Preston Animate cinema confirms independent food hall and cocktail bar

The Northern Lights group operates a cocktail bar and food kiosks at Stockport’s Produce Hall Pic: Produce Hall

A cocktail bar and four independent food and drink stalls have been confirmed for a mini food hall within Preston’s new Animate cinema complex.

Preston City Council has struck a deal with Northern Lights Group who run Stockport’s Produce Hall and the New Century dining and entertainment venue in Manchester city centre to come in and run the new venture.

They will directly operate the cocktail bar and are seeking four independent small businesses to open up food kiosks within the complex.

Joe Foster from Northern Lights Group said: “This is another incredibly exciting opportunity for us. As part of our growth strategy, we have been identifying new locations across the region, and Animate is the perfect fit. We look forward to opening our doors in early 2025 and serving the people of Preston with delicious food.”

They also want to appoint a ‘local ambassador’ to a board that will oversee the food hall to ‘strengthen and grow local community connections in the city’.

Northern Lights Group is operated by veteran Manchester hospitality mogul Steven Pilling.

The Animate Cinema scheme is due to open in early 2025 having slipped from a previous opening of Autumn 2024 and proposals for a city centre cinema date back to 2015 – an original version of the Markets cinema complex was due to be complete by 2020.

Deputy leader of Preston City Council, councillor Martyn Rawlinson, said: “Our ambition for Animate has always been to provide independent operators to be part of this Council-owned entertainment and leisure development and trade alongside national brands which will help build a resilient and inclusive economy for all.

“Having the Northern Lights Group at Animate will help us deliver an attractive offer for the people of Preston and wider Lancashire while contributing to the city’s ongoing social and economic regeneration.”

Animate Cinema is costing around £45million and the cinema itself is to be operated by the Arc Cinema group.

A number of restaurant chains have been signed up for the cinema complex including Zizzi, Las Iguanas and Cosmo, plus Loungers café bar. Hollywood Bowl is also within the development.

The new cinema is built on the site of the former Indoor Market and Maple Grove Developments have been overseeing the Animate scheme.

Development director Andrew Dewhurst said: “The Northern Lights Group is well accustomed with the concept of food halls, successfully operating throughout the North West. Choosing Animate for this latest food hall concept only adds to the draw of Preston as a place to visit.

“In terms of the site development, Eric Wright Construction is continuing to make excellent progress. The brickwork is nearing completion, the tenterhook panels are installed, and the majority of the glass panelling is in place. We’re working towards a completion date this autumn. The tenants can then begin to fit out and furnish their units before Animate launches in early 2025.”

There are now two units left to rent out within the Animate scheme.

Part of the funding for the Animate Scheme comes from the city’s successful Town Funds bid which secured £20.9m for city centre developments focused on the ‘Harris Quarter’ which covers the area around the Harris, Town Hall and Markets.

Chair of Preston Towns Fund strategic board, John Chesworth, said: “Animate is a major asset in the city’s regeneration as it will help draw more people into Preston, but it’s acting as a catalyst for further growth and as footfall increases, we’ll undoubtedly see businesses want to invest here.

“Preston is really starting to flourish and we’re now seeing the fruits of everyone’s hard work in helping make the city an attractive place to live, work and play. The Northern Lights Group choosing Preston as a place to do business is a testament to what’s being achieved here.”

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