A world of food hall under one roof

TOWN OPENS ITS OWN GRAND ANSWER TO MANCHESTER'S MACKIE MAYOR

- CHARLOTTE HALL

A BRAND new food hall set beneath the swung arches of a beautiful GradeII listed building has finally opened its doors in Oldham town centre.

The long-awaited Egyptian Room is the final part of a multi-million pound renovation of Oldham's Old Town Hall building on Parliament Square.

Bringing together Oldham's historical splendour and contemporary dining, food stalls and a bar are set into the Egyptian-inspired architecture of the 180-year-old building.

The food hall can be intimate but it's grand, with indoor seating for around 150 guests, six kitchens and a bar alongside a music nook where live bands and DJs will play on the weekends. More seating on an outdoor terrace at the hall's entrance faces towards the new Tommyfield Market hall off Spindles shopping centre (due to be completed next year).

The food hall was developed by Oldham Council and is now managed by Northern Lights Group (NLG). And as well as putting Oldham on Greater Manchester's culinary map, the hall is supposed to be giving back to the local community by employing 42 locals, including 26 team members out of long-term unemployment.

Local bosses have claimed the hall is 'set to rival Mackie Mayors.

It's a tall order, putting the new hall level with Manchester's ever-buzzing converted market hall.

Fortunately, it delivers on the food offers - with an impressive selection of some of the North West's best food concepts, from Manchester favourite Ply Pizza, to an off-shoot of Kambuja, and The Last Stop, as well as a brand new Oldham-grown Caribbean venture.