A food hall is actually a redressing of a concept that has been around for ages. Think of any indoor market you may have been into in the past, lots of independent vendors selling their own produce all under one roof. The basic premise is convenience for the customers in that they can, in theory, purchase all their goods in one place. This concept has found it's way into the hospitality industry for the same reasons, why should a paying member of the public have to travel to different locations, sometimes even different towns and cities, to try a multitude of different products?
Well, put simply, they don't.
We have gone down this route with Hwb because we honestly believe that being able to remove the opportunity for any member of a group of friends or family to feel like their choice hasn't been listened to, should be a thing of the past. Just because one of you wants a burger while another wants a burrito shouldn't mean going to different places and then meeting back up again later. Meeting up with loved ones is precious and every minute of it should be enjoyed, within that there is no time for minor squabbles over what food to have.
It would be disingenuous of us to pretend there aren't any benefits for us and the independent producers as well though. Setting up a stand alone restaurant or bar can be astronomically expensive and it can feel like too big a hurdle for so many aspiring producers. With having a carefully selected group of like minded traders banding together not only shares these costs out but also can reduce the stresses and strains of taking all of these responsibilities on just one companies set of shoulders. You get to collaborate on projects with each other (food and drink pairings for example) safe in the knowledge that it is mutually beneficial for everyone. Also you share each others advertising, word of mouth following, loyal customer base and being under the same roof means that decisions can be made there and then, rather than the grinding drudgery of long winded e-mail chains. In summary its good for everyone involved, from the point of view of both trader and public.
The below links will give you a really good visual idea of what we are shooting for at Hwb.
Cardiff Market, Cardiff
Catford Mews, South London
Cutlery Works, Sheffield
I hope that this has given you a good idea of what we are trying to achieve with Hwb in the wonderful town of Narberth, thank you for reading and as always if you've got any further questions please feel free to either e-mail via info@hwbnarberth.com or message us on either Facebook or Instagram @hwbnarberth
Thank you
Chris
Hwb Narberth
