Central Bay in Salford, a new £3.5million waterfront dining and drinking destination championing the independent market, has officially opened attracting record number in its first week of trading.

Its opening coincided with the launch of Central Bay’s first anchor tenant – Kargo MKT food hall, operated by the award–winning Blend Family, which handled over 10,000 transactions in its first trading weekend alone and is predicting an additional 18,000 by the end of its first full week of trading.

Named after the original stretch of dock which was once a thriving loading bay during the industrial revolution, Central Bay is home to Kargo MKT, a massive food hall bringing 20 different independent kitchens including Tang, Leopard Pie, Bab K, Jerk Junction and ThatZiki all under one roof. The foodhall sits at the heart of cultural landmarks such as The Lowry, Imperial War Museum North and Coronation Street’s studios.

Regency's Commercial Manager, Martin Renwick and Procurement Manager, Claire Green supported the team at Blend Family with this incredibly exciting project. Martin and Claire worked closely with our wholesale and brand partners to deliver a fantastic drinks solution to compliment the diverse and exciting food on offer.

The arrival of Kargo MKT and 11 Central mark the first phase of exciting developments within Central Bay and is the start of what will be one of the biggest independent food and drink operations in the North...

There are a further four standalone units earmarked for independent food and beverage operators which overlook the 2,000 sq ft south facing waterfront terrace which can accommodate up to 600 visitors outdoors, plus there will be a 7,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art microbrewery – 11 Central, opening this autumn.

The investment in Central Bay is the first major development in its shared vision with Salford City Council to create a town centre offering for residents, workers and visitors to MediaCity and the wider Quays.

Matt Bigland, founder and CEO at Blend Family said:

“We take great pride in curating exciting culinary experiences for people and this is one of the most exciting line-ups of world food we’ve ever put together.

Stephen Wild, Managing Director at MediaCity said: 

“The development of this part of Quayside MediaCity has been a long time coming so we are all so proud to be welcoming the public through the doors of Central Bay, alongside our partner and operator Blend Family. 

Partnerships are at the heart of MediaCity’s offering – it’s what brings this unique ecosystem to life – and we’re fully invested in our partnerships with Blend Family and Seven Brothers Brewing Co to make Central Bay somewhere truly special.

For more information on Central Bay, visit www.mediacityuk.co.uk/centralbay.