intu scoops food court BSCG gold award

Leading UK shopping centre owner intu scooped a Gold Award from the British Council of Shopping Centres for its contemporary, cutting-edge food court at intu Lakeside, designed by Rawls.

The newly completed, third floor level, food court at the pre-eminent 1.44m sq ft shopping centre was refurbished and remodelled following a £1M  investment. Covering  55,000 sq ft, including a central 1,100 seat dining area for customers, it has a 20 strong line-up of  fast food and express casual dining offers.

The food court is part of an overall strategy for the centre to attract customers from further, and give them reasons to stay for long and return more often. This means retailer’s businesses can flourish. Mike Butterworth, chief operating officer for intu, said: “We have a £1.2 billion development pipeline nationally over the next 10 years to provide our 400 million visitors annually with their perfect shopping centre experience. This gives retailers and restaurateurs the right space in the right place where they can grow and trade successfully.

intu Lakeside has an annual footfall of 25 million. Its new food court features a wide mix of culinary styles to meet different customer tastes. Names include US burger chain Five Guys, independent Californian Burritos and Tacos restaurant Tortilla, and Harpers British Classics, which specialises in good quality, hearty, homemade British food. Tempting customers further with tastes from around the world are names such as sushi and Japanese cuisine chain Wasabi, Patisserie Valerie, Thai Express and Nandos. And renowned Italian chef and TV personality Gino DâAcampo opened his first shopping centre-based restaurant at intu Lakeside with My Pasta Bar, which serves authentic Italian cuisine.

The food court complements the centres casual dining offer at The Boardwalk, an al fresco restaurant area alongside a lake which gives the shopping centre its name. And throughout the centre, there are further catering offers, such as a luxury 360 Champagne & Cocktail Bar, with seating overlooking the central area of the shopping centre.

Adding to the appeal of intu Lakeside, plans are in hand for the construction of a new £100m leisure quarter, which will see the arrival of further catering names, as well as leisure uses such as family entertainment venues and health & fitness facilities.