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By Asia Kane
An opening date has been revealed for the revival of an historic market as a ”foodie’s paradise” complete with new street food vendors and entertainment.
Hatch Market, a rebrand of Gravesend Borough Market, will be opening in the town centre on June 21.
It will include a German-themed bierkeller pub, deli and cheese counter, a wine shop, 12 street food kitchens, and a cocktail bar.
On the entertainment side, the market will boast augmented reality darts and big screens for sporting events.
The opening weekend will be marked by a range of special events, such as face painting, karaoke, and live music.
The new-look venue, next to the High Street, has been put together by Beer & Feast owners Jamie Clark and Thomas Mudge who are best known for running the Dead Pigeon pub in Rochester and the Greedy Banker pub in Rainham.
The pair, who have more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, have been aiming to open a market space for three years and plan to create “a foodie’s paradise”.
Speaking previously, Jamie said: “We are going to turn it into a destination that people from all over are going to travel to.”
When they first took over the Gravesend venue, there were 17 empty units.
Now, there are only four.
Most visitors spend between 10 minutes and one hour at the market, but the operator hopes to change this.
Jamie added: “Our aim is to get people to come here and stay here.
“It is about spending the day or evening here, for it to become a one-stop shop.
“We have tried to find things that are not already available in the area such as the darts and shuffleboard.”
To this end, the pair have announced that their augmented reality darts will take up two units, each accommodating six people.
There will also be seating for over 200 people.