On the heels of two recent planning applications, a popular Belfast food spot will be forced to find a new location.
Belfast’s Trademarket has established itself as one of the city’s best food spots, providing the best Belfast has to offer in terms of local and international and showcasing the talents of its cooks.
However, its future is uncertain as plans recently approved by Belfast City Council will force Trademarket to find a new location in summer 2024.
Trademarket – one of Belfast’s must-visit foodie destinations
Since the summer of 2022, Trademarket has been operating on the site left vacant following the demise of the Dublin Road Movie House. During its short tenure, it has established itself as one of Belfast’s must-visit foodie destinations.
The site consists of several units each occupied by kitchens serving the best in local and international cuisine.
Highlights include fish and chips stall Fin, Filipino joint KUBO, Bodega Bagels, and the Pie Queen. However, if you fancy pizza, pasta, Korean food, burritos, burgers, or ice cream, they’ve got you covered, too.
Trademarket also comes equipped with two fully stocked bars selling Irish classics like Guinness, a range of imported and local brews, and some fine cocktails.
Despite its popularity, however, Trademarket has been forced to find a new location.
Impending closure – summer 2024
Last month, we reported that two separate proposals had been submitted to Belfast City Council to use the space occupied by Trademarket.
One application came from nearby Queen’s University, to use the land to build student accommodation. The second was submitted by local technology company Kainos for a 14-storey office block, with hospitality and retail units on the ground floor.
Belfast City Council has approved both applications, meaning that Trademarket will have to vacate the premises when its current lease expires on 31 July 2024.
Bankmore Square – the proposed new location for Trademarket
The Trademarket team, however, see no reason that these developments should lead to a permanent closure. They see a suitable home in Bankmore Square, right next to its current location on the Dublin Road.
A statement read, “We always knew that our time at 14 Dublin Road, Belfast, was limited, but we expected to make this announcement with a plan for the future.
“The reality however, is the permanent closure of Trademarket is unnecessary and we believe unfair as there is one other site next to our current home that could house us, Bankmore Square.
“We are excited about the prospect of having Kainos’ global HQ and an innovative student accommodation complex by Queen’s, just next door and believe fundamentally that all three can and should live, work and play together”.
The statement goes on to accuse Kainos of reneging on its word, “effectively [waving] our business tenancy rights, which in practice means we could be evicted without Kainos meeting their statutory responsibilities as our landlord”.
Trademarket’s website has become an email form through which supporters can send emails to Linen Quarter BID, Kainos, local politicians, Belfast City Council, and the Department for Infrastructure to “remedy the wrongs” regarding Bankmore Square”.
