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Pop-up restaurant phenomenon comes to Belfast
Eateries 'allow culinary creativity'
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
enlargeIt's a phenomenon which has swept across the US and the UK, and now it’s here in Belfast.
The pop-up restaurant has fast become the latest food craze — propelled by social media — as people look for new and novel ways of eating out.
And a recently opened pop-up in Belfast has proven so popular that it is set to extend its stay.
Home, located on Callender Street, is one of the city’s first pop-up restaurants.
The 50-seat eaterie is being run by a team from Mourne Seafood Bar.
It opened just two weeks ago and is now planning to stay in its city centre location beyond its original January closing date.
Chef Ben Arnold and manager Stevie Haller have transformed an empty retail unit with the help of recycling company ReFound, using unwanted and salvaged furniture.
The ReFound artists have transformed reclaimed pieces of furniture into functional items, all of which are available to buy — from the coat stand, tables and chairs, to the pictures on the walls — by paying customers.
Mr Haller said they wanted to tap into the popularity of the dining trend.
“Pop-up restaurants are the latest food craze with chefs taking over under-utilised spaces or vacant kitchens providing an outlet for chefs to express their culinary creativity,” he said.
“Pop-up restaurants are trendy, in high demand and can vanish as quickly as they appear, making them awesome but often elusive for securing a table.”
He said the venture had been experiencing a “high level of interest”.
Pop-up restaurants are usually promoted through social media, making use of blogs and networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Diners get tip-offs to where the next venue will be, who’s starting a new one and they can even make reservations online to secure a place in the increasingly popular one-off events.
While they have been popular in America and the rest of the UK for a while, they are still relatively new to Northern Ireland.
Internationally they have been seen as a way to help up-and-coming chefs to experiment with running a restaurant without the risk of bankruptcy.
But their popularity has meant more famous names have also been involved — Jamie Oliver will hold one at a food festival in December and Gordon Ramsay served curry at a pop-up stall earlier this year for Comic Relief.
Local property agent, Stephen Chambers from Lisney, said pop-up events are good for landlords as well as adventurous diners.
“The unit was vacant for some time, and in the current market we were looking at innovative ways to bring in a rental income for the landlord,” he said. “Given the level of retail vacancies, there is a real chance that the concept will catch on.”
”It will make sense for many landlords and restaurant entrepreneurs. It has also proven to be popular with diners.”
Home can be found at 8 Callender Street, Belfast. It is open seven days a week and operates a bring-your-own policy. Reservations can be made for evening bookings on 07936 292 502.
Background
Pop-up restaurants are the latest fad for foodies. Popular in the US and the UK, they are mini-restaurants which open spontaneously for a limited period of time. They provide a unique dining experience, often being held in unused warehouses, streets or vacant retail spaces, and have been hailed as a way for young chefs to make an impact on the industry.
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