greenwich Market, which will open in the summer after refurbishment. The EIS-backed group – which has now grown to 24 sites – has added the leasehold purchase of the Free of Tie, three storey public house and plans to add some boutique letting bedrooms. as well as function rooms in the adjacent Clarence Hall. Both properties are part of Joseph Kay’s Greenwich Hospital project and are the main gateway to Greenwich Market from College Approach.
Gillie Bexson, head of property at Greenwich Hospital, said: “We have always tried to keep a unique flavour to dining and shopping in Greenwich because we know visitors like the eclectic mix of fashionable operators which support the arts and craft ethos of the market. Whilst we have always worked hard to maintain a healthy mix of international and domestic tourists, we are increasingly seeking to provide a dynamic eating-out destination for the growing residential population who are very discerning and looking for a dining experience to match that of Central London.”
James Watson, Joint Chief Executive at Mosaic Pub and Dining said, “All of the directors here at Mosaic have a close affinity with this part of London and we are passionate about creating a vibrant, classic premium pub worthy of the area. Our scheme will include outside seating within the indoor market, while we will be completing renovating the upper parts, creating a number of boutique bedrooms and reinvigorating the large function room space which will be available for all types of events, including community activities.
“We have found Greenwich Hospital to be an active and supportive landlord, and we hope that over time The Admiral Hardy, together with its sister site The Oystercatcher situated nearby adjacent to the river, will help Mosaic become a major part of the fantastic local Greenwich scene.”
Adding to the mix is artisan coffee house, restaurant and bar group Grind, joining the Greenwich cohort to open its largest ever site, in the former Jamie’s Italian. The opening of the 6,000 sq ft site in Nelson Road marks the group’s first move outside London’s Zone 1 and features a cocktail bar and lounge to the front of the listed building, alongside a dedicated, grab-and-go café. To the rear is a 160-cover dining room and garden set in the rear conservatory.
Grind Founder and CEO, David Abrahamovitch, said: “We’ve never taken a project of the scale of Greenwich Grind, and we couldn’t be more excited to share everything we’ve been working on with the people of Greenwich. From our very first visit, we all fell in love with this incredible space in this beautiful neighbourhood – and we’re thrilled to become a part of it.”
Two artisanal food retailers, Handmade fudge maker Patch Hyde (from the company Fudge Patch) and doughnut and speciality coffee concept, Crosstown Doughnuts, have both taken sites within Greenwich Market. The latter now operates nine London operations.
Patch Hyde, Founder of Fudge Patch, said, “Trade in Greenwich appears to be growing stronger week by week. With the strong sense of community and loyalty the locals have to Greenwich Market we already feel part of something bigger than ourselves that has added a whole other dimension to our customer base. Our fudge demonstrations seem to be the perfect thing to show visiting relatives on the weekend, of course the free fudge samples certainly sweeten the experience.”
Co-Founder ‘JP’ at Crosstown, said, “There’s a great sense of community here and we can’t wait for our first summer in the area. Shout out to the local residents, university students and market traders who have made us feel so welcome!”
Greenwich Market was refurbished in 2016 with a new glass covering, the restoration and re-laying of the existing market cobbles, the creation of new public open space in Fry’s Court and the restoration and extension of new retail units in The Banana Warehouse in Durnford Street. The renovation of the space has enhanced Greenwich Market’s popularity as an event space. The Market hosted the Foodism 100 Awards in January 2019 and Vegan Vibes, the hugely popular monthly vegan street food evening, takes place on the first Friday of every month from 6.30-10pm.
The above follow recent additions to the estate including Sticks ’N Sushi, Champagne + Fromage, steak house Buenos Aires, as well as new retailers Taylor & Forge, Sahar London and The Camden Watch Company. Youngs has recently acquired The Coach & Horses in Greenwich Market – bringing the total of Young’s pubs in Greenwich to four (together with the Cutty Sark, Richard the First and the Old Brewery). The acquisition formed part of the recent take-over of Redcomb Pubs Limited – 15 pubs for £34 million on a cash-free and debt-free basis – earlier this year.
Gillian McLaren at Youngs, said, “The Coach & Horses is a vibrant part of market life and we look forward to bringing great British seasonal food and locally sourced craft beers to locals and visitors to Greenwich alike.”
Davis Coffer Lyons advises Greenwich Hospital on its food and beverage offering. Hindwoods advised Crosstown and Fudge Patch.
