Three of the new food stalls within the city’s new independent food and drink hall have been confirmed.
Eat Like a Greek, Crust and Co pizza and Different Gravy Company are all taking spaces within the new Mad Giant Food Hall.
Due to begin trading on Friday (26 September) the independently owned and operated food hall has been promising to bring distinctly Northern-owned foodie outlets to the city and giving street food traders a chance to have a permanent base.
Northern Lights Group, who are behind the venture within the Animate complex, will directly operate a cocktail bar within the Mad Giant.
Crust and Co, based in Garstang, have previously been operating from a converted horse box for pop-up events and private functions.
They said: “We’re thrilled to be starting the next chapter with our very first permanent home in the Mad Giant Food Hall.”
Manchester-based Different Gravy Company are taking on their Preston venture with all kinds of ‘alternative gravy’ to dunk your steak sandwich in.
Dyan Shankland, self-titled chief gravy officer, and business partner Demitri Papastylianou say they “can’t wait to get the doors open next week.”
They promise to ‘make gravy the main event’ and make it good for ‘dunking, drizzling and downright demolishing’ with flavours such as Guinness, Birria and Miso.
Dylan told Blog Preston: “We came up with the idea for Different Gravy in Ikea of all places, just throwing around silly food concepts. It was one of those ideas that stuck in the back of our minds for ages, but we didn’t quite know when or where to bring it to life. Then through a friend we heard that the team at Mad Giant were looking for new vendors and felt like the perfect moment to take the leap.
“Because we live in Manchester, Preston wasn’t a city we knew that well, but as soon as we came to view the site we were blown away. The Animate development is stunning, there’s so much investment going into the local area, and the food scene is really starting to take off with heroes like Spud Bros leading the way. Add to that the fact we’ve been told again and again that Prestonians really love their gravy, it felt like there was no better place for us to launch.”
Most recently confirmed is Eat Like a Greek – based in Hertfordshire – who are expanding to Preston.
They will bring lamb, pork, chicken, halloumi and falafel wraps to the Mad Giant.
Four food stalls in total are expected and Blog Preston understands the fourth will be an Indian food option.
The opening times of the Mad Giant will be Tuesday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-12midnight and Sunday 11am-10pm. It will be closed on Mondays.
The Mad Giant, which is between Wagamama and The Arc Cinema, is the final of the foodie options to open within Animate. Animate is a £45million council-backed leisure complex, one unit remains to-let which is earmarked for a ‘competitive socialising unit’.
Deputy leader and cabinet member of Preston City Council, councillor Martyn Rawlinson, said: “Mad Giant Foodhall supports the city’s commitment to Community Wealth Building by providing an opportunity to support local homegrown talent and entrepreneurs, showcasing local food traders at our flagship city centre leisure and entertainment destination.”
