Celebrating Castle Street takes place on Friday, September 28, and there will be art and craft stalls, street entertainment and food provided by local restaurants, cafés and bars. Tony McDonough reports
In the past five years Liverpool’s Castle Street has been reinvented as a thriving hub for restaurants and bars.
Now this transformation will be celebrated at a day-long event called Celebrating Castle Street which takes place on Friday, September 28. Visitors can expect a street takeover by art and craft stalls, street entertainment and local restaurants, cafés and bars heading out onto the pavements to show off their impressive food offering.
Office sector
Castle Street was once the centre of Liverpool’s office sector and, while a number of professional firms are still there, many have shifted to the Old Hall Street area. Initially it was feared the street would suffer a decline but instead hospitality entrepreneurs have brought it back to life.
It now provides a great link between the central business district and the retail quarter and Liverpool BID Company, which oversees both districts, was keen to celebrate its renaissance and came up with the Celebrating Castle Street event.
Food and Drink
It will coincide with the wider Food and Drink Week (September 24-30) that will include offers, masterclasses and events at venues across its two BIDs in the city centre – Commercial District BID and Retail & Leisure BID.
Participating names confirmed so far include Heritage Bar & Restaurant, The Alchemist, Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill Liverpool, One Fine Day, The Old Bank, Racquet Club Hotel & Ziba Restaurant and Bakchich – with more yet to be announced.
Great ideas
Francesco Zaccaria, regional general manager of Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant, Liverpool, which opened its doors back in 2017, said: “We are very much looking forward to getting involved with Celebrating Castle Street and Food and Drink Week.
“Both are great ideas not only for us businesses operating in the city centre, but also as a way to remind the local community and visitors from further afield just what an amazing food scene Liverpool has to offer.”
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, added: “Over the last five years Liverpool has witnessed unprecedented growth across its restaurant and bar scene. Along with Manchester and Leeds, the north now rivals London in terms of the number of new venues opening, with Liverpool itself leading the northern pack.
For more information about Food and Drink Week and Celebrating Castle Street, click here.