Sedgemoor’s legacy offering to Bridgwater, Northgate Yard, has already seen the successful opening of the Scott Cinema multiplex and the landscaped Brewery Field and the final jigsaw in the piece, the long promised line of restaurants, have now been confirmed for a spring opening. Nando’s, the South African-Portuguese restaurant of chicken fame, is expected to open its doors in spring/summer 2023 with a wide range of food options and is popular with people of all ages. Local independent, La Kasia Tapas & Cocktail will also be taking a unit at the new flagship leisure and entertainment venue. This is an exciting new venture from successful local restaurateur Erdal Sahin, of Green Olive and Wild Rocket fame and will serve a selection of Mediterranean dishes and cocktails.
Bridgwater Town Clerk David Mears said “This is fantastic news! We have a local operator and renowned national chain setting up in the new units at Northgate Yard. We are in a difficult economic climate and the fact that Bridgwater is seeing new hospitality businesses setting up is a boost of confidence in Bridgwater.”
Westover councillor Tim Mander said “I welcome this long awaited announcement and need to congratulate the team at SDC in particular Stuart Martin for the hard work that’s been put in to get these deals over the line. It’s particularly exciting to hear that such a well respected local restaurateur like Erdal Sahin has taken a unit here. Let’s not forget that the private sector would not have delivered this project it has taken municipal intervention to ensure that this project is delivered”!
And Cllr Kathy Pearce (Westover) added “Excellent news! It will bring a new dynamism to the Town which will hopefully have a knock on effect to the Town centre.
Excited
Cllr Duncan McGinty, leader of Sedgemoor District Council said: “We’re so excited to welcome both Nando’s and La Kasia to Northgate Yard. They both have distinctive and varied offerings and will provide plenty of choice for visitors to the centre. From the beginning, the Council’s ambition was to secure national brands alongside providing the opportunity for local / regional operators to open units and we are achieving a good mix now, adding both Nando’s and La Kasia to Scott Cinemas and AllStars Sports Bowl.It is hugely exciting to see Northgate Yard continue to develop. There is further interest in the remaining two units, and we hope that, following the announcement of Nando’s and La Kasia, we will secure a number of offers.”
Delicious
Erdal Sahin commented “We love bringing delicious food to the people of Bridgwater and beyond, and are really excited to be part of Northgate Yard. Our food is made with natural, fresh ingredients that we source locally. We’ll be offering food throughout the day and evening, whether it’s for a pre-cinema or bowling bite to eat, or leisurely gatherings with friends and family.”
Finally
Leader of Bridgwater Town Council Brian Smedley (Westover) said “The dust has finally settled over battlefield Northgate and we hope people will have confidence in what is clearly a legacy offering from Sedgemoor to the people of Bridgwater. The success of the cinema is already a fact, the bowling is something people have asked for a long time, the enhanced Brewery field gives us a new town centre park and finally a national restaurant chain alongside a popular and enterprising local business initiative shows the partnership working gone into achieving this. It didn’t feel that we’d be at this point all those years ago when we stood on the same site trying to stop them closing the Splash and building a Tesco, but we’ve got here. Finally.”
Both restaurants are expected to open at Northgate Yard in spring / summer 2023. Northgate Yard was officially opened in October 2022, with the launch of a state of the art 7 screen cinema from Scott Cinemas. Allstars Bowling, an 8-lane bowling alley and sports bar, will open in Spring 2023.
The Northgate Yard website can be found here