Street food vendors, bars and games and entertainment are all part of a new operator’s plans to revive a historic market.

Beer and Feast, owned by Jamie Clark and Thomas Mudge, hopes to create a “foodies’ paradise” when it takes over Gravesend Borough Market next month.

The pair have a reputation for running popular places to eat out in the county, such as The Dead Pigeon Pub in Rochester and The Greedy Banker in Rainham.

However, they have had the idea to open a market space for the past three years but were searching for the right location.

Jamie said: “We had been looking at some options in Gravesend for quite some time and wanted to be over there.

“When the market came up it was a no-brainer. We have been looking for the right building and this one was it.

“It is a big job and there is a lot of work to do but it is something to be excited about.”

The market, next to the High Street in Gravesend, will be rebranded and known as Hatch, with the ambition to fill every empty unit in the next three months.

Jamie said they hope to attract a variety of street food vendors and shops such as a deli, bakery or one selling wine or craft beer. The current food traders will also be kept on.

At the moment, Jamie said visitors spend around 10 minutes to an hour at the market or use it as a walk-through but they want to change this.

The plan is for Hatch to be open later in the evening and include bars, big screens which could be used to show sports or films, and entertainment and games to keep people there.

Jamie added: “We are looking to turn it into a foodies’ paradise so we will be focusing on food and drink.

“The reason you go to a town centre is slowly changing and the council has seen that.

“We have also noticed a lot of people go to the high street to eat more than they do to shop and I think you can see that changing with more eateries opening.

“I think it is a good move to turn it into somewhere people come to eat within an element of shopping within the market itself.

“We are going to make it a destination that people from all over are going to travel to.

“This is going to be a great thing for Gravesend.”

Gravesham council decided in October to bring in an external management company that has expertise and experience running similar venues to transform the space.

Earlier this month, it was announced Beer and Feast had been picked as the owners had more than 15 years of experience in business and marketing and the hospitality industry.

Speaking to KentOnline previously, the current traders in the market, including husband-and-wife Rob and Faye Chrystal, owners of award-winning Scottish coffee shop Chrystal's, welcomed the news.

It is hoped that Beer and Feast will start work on the market in March and Hatch will be launched in the summer.

The site will remain open during that time.